Scuba Diver Girls

World's biggest beaver dam discovered in northern Canada

2010-05-06T20:40:00.001-07:00

by Michel Comte and Jacques Lemieux Michel Comte And Jacques Lemieux – Wed May 5, 7:46 pm ET

OTTAWA (AFP) – A Canadian ecologist has discovered the world's largest beaver dam in a remote area of northern Alberta, an animal-made structure so large it is visible from space. Researcher Jean Thie said Wednesday he used satellite imagery and Google Earth software to locate the dam, which is about 850 metres (2,800 feet) long on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park. Average beaver dams in Canada are 10 to 100 metres long, and only rarely do they reach 500 metres. First discovered in October 2007, the gigantic dam is located in a virtually inaccessible part of the park south of Lac Claire, about 190 kilometres (120 miles) northeast of Fort McMurray. Construction of the dam likely started in the mid-1970s, said Thie, who made his discovery quite by accident while tracking melting permafrost in Canada's far north. "Several generations of beavers worked on it and it's still growing," he told AFP in Ottawa.

AFP

Mike Keizer, spokesman for the park, said rangers flew over the heavily forested marshlands last year to try to "have a look." They found significant vegetation growing on the dam itself, suggesting it's very old, he said. "A new dam would have a lot of fresh sticks," Keizer explained. "This one has grasses growing on it and it's very green." Part of the dam may have been created by naturally felled trees, and the beavers "opportunistically filled in the gaps." Thie said he recently identified two smaller dams sprouting at either side of the main dam. In 10 years, all three structures could merge into a mega-dam measuring just short of a kilometer in length, he said. The region is flat, so the beavers would have had to build a massive structure to stem wetland water flows, Thie said, noting that the dam was visible in NASA satellite imagery from the 1990s. "It's a unique phenomenon," he said. "Beaver dams are among the few animal-made structures visible from space." North American beavers build dams to create deep, still pools of water to protect against predators, and to float food and building materials. A 652-meter structure in Three Forks in the US state of Montana previously held the record for world's largest beaver dam. Thie said he also found evidence that beavers were repopulating old habitats after being hunted extensively for pelts in past centuries. "They're invading their old territories in a remarkable way in Canada," he said. "I found huge dams throughout Canada, and beaver colonies with up to 100 of them in a square kilometer." "They're re-engineering the landscape," he said.

US > Florida > Force-E Divers

2010-05-06T12:22:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get a free tank rental when they book a local dive trip or just go diving with us on any of the free dives we sponsor. **limit three per year

Experience world class scuba diving and snorkeling in Southeast Florida including North Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach and Ft. Lauderdale has the best wreck diving and world class reefs. Many sites are accessible from the beach but the best is just a short boat ride off shore. Lobster hunting and spearfishing is acceptable in many areas. The Gulf Stream sweeps close to shore and gives the area warm water all year with great visibility and the best drift diving in the US.South Florida divers, locals and visitors, love the scuba diving and snorkeling here. Experience the best. Experience Force-E.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Southeast Florida Force-E Scuba Centers cover the best of South Florida scuba diving like sunshine in the morning. Experienced Florida divers know that the Southeast Florida coast from South Jupiter to North Ft. Lauderdale is the best that Florida has to offer in ocean diving. This section of the "Gold Coast" is known to divers as "Florida's Dive Coast". Force-E is the "Local's Underwater Outfitter". Dive like a Local. Learn and dive with Force-E Scuba Centers near North Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Singer Island, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach and Ft. Lauderdale. We have 10 dive boats to book your scuba trips. We offer Instruction at all levels. Our Service is fast and state of the art. Force-E rental equipment is new and top of the line. Force-E Air and Nitrox fills are dependable and accurate. Though we don't take any commissions, we can recommend high value accommodations. Force-E has the only dive stores that are opening at 6:30 AM on the weekends and closing at 9:00 PM during the week. We carry great brands and offer unequaled price and satisfaction guarantees. Force-E stands for a group of people, customers and staff, with a common goal (A Force). Our goal is excellence (E). Force-E Divers on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Fore-E Divers

US > California > San Diego > The Scuba Center

2010-05-05T21:05:00.001-07:00

Mention that you're a Scuba Diver Girl and receive 10% off of rentals, new gear, and any class above Open Water! We teach all PADI classes, Bubblemaker (for children) through instructor and technical dive training. Ray has been the owner of The Scuba Center since 1993. Having started his diving recreationally overseas in 1974 while serving with the United States Marine Corps, he became a dive professional in 1986. Once retired from the USMC, he decided that owning a Scuba shop was how he would spend his retirement. He has traveled the world, diving numerous exotic places. Ray is a PADI Course Director, DAN Instructor Trainer, an Atlantis/Dolphin Rebreather Instructor Trainer as well as Tec-Deep Instructor Trainer. As one of only a dozen PADI Course Directors in the state of California, he has a reputation for extensive experience, vast dive knowledge, and strong, honest business practices. The Scuba Center on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email The Scuba Center [caption id="attachment_4858" align="alignnone" width="192" caption="t-shirts, swearshirts, hats, and more!"][/caption]

Thailand > Phuket > Deep Star Divers

2010-05-03T16:30:00.001-07:00

Just mention that you saw our listing on Scuba Diver Girls an get a free diving mask when you do any PADI course with us. And get 10% off any day trip or liveaboard trip! Deep Star Divers is located in Phuket Thailand, home of the famous Similan islands which are rated as one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world. We offer a variety of day trip diving to liveaboard trips year round. We also teach Padi courses from intro dives all the way to Instructor development courses. We have many different by lingual instructors, English, German, Russian, French, Japanse, Scandanavian an more. We also offer many specialties as well from nitrox, nite diving , wreck an many more. Not to mention we are great with teaching children!! Deep Star Divers on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Deep Star Divers

Take Action - Stop Destruction of Sea Turtle Coral Reef Habitat in Okinawa, Japan

2010-05-03T15:46:00.001-07:00

In 2008, we worked with our allies to successfully stop development of a new military base in Okinawa, Japan, that would have impacted imperiled hawksbill, loggerhead, and green sea turtles and the endangered Okinawa dugong. However, the Obama administration is pushing for the expansion of the existing military base, threatening the survival of this delicate coral reef ecosystem, sea turtles, and the dugongs. The Sea Turtle Restoration Project needs your help today to stop this. Stop Destruction of Endangered Sea Turtle and Dugong Habitat The Japanese island of Okinawa has been called the "Galápagos of the East" because of the 400 types of coral, more than 1,000 species of reef fish, marine mammals, and the endangered sea turtles that thrive there. This incredible degree of marine biodiversity is exceeded only by Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The dugong, a gentle animal much like a manatee, is widely considered to be critically endangered and is an official Japanese "cultural treasure." Join the Coalition to Halt Military Expansion on Henoko Reef You can help the coalition of conservation, animal-protection, peace and justice groups representing more than 10 million Americans that are urging the White House and State Department to cancel plans to expand the airbase into Okinawa's sensitive coral reef habitat. Just take these simple actions: 1) Click here to send a letter to the Obama administration demanding a halt to the military base expansion. 2) Donate to the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, with your gift of $100 or more, or monthly recurring gift of just $8, you'll receive a beautiful onyx carved sea turtle. Photos: (top) endangered dugongs, courtesy NOAA; (bottom) proposed expansion onto Henoko coral reefs, courtesy Sean Chen [caption id="attachment_4824" align="alignnone" width="192" caption="Shirts, caps, bags, and more"][/caption]

US > New Mexico > Dona Ana Divers

2010-05-01T21:06:00.001-07:00

Mention your a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and Dona Ana Divers will give you 10% off:

all equipment purchases
all dive classes
all rental equipment
all air fills

Dona Ana Divers is Las Cruces' full service dive center. We are the only PADI IRRA and DAN training center in Las Cruces as well. We provide full instruction, retail sales, travel and are the only dive center in southern New Mexico to provide our guests with a full flow bench tech center that allows us to more fully and effectively service your personal equipment. We are also very proud to offer our guests that require or request adaptive training the opportunity to work with our very own Handicapped Scuba Association Course Director. In addition to all of this we offer CPR and First Aid training from beginners to those wanting to teach CPR and First Aid. We look forward to meeting you and diving with you wherever our dive dreams take us. We here at Dona Ana Divers are committed to providing you the best in both equipment sales and service. We are authorized retailers for Aqualung, Suunto Dive Computers, Deep See, SeaQuest, Sherwood, Mares, Dacor, Trident, Innovative Scuba, JAWS, Amphibious Outfitters, Sea Life Cameras, McNett, Docs Pro Plugs, US Divers, SeaDoo scooters, Whites Dry Suits, Akona, Sea Pearls, Marine Diving Inc., and DAN – Divers Alert Network. Dona Ana Divers on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Dona Ana Divers

The Blue Dragonfly Condos

2010-05-01T14:12:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get a 5% discount on a full weeks booking. Playa del Carmen, Mexico has the 2nd largest reef in the world! Come visit and dive! We offer a great place to stay while you are here. Our condos, built in 2009 have 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and each condo sleeps 2-4 people! They are all fully furnished with full kitchens and are a very unique, spiritual and tranquil design. The Blue Dragonfly Condos are located in a great location approximately a 5 minute walk to the beach and 5th Ave. The Blue Dragonfly Condos on the Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Blue Dragonfly Condos

2010-04-30T17:20:00.001-07:00

SDG Karma and Margo head out at La Jolla Shores in San Diego Ca. to visit the Secret Garden! You can find it at approximately 110 feet if you line up just to the right of the lifeguard tower when kicking out. It is a really cool and yes...somewhat creepy place! On the way back we stopped at the wall and found a friendly octopus who wanted to play with Margo! He kept coaxing her to follow him and wanted to hold hands.

Dive Kick Off for the Long Beach Scuba Show!!!

2010-04-30T16:22:00.001-07:00

Hey All!!! Since the Long Beach Scuba Show is the weekend of the May 15th, Scuba Diver Girls will be doing a dive on the May 13th to kick it off! What better than a dive before the big show to get you in the mood? Email the Waterhorse at info@waterhorsecharters.com and be sure you mention you are a SDG Fan to get the special price for you and your dive buddies! Pass this on to all your dive friends...you DO NOT have to be a member of SDG to take advantage of these deals! 09:00 am - 3:00 pm Destination: Wrecks Description: 3 Tank Dive 20% Discount for Scuba Diver Girls and their buddy Hugs and Happy Diving! Margo

Experts: Most of the Gulf Oil Spill Won't Be Cleaned Up

2010-04-29T18:15:00.001-07:00

Jeanna Bryner LiveScience Managing Editor BP is attacking the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on all fronts, from the traditional skimmers and booms to more advanced technologies. But history and science suggest this clean-up effort probably won't end in a spotless environment. BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward said the company would do "everything in our power to contain this oil spill and resolve the situation as rapidly, safely and effectively as possible," according to news reports. The company, which was leasing the Transocean oil rig that exploded and sank on April 22 in the Gulf, is responsible for the clean-up. And yes, all hands are on deck - skimmers, booms, domes, controlled burning and chemical dispersants - to try to clean up the 1,000 to 5,000 barrels a day estimated to be leaking out of the well. However, for an oil spill at sea, typically only 10 to 15 percent of the oil is recovered, Gerald Graham, president of Worldocean Consulting, a marine oil spill prevention and response planning firm based in British Columbia, told LiveScience. So far, BP claims it has recovered 685,062 gallons (more than 2.5 million liters) of an oil-and-water mix. That mix is almost entirely water, with oil stirred in like vinaigrette. Until the entire recovery process finishes, it will be impossible to tell how much crude oil BP has recovered, Graham said. The rest of the oil that doesn't get cleaned up evaporates, breaks up and floats on the surface, or sinks to the bottom, Graham said. "It's kind of overwhelming," U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory Mendenhall said of the cleanup effort. "A lot of it cannot be collected," Mendenhall said. "95 percent [of the oil] is a rainbow-y sheen. It's too thin to scoop up. Most of that breaks up naturally, so about 3 percent of the oil is what people think of as big globs of oil that you can skim off the water. Now, how much of that 3 percent has been collected is still unsure." History attests to the lingering problem of oil spills. Exxon Valdez, one of the worst oil spills ever, dumped more than 10 million gallons of crude into Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989. And there's still a lot of oil that didn't get cleaned up, which has continued to impact wildlife in the area for the past 20 years, experts say. "Despite spending $2 billion dollars and using every known clean-up method there was, they recovered 8 percent of the spilled Exxon Valdez oil," said Jeffrey Short, Pacific science director for Oceana, a Washington, D.C.-based ocean conservation organization. "That is typical of these exercises when you have a large marine oil spill. You're doing really great if you [get] 20 percent." Cleanup under way So far, the most effective method has been chemical dispersants. Least effective: booms, according to Mendenhall. Here's what's being done to capture the oil: Chemical dispersants: About 100,000 gallons of chemical dispersant has been dropped from the air into the Gulf, where it breaks up the oil slick into smaller droplets. The droplets then get mixed into the water, where they are subjected to ocean currents and natural degradation processes, according to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). "This potentially exposes the water column and near shore shallow bottom-dwelling organisms to oil," according to MMS. Skimmers: Once broken up, skimming vessels come in and collect what's left. The droplets are collected in drums and some of that material gets cleaned and recycled. The rest is "properly disposed," Mendenhall said. But skimmers can only capture about 10 percent of the volume of spilled oil, according to Charlie Henry of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Controlled burn: On Wednesday, BP and the Coast Guard, along with other agencies, conducted an in-situ burn in which they used a fireproof boom to corral dense parts of the oil spill, moving it to another location and then burning it. In general, burning is probably the most effective method for cleaning up heavy oil like that leaking in the Gulf, according to said Edward Overton, a professor emeritus of environmental sciences at Louisiana State University. But it has drawbacks. When you burn near the coast, you have to destroy wildlife, and offshore burning is harder to do. "I have no idea what we're going to do, this is trial and error to see what works and what doesn't work," Overton said. And news reports suggest since the oil is really an oil-water mix, burning actually might not do the trick. Collection domes: BP has also started to put together a subsea oil collection system, and when used will be the first time this shallow-water technology has been adapted for the deep water. The oil leaks in the Gulf are nearly a mile down. It is expected to be ready for deployment within the next four weeks, according to BP. When ready, here's how the oil-spill technology would work: The dome would be placed on the seabed to capture the leaking oil. This oil would then be pumped up to surface vessels that could collect the oil and take it away. Similar systems have been used in shallow water, but never at depth of 5,000 feet. The Coast Guard has said the construction could take two to four weeks. New method: However, Thursday afternoon officials said they might try an experimental oil-dispersal method that would involve releasing chemicals from under the water. "We were notified that this technique might be more effective in spreading the dispersant at the source on the riser than by using aircraft to spread it on the sea," said Doug Suttles, BP's Chief Operating Officer. Leftover oil As for what happens to the "dispersed oil," that doesn't get skimmed off or burned off or otherwise collected, "We're told it disperses naturally. It eventually breaks up and evaporates. There are different ways, but we're told it just kind of goes away," U.S. Coast Guard's Mendenhall said. Bacteria can also help degrade most components of oil. But not all oils are created equally. At first, reports suggested the oil leaking into the Gulf was standard Louisiana crude oil, a type of oil that biodegrades pretty well, Overton said. But sample testing revealed that the leaking oil was a different type, one that contains a very high concentration of components that don't degrade easily, called asphaltenes, according to Overton. He estimates that the concentration of these asphaltic components could be as high as 50 percent in this oil spill, while in other types of crude oil it might be as low as 1 or 2 percent. "That is bad, bad news, because this oil is going to be very slow to degrade," Overton said today. Some of the oil sinks to the sea bottom, where it can get buried into an anaerobic zone where there's no oxygen. Oil in these zones stays in a chemically reduced form and doesn't degrade as much, Overton said. But, he added, there's not much life down there to be contaminated. The oil slick could reach the Mississippi Delta coast as early as Friday, so at least some oil will hit shore. History as a guide The 1989 Exxon Valdez spill that fouled over 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) of shoreline in Alaska in 1989 has shown that once an oil slick makes landfall and soaks into the beach, it can take decades for the pollution to break down and disappear. About 40 percent of the 10.8 million gallons spilled reached shore in Prince William Sound, according to Short. "There's still a lot of oil that didn't get cleaned up," from the area around Prince William Sound where the spill occurred, said Daniel Esler, a University Research Associate, based at the Centre for Wildlife Ecology at the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. Some beaches didn't get cleaned up as much as others, and certain coastal environments (with particular types of sediments and patterns of water flow) tend to hold on to the oil for longer than others. While it can't be seen if you walk along the beach, digging down into the sediments at certain spots can lead to pools of oil that remain in much the same condition as when they first spilled. For instance, in 2001, 2003 and 2007, researchers dug over 12,000 pits at dozens of beach sites that had been covered in oil back in 1989. The team found black, oily liquid in over half of the holes dug in 2001. This subsurface oil was "fingerprinted" back to the Exxon Valdez as the ultimate source (the star-crossed region also had an earthquake-caused oil spill back in 1964). This hidden oil contained the same proportions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in it as the Exxon Valdez oil collected right at the initial time of the spill. "There was no question we were looking at Exxon Valdez oil," Short, who led the three surveys, told Livescience. The lingering oil estimate for affected Alaskan beaches stood at 21,000 gallons (80,000 liters) in 2004. This Exxon Valdez oil is decreasing at a rate of 0 to 4 percent per year according to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (EVOSTC) - though the lower rate is much more likely - meaning it will take decades or even centuries for the oil to disappear entirely. Though the lingering oil has broken down, in some locations it remains almost as toxic to the environment as the freshly spilled variety, according to EVOSTC's Web site. (EVOSTC oversees restoration use of civil money to clean up the Sound.) And even though this leftover oil is "just a teeny fraction of what was originally spilled," Esler said, certain species can still be exposed to it. Esler and his colleagues used a biomarker that indicates exposure to hydrocarbons (of which oil is one) to look at the potential exposure of harlequin ducks, a particularly vulnerable species, in the area affected by the spill. They found that these ducks were coming into contact with the spilled oil even 20 years after the incident. Take-home The findings suggest that oil spills can have an impact on the environment for much longer than previously thought, even decades later. In the case of the Gulf spill, the oil won't last as long if it stays in open ocean - there it will either evaporate or congeal into clumps and sink to the ocean floor, Esler explained. But if it reaches the coast, it could encounter the types of environments where it can stick around for a long time. Given the number of places where oil spills have happened and oil has remained even after clean-up efforts, "it's not unreasonable" to think that oil could remain for some time if reaches the Gulf coast, Esler said in a telephone interview Thursday. The situation at Prince William Sound isn't all bad though, as it seems some species are out of the woods in terms of exposure threats and "there are lots of hints that things are getting better," Esler said.

Manufacturers > Dive Tracking Devices > Desert Star Sytems

2010-04-28T21:27:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 10% off all items, excluding shipping. Check out the full product line of positioning devices, cameras, acoustic modems, pressure sensors, animal tags and more. SPORT DIVING No more surface swims! Find the boat, your buddy, the ascent line or a piece of equipment quickly and with confidence. Maximize the productivity and enjoyment of your dives. Years ago, we developed the DiveTracker as a buddy locater; the goal was to be able to return to your buddy when you wanted to re-group. However, various other applications became apparent and before we knew it recreational divers were knocking on our door. Typical tasks include marking of underwater objects, safeguarding and recovery of underwater instrumentation and vehicles, general diver navigation and emergency pingers for divers. The chief attractions of these devices are ease of use, low cost and operational reliability due to their simplicity. Both DiveTrackers consist of two components, a transmitter (pinger) and a receiver. Using the indicators on the receiver, a diver can easily return to any location or object marked with a transmitter. To aid in the return to a boat, the transmitter may be lowered from the boat or attached to the anchor line. To serve as a distress beacon, the transmitter can be carried by a diver, to be activated when an emergency occurs. A diver can carry transmitters, then use them to mark underwater object or locations for a later return. Any number of receivers can be used with one transmitter, allowing a group of divers to use the system. SCOUT is small, easy to use, and inexpensive. The SCOUT receiver is not much larger than a magic marker; it won't get in the way. Attach it to a D-ring of your B/C and you'll hardly know it's there. SCOUT uses a simple 2-color light to indicate both distance and direction. Sweep it around until the strongest signal is found. That's the direction to the transmitter. Now just watch the light. If it's red, you are 300 to 1,000 feet away. A combination of red and green means 100 to 300 feet. And if the light is green, you are less than 100 feet away. The light blink speed will vary as well. It will indicate that you're 100 feet away (slowly blinking green) or 20 feet away (quickly blinking green). We recommend SCOUT for general navigation tasks and operations where small size is of the essence. Use SPORT in difficult and challenging operations to obtain the maximum level of performance. Customer Reviews: My dive buddy was also very impressed when we came back to the swim step of the dive boat 7 out of seven times over the two day dive trip. At one point we had a lively discussion in 35' of water as to where the boat was anchored. He was really surprised when we followed my direction and came directly back to the boat. We would of had a long surface swim, in current, had we gone the direction he wanted to follow. Desert Star Systems on Scuba Diver Girls Directory

Indonesia > Bali > Bali Breizh Divers

2010-04-28T20:50:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 10% off all dive trips and PADI courses.

Diving is our passion. We offer you dive safaris, diving all the day, joining PADI Discover Scuba Diving training from beginner to Divemaster (1st step to get into professional). Bali Breizh Divers offers you to organize your dive trip to Bali, the Island of the Gods. A dive trip to Bali is diving to dive sites having the richest underwater diversity in the world. Each site has its own specificity; If you opt for a dive safari we suggest you visit different sites for your Bali diving. In those sites, you'll find the rayfish, moon fish called mola-mola (July-October), barracudas, groupers, humpback parrotfish, frog fish, scorpion fish, also the pygmy seahorses and all sorts of nudibranchs and shrimp. You also have an opportunity to cross the path of different species of sharks and turtles. It is also the opportunity to dive with Nitrox for free on Bali, if you have a certification! Whatever your level, we will accompany you and help you discover the underwater life of BALI Bali Breizh Divers on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Bali Breizh Divers

Dominican Republic: Conscious Breath Adventures

2010-04-28T11:43:00.001-07:00

Mention Scuba Diver Girls and receive $150 off the trip cost, a 5% discount. Your destination on this adventure is the Silver Bank, a territory of the Dominican Republic and part of the Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic. Here you will experience the amazing Humpback Whale! [caption id="attachment_4733" align="alignleft" width="230" caption="Photo copyright Gene Flipse"][/caption] Encounter the Humpback Whales of the Silver Bank Welcome to Conscious Breath Adventures, specializing in liveaboard cruises to encounter the Humpback Whales of the Silver Bank, Dominican Republic. A voyage with Conscious Breath Adventures takes you to experience one of the premier congregations of humpback whales found anywhere on the planet. With hundreds and thousands of whales gathered together annually in these tropical waters to mate and calve, you will see a dazzling display of behaviors not only from the deck of our tenders, but also eye to eye as you slip quietly into the sea to interact with these graceful giants in their ocean home. Swimming with humpback whales in their natural environment, on their terms, during a Soft-In-Water Encounter, is one of the most incredible animal interactions in the world, an unforgettable experience in an incredible place. Spending a week in this exceptional Sanctuary is an experience unlike any other. Arriving on the Silver Bank, visitors quickly realize that they are in one of the truly special wild places on earth, a feeling that deepens as the days pass. The humpback whale behaviors you witness from above and the experience you have face to face will leave you feeling joy, amazement, awe, humility, gratitude, respect. [caption id="attachment_4734" align="alignright" width="431" caption="copyright Gene Flipse"][/caption] They will make you laugh, and sometimes they may make you cry, but they will always touch your soul. A journey to the Silver Bank is an adventure that will awaken your consciousness and inspire your spirit. Thank you for your interest in the humpback whales of the Silver Bank and Conscious Breath Adventures. Please browse our site to learn more about these special animals and their habitat, and Conscious Breath Adventures' ability to transport you on the adventure of a lifetime. Conscious Breath Adventures on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Conscious Breath Adventures

Manufacturers: Bamboo Jewelry

2010-04-28T11:14:00.001-07:00

Use Coupon Code SDG at checkout and get 10% off your order. BAMBOO GREEN With so many BAMBOO Jewelry designs inspired by endangered wildlife and because of our concern about global warming, we do everything we can to operate as a green company. Our website hosting company uses 100% renewable energy. In 2007, we decided any environmental impacts we couldn't reduce to zero we'd offset with carbon credits, making BAMBOO Jewelry the world's first carbon neutral jewelry company. Nearly all the silver in our jewelry is recycled, and our goal is to use 100% recycled silver. We work in an energy efficient building which we plan to convert to solar power in the near future. Our next company vehicle will be a hybrid Aptera which is designed to get over 300 mpg! We utilize compact fluorescent lights in our offices and use fans instead of air conditioning. We ship our jewelry in boxes made from recycled paper and have switched from plastic tape to paper tape to seal our boxes. The film we use for shrink wrapping is a nontoxic biodegradable bio-plastic instead of petroleum based plastic. We minimize our use of paper, and the paper we do use is recycled. We have several duplexing printers and copiers so we can print on both sides of a sheet of paper, and we recently purchased a Xerox solid ink printer which, for every 100,000 printed pages, generates only five pounds of solid waste compared to 157 pounds produced by a typical color laser printer. NATURE, ART & SCIENCE Working in our California studio, we create each BAMBOO Jewelry design as a small celebration of nature, art, and science. After we finish the artwork for a design it's sent to China where it's hand crafted by highly skilled artisans using sterling silver, fine braided wire, and kiln-fired cloisonné enamel. BAMBOO GIFT BOXES Every piece of BAMBOO Jewelry comes packaged in an eco-friendly bamboo gift box lined with anti-tarnish fabric. Bamboo, though harder than oak or maple, is actually a fast growing grass which can be harvested every three to five years. The bamboo used for our gift boxes is plantation grown without the use of irrigation, fertilizers, or pesticides; nor is it a food source or habitat for endangered pandas. UNIQUELY BAMBOO Because of fabrication difficulties, most cloisonné jewelry rarely blends two or more enamel colors within a single wire-framed cell. BAMBOO Jewelry designs, however, often use multi-color blending to depict three dimensional contours and for realistic shading. It is also uncommon for cloisonné color cells to be created using fine braided wire, but at BAMBOO Jewelry we insist on using this intricate fabrication method for every piece of our jewelry. In addition, all our jewelry is enameled on its backside—a process known as counter enameling. Counter enameling minimizes tarnishing, strengthens pieces, and enhances appearance and is not usually found on cloisonné jewelry in BAMBOO'S price range. These are just a few examples of how BAMBOO Jewelry is striving to set new standards of excellence for sterling silver cloisonné jewelry. Bamboo Jewelry on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Bamboo Jewelry

Jellyfish Survival Story

2010-04-27T15:58:00.001-07:00

Yahoo Buzz Log by Mike Krumboltz In December, a ten-year-old Australian girl named Rachel Shardlow was attacked by one of the most venomous creatures in the world, the deadly box jellyfish. And, Rachel wasn't just stung. According to CNN, the box jellyfish completely enveloped her until she lost consciousness. Normally, when a person meets a box jellyfish, the result is near instant death for the human. But Rachel not only survived her encounter; several months later, she's doing reasonably well. Her surprising story of survival has led at least one professor to credit her with being a medical marvel. View a flickr gallery of box jellyfish photos. Photo by VannaGocaraRupa In an interview with Australia's ABC news, zoology professor Jamie Seymour said that Ms. Shardlow's injuries were "horrific." The doctor added, "Usually when you see people who have been stung by box jellyfish with that number of the tentacle contacts on their body, it's usually in a morgue." Just how unlikely was Ms. Shardlow's survival? Again, according to the professor, "I don't know of anybody in the entire literature where we've studied this where someone has had such an extensive sting that has survived." The young survivor isn't 100% herself after being attacked. She has suffered some memory loss and has scarring on her legs where the jellyfish wrapped itself. Still, the father reports that Rachel's "cognitive skills and memory tests were all fine." The recent interview has led to a lot of searches on "pictures of box jellyfish" and "box jellyfish map." National Geographic writes that the creatures "live primarily in coastal waters off Northern Australia and throughout the Indo-Pacific." And as for how they got their name? Some think their bell looks a bit like a cube.

Mexico > Cozumel > Dive With Martin

2010-04-26T19:50:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get: 1) Rental gear included for free (BCD, regulator, fins) 2) Free DVD of one of your days of diving with 4+ day package 3) Night dive only $30 with each multi-day package purchase 4) Bring 11 divers, one diver package is free (for any length of packages) Dive with Martin offers dive services for all levels of divers. Safety and your enjoyment are our primary concerns. On your first dive day you will have the opportunity to check out your gear and become familiar with Cozumel's drift diving. After the first day we can plan dives according to your skill level and desires. All of our dives are guided by professional PADI instructors and divemasters. Our boats are some of the fastest Cozumel has to offer. Recently upgraded, they are all equipped with long range radios, oxygen, first aid kits and expert crews. Our equipment is clean and well maintained. Boats from Dive with Martin will pick you up at any dock from Cozumel Palace to as far south as the Iberostar Resort. Surface intervals are spent on beautiful beaches. We're in the water earlier than other divers so we see the undisturbed world class marine life Cozumel has to offer. Our first boats leave at 7:30AM. Dive with Martin on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Dive with Martin

Scuba Diver Girls Fiesta Dive April 25th 2010

2010-04-26T19:26:00.001-07:00

The girls meet up on the Waterhorse Charters for another Sunday Fiesta dive!!! This time it was out to the Point Loma Kelp forest. It was a little murky down there but the site is still spectacular! The girls tried out a couple of their new Big Blue lights for the dive and these definitely brightened the day!

Adopt A Nest of Sea Turtles for Mother's Day

2010-04-26T18:57:00.001-07:00

The perfect gift for mothers who care about the environment Instead of giving flowers to your Mom this year, adopt a nest of sea turtle hatchlings. Your gift will save endangered sea turtles and their habitat and honor her love of ocean wildlife. The Sea Turtle Restoration Project is working hard to make sure that as many hatchlings survive as possible as they make their way across the beaches and into the ocean to grow and regenerate their species. $45 Adopt A Nest package includes:

• A personalized certificate of adoption

• A color photograph of your hatchlings emerging from their nest

• Fact sheets about the sea turtles

• A one-year membership in the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, including our newsletter, "Viva La Tortuga!"

• A simple way to cherish your Mom and sea turtles too!

$75 Special Nest includes all of the above plus a Sea Turtle Charm Bracelet: Includes all of the above plus a silver charm bracelet by Roland St. John featuring highly detailed Baby Sea Turtles with beautiful caribbean colored ceramic beads from the Mykonos. Also accented with metal and glass beads and sterling clasp. Approximately 7" long. Your contribution will help us protect sea turtles worldwide:

• Projects to protect sea turtle nesting beaches

• Efforts to ensure that sea turtles are not needlessly caught and drowned in industrial fishing lines and nets

• International programs to teach local communities about sea turtle conservation.

The Adopt-a-Nest Program is tax deductible. Click here to Adopt A Nest online. The deadline to order a Mother's Day Adopt A Nest is April 29. photo credit: Doug Perrine [caption id="attachment_4691" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Get your Sea Turtle Lover T-Shirt, Sweatshirt, Hat and more!"][/caption]

Calif.'s costly trout recovery effort criticized

2010-04-26T16:13:00.001-07:00

By NOAKI SCHWARTZ, Associated Press Writer Noaki Schwartz, Associated Press Writer – Sun Apr 25, 1:59 pm ET MALIBU, Calif. – In hopes of luring the endangered steelhead trout into the Santa Monica Mountains, California's transportation agency is planning to spend $935,000 to pave over part of a popular beach with cement and boulders to build a freeway of sorts for fish. The project is the latest, yet far from the most unusual, steelhead recovery attempt by government agencies that have spent millions of dollars on concrete fish ladders, cameras, fishways and other contraptions to allow seagoing trout to spawn in Southern California streams. The problem, even some conservationists say, is that there is little evidence construction efforts since the 1980s have done anything except absorb taxpayer dollars. The work to save the species has led to about a dozen concrete fishways at a cost of more than $16.7 million. A $1 million fish ladder — a structure designed to allow fish to migrate upstream over a barrier — may cost $7.5 million in stimulus funds to rebuild. Another fish ladder would require fish to leap 8 feet to reach it. Studies alone for replacing a third ladder have cost an estimated $3 million. "If we do a series of crappy projects like fish ladders to nowhere ... then the public trust for giving money for these types of projects is going to go away," said conservationist Mark Abramson of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation. Now the California Department of Transportation wants to build a passage for steelhead here across Dan Blocker State Beach, named for the actor who played Hoss on TV's Bonanaza. The artificial streambed, up to 60 feet wide and extending 102 feet onto the beach, would create pools allowing the fish to swim under the Pacific Coast Highway, then upstream. The plan makes no sense to restaurant owner Daniel Forge, who decided to sell a patch of property to CalTrans after the agency threatened to use eminent domain. "They decided we were going to bring back steelhead to the stream but I don't think there were ever any steelhead along there," Forge said. Steelhead were once teeming in Southern California waters. Over the years, however, development encroached and waterways were channelized, cutting off their pathways to spawning grounds. When the fish were listed as endangered in 1997, only an estimated 500 adults were left from Santa Barbara to Mexico. Many believe southern steelhead are worth saving because they are more adaptable than steelhead elsewhere and could be key to the survival of the species. While there are no hard numbers to show steelhead are rebounding from these construction efforts, wildlife officials say anecdotal evidence suggests more adult fish are spawning. Unconventional methods are necessary sometimes, they say, because ripping out dams and other obstructions to spawning is not realistic. "Nobody really wants (construction) as a solution," said Mary Larson, who oversees steelhead recovery for Fish and Game in Southern California. But she believes the CalTrans proposal to build a fishway in Malibu could work. "Frogs just need good, quiet waters, birds need good tall trees to nest but my fish need to travel." Conservationists believe that federal and state agencies should push more for restoring the species' natural environment, such as projects that have successfully cleared waterways of debris and crossings from miles of waterways. National Marine Fisheries Service has created a recovery plan for the species that is expected to be finalized later this year. That plan would coordinate recovery efforts and would emphasize restoration of historic habitat. Exasperation over getting the fish where they need to go has led to some imaginative proposals over the years, such as trucking the fish to spawning grounds or building fish elevators to get them over dams. But government agencies have footed the bill for many projects including the concrete fish ladders and fishways to help the steelhead get around dams and other structures. The ladders are expensive, short-lived, require maintenance and have even been known to harm fish. "Fish ladders don't work like the engineers have them work on paper," said Matt Stoecker, a biological consultant who has spent years working on steelhead recovery. Even when ladders are successful, recovery is a slow process and sometimes upgrades are necessary. For example, the United Conservation District in Ventura needs to replace a 20-year-old $1.5 million ladder at a cost of up to $25 million, according to general manager Michael Solomon. The agency has already installed lights, sonar equipment, special trash grates and video equipment. The district is looking at hiring a third full-time staffer to do nothing but deal with the fish. "We're a public agency and we need to keep reminding folks people are not going to spend endless money," said Solomon, adding the district rejected one suggestion to build a rock ramp across a dam for the fish at an estimated cost of $60 million. Mark Capelli, the steelhead recovery coordinator with the fisheries service, called the recovery one of the more ambitious in the agency's history. "We have a complicated situation we're dealing with and I don't think we've ever taken a position that there's only one way," he said. "There may be circumstances where artificial methods are appropriate and necessary."

Giant deep sea jellyfish filmed in Gulf of Mexico

2010-04-26T12:23:00.001-07:00

By Jody Bourton Earth News reporter

The giant jellyfish with arms grasping deep sea equipment.

Remarkable footage of a rarely seen giant deep sea jellyfish has been recorded by scientists. Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), they captured a video of the huge Stygiomedusa gigantea. The jellyfish has a disc-shaped bell than can be a metre wide, and has four arms that extend up to six metres in length. The jellyfish has only been seen 114 times in the 110 years it has been known to science, say researchers. Professor Mark Benfield from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, US, came across the creature as part of the Serpent project, a collaboration between marine scientists and energy companies, including BP, Shell, Chevron and Petrobras, working in the Gulf of Mexico. Using ROVs provided by the oil and gas companies, scientists are able to explore the deep ocean in more detail, including the so-called mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers of the sea. In a similar study, researchers recently captured footage of one of the ocean's largest fish, the serpent-like oarfish. Bizarre jelly Not much is known about the jellyfish, but it is thought to be one of the largest invertebrate predators in the deep sea ecosystem.

WONDERS OF THE DEEP

Scientists film the giant serpent-like oarfish in its natural deep sea habitat for the first time.

In the deep sea live some of the most bizarre and highly adapted creatures on the planet

A coral is recorded eating a jellyfish for the first time

Three-foot nemertean worms and carnivorous sea stars prowl the Antarctic in search of flesh

Direct observations of these creatures from submersibles are very rare. It has been previously videoed by scientists off the Pacific coast of the US and by ROVs off Japan. However, this is the first time the giant jelly has been recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. The researchers reported four chance encounters with jellyfish between 2005 and 2009, during the routine underwater work the energy companies carried out on their underwater structures. The footage shows the reddish purple coloured jellyfish at depths ranging from 996m to 1747m. Trap prey The scientists observed the jellyfish attaching itself to the subsea equipment using its large flattened arms. These "paddle-like" arms lack stinging tentacles, and scientists are unsure of their exact function. It has been suggested that they might be used to envelop and trap prey. This may explain why the jellyfish appeared to grasp at the artificial structures. One of the films the researchers captured also shows a fish swimming inside and in close proximity to the bell of the jellyfish. This fish was believed to be Thalassobathia pelagica, a rare fish that has a symbiotic relationship with the jellyfish. By swimming within the jellyfish it is able to feed on scraps of food and have a certain level of protection. Prior to these observations neither Stygiomedusa gigantea or Thalassobathia pelagica had been found in the Gulf of Mexico. By looking at previous studies and records of the jellyfish, the scientists were able to confirm the species is widespread, with records of it from all oceans except the Arctic. This study represents the first attempt at a global synthesis of its distribution. Professor Benfield and team hope that over time and with more encounters, all will be revealed about this giant and the creatures with which it shares the deep sea. The study will be published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

Quick end to gulf oil leak depends on robot subs

2010-04-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

By CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press Writer Cain Burdeau, Associated Press Writer – Sun Apr 25, 9:43 pm ET

NEW ORLEANS – It could take hours or it could take months to stop a 42,000-gallon-a-day oil leak polluting the Gulf of Mexico at the site of a wrecked drilling platform. Whether the environmental threat grows many times bigger depends on whether the oil company can turn the well completely off. Crews are using robot submarines to activate valves at the well head in hopes of cutting off the leak, which threatens the Gulf Coast's fragile ecosystem of shrimp, fish, birds and coral. If the effort fails, they'll have to start drilling again. The submarine work will take 24 to 36 hours, Doug Suttles, chief operating officer for BP Exploration and Production, said Sunday afternoon. "I should emphasize this is a highly complex operation being performed at 5,000 feet below the surface and it may not be successful," he said. Oil continued to leak nearly a mile underwater Sunday at the site where the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on Tuesday. Eleven workers are missing and presumed dead. For the second consecutive day, high waves prevented boats and equipment from going out to clean the spill. Airplanes sprayed chemicals to break up the oil. The spill initially appeared to be easily manageable after the oil rig sank Thursday about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast, but it has turned into a more serious environmental problem. Officials on Saturday discovered the leak, which is spewing as much as 1,000 barrels — or 42,000 gallons — of oil each day. The oil spill has been growing — officials said the oily sheen on the surface of the gulf covered about 600 square miles Sunday. The environmental damage would be especially serious if it reaches land. The spill was still about 70 miles from the mainland, but only about 30 miles from an important chain of barrier islands known as the Chandeleurs. The islands, part of a national wildlife refuge, are an important nesting ground for pelicans and other sea birds. They have been under serious threat since Hurricane Katrina washed out much of the sand there. "Katrina did kick it pretty good, but they have been growing back," said Greg Thornton, the 52-year-old owner of Horn Island and Due South Charters in Biloxi. He takes fishing parties out to the islands. Looking at wind patterns on his computer, which showed favorable conditions until Thursday, Thornton held out hope that the oil could be contained. "We might have some trouble if they don't get the boom around it and stop it from spreading," he said. The spill so far appears to be small relative to some major oil accidents. The Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989 — the worst oil spill in U.S. history. "It has the potential to be pretty serious, but at 1,000 barrels a day, if it comes to the surface they'll probably be able to contain it and vacuum it up," said James Cowan, an oceanography and coastal sciences professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The company is planning to collect leaking oil on the ocean bottom by lowering a large dome to capture the oil and using pipes and hoses to pump it into a vessel on the surface, said Suttles, the BP executive. "That system has been deployed in shallower water," he said, "but it has never been deployed at 5,000 feet of water, so we have to be careful." The robot submarines are attempting to close off the flow of oil by activating a shutoff device at the well head known as a blowout preventer. In case that doesn't work, BP PLC, which leased the Deepwater, moved another deepwater rig, the DD3, toward the explosion site. If necessary, the new rig would drill relief wells into the damaged well underneath the ocean floor. That could take several months. Benton F. Baugh, who holds patents for blowout preventer parts, said the subs should be able to do the job. "If they can't get it closed off, something really unusual happened," said Baugh, president of Radoil Inc. in Houston and a National Academy of Engineering member. Kenneth E. Arnold, an offshore production facility expert and another member of the engineering academy, said drilling a relief well is not an easy task. "You have to intersect the well," he said. "Sometimes you have to drill through the steel, and that's what happened in Australia. It took them three times before they were successful." He was referring to a blowout on the West Atlas rig in the Timor Sea last August. It wasn't until November that mud could be pumped through a relief well to shut off the deepwater spigot. The oil spill has resulted in major environmental damage along the coast of East Timor and Indonesia. Coast Guard officials said weather conditions for the next three days would help keep the Gulf spill away from the coast. Mark Schexnayder, a regional coastal adviser at the Louisiana Sea Grant, said the oil spill had the potential to do long-term damage to the coastal environment. The location of the spill is crisscrossed by marine species, including sperm whales, whale sharks, sea turtles, grouper and porpoises, he said. "We're a month away from opening up the inshore shrimp season, crab season is just getting underway," he said. "It could close oyster beds." BP said it has activated an extensive oil spill response, including the robot submarines, 700 workers, four planes and 32 vessels to mop up the spill and spray chemicals that will disperse the oil. The Marine Spill Response Corp., an energy industry cleanup consortium, also brought in equipment. So far, crews have retrieved about 1,143 barrels of oily water. Complicating efforts to stop the leak is the well head's depth at 5,000 feet underwater, said Lars Herbst, the regional director for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, which regulates oil rigs. Leaks have been fixed at similar depths before, but the process is difficult, he said. The explosion appeared to be a blowout, in which natural gas or oil forces its way up a well pipe and smashes the equipment. But precisely what went wrong is under investigation.

Scuba Diver Girls on the News!

2010-04-26T10:17:00.001-07:00

Fox 5 News interviewed the girls about their recent horn shark rescue from a "ghost" lobster trap. Watch our segment here!

Stephanie's Weight Loss Update 4/24/10

2010-04-24T19:18:00.001-07:00

4/24/10 Well now, should I call this the Cookie Diet or the popcorn diet? I am still going strong with the cookie regimen, but last night I did have popcorn again at the movies. I woke up this morning and WALLLAAAA 146 lbs!!! yippeee. So even when I cheat a little...I still lose weight. Happy Dance again! Even better? I am going diving tomorrow with the SDGs! Don't tell anyone...but I am having pizza tonight for dinner...not too sensible but have had cookies all day so it is just a little cheat! Stay tuned for my next update on the SHRINKING SDG!!!

Endangered sturgeon fish flourishing in Wisconsin

2010-04-24T10:41:00.001-07:00

AP – In this April 16, 2010 photo, Colt Christopherson, left, a fisheries technician with the Wisconsin Department …

By CARRIE ANTLFINGER, Associated Press Writer Carrie Antlfinger, Associated Press Writer – Fri Apr 23, 3:22 am ET

SHAWANO, Wis. – It's been a tough fight for the whisker-snouted sturgeon. The fish survived whatever killed the dinosaurs and have struggled against habitat destruction and overfishing. Now many of its 25 species are endangered, but a small pocket in upper Wisconsin boasts of having one of the world's largest concentrations of the fish. The success is because of the state's strict spearing limits, poaching laws, restocking efforts and the popular — and well-protected — spring spawning, which mostly finished last week. "If we can restore the sturgeon population in the Great Lakes and manage the current population effectively, then we know we are doing a pretty good job of managing the other aspects of the aquatic community," said state sturgeon expert Ron Bruch. In Lake Winnebago there are now around 40,000 lake sturgeons, likely where the population was in the 1800s, Bruch said. In the 1950s, it was 10,000. Whereas in the Great Lakes system, there are now about 156,750, less than 1 percent of what it was in early 1800s, said Rob Elliott, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist. Thousands from around the state and elsewhere visit the Lake Winnebago system tributaries to watch the enormous fish writhe and splash as they lay eggs in shallow, moving water. The fish, which grow up to 300 pounds and look like a cross between a catfish and shark, are close enough to touch.

"Some people say they are awful homely, awful bad looking, but to me ... they are beautiful fish, just like a beautiful blonde," said 73-year-old Pat Wudtke, who's speared sturgeon for 50 years during the state's annual season. For the past decade, Wudtke also has been among the hundreds who volunteer to protect the fish from poachers. "I'll do everything I can to preserve them," Wudtke said. People love the animals because of their unique look, that the species is prehistoric and their size, Bruch said. "This is the only place really in the world that you can see them to this extent," he said. The spawning spectacle pumps $350,000 into three nearby cities, some of which have signs directing people to the spawning sites. The fish's success in Lake Winnebago has Bruch concerned. Though only a few cases of poaching are reported each year, he worries there will be more since other areas have a sturgeon shortage and demand is high. And he thinks the taste of lake sturgeon caviar compares with the high-priced kind. There also are reports of poaching of white sturgeon in California as its caviar has grown more popular, said Ellen Pikitch, executive director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science in New York. It is illegal to fish wild white sturgeon in California and sell its meat or eggs, but people can sell farm-raised white sturgeon. It's also illegal in the U.S. to sell lake sturgeon meat and its eggs from the states. In the Black and Caspian Seas the beluga sturgeon is overfished for its caviar, which costs up to $5,000 a pound. Wisconsin does allow sturgeon spearing, with thousands huddled in shanties on a frozen Lake Winnebago. Spearers are allowed one sturgeon per person. Most get none. The DNR ends spearing when 5 percent of the population is taken. The spearing is why the group, Sturgeon for Tomorrow, started in 1977, because they wanted to keep that tradition alive, said a founder, Bill Casper. Bruch credits the group for part of the sturgeon's success. It runs the sturgeon guard program and raises funds for research and hatcheries, among other things. But some say even one speared sturgeon is too many. "If they were not removed from the water," Pikitch said, "They would have opportunity to spawn many, many times in a long lifetime."

Photography: Underwater Images Competition

2010-04-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

The Underwater Images Photo/Video Competition

Our Mission Statement: Inner space is a relatively new frontier for mankind that will open new horizons in science and medicine, as well as art and recreation. The purpose of the Underwater Images Photo/Video Competition is to raise the awareness of the ecological importance of preserving marine habitats that represent Nature's oldest and most stable living ecosystems. This will create more conscientious diving practices and generate new interests in the realm of marine environmental science and education.

See the 2009 winning images can be seen at www.uwimages.org

The Underwater Images Photo/Video Competition was founded in 1998 by Roger Roth with help from Mark Beatty as webmaster, as a non-profit, international competition that still donates ALL proceeds to marine conservation, preservation and educational purposes. Following the 2010 competition, we will have donated over $85,000 since our inception. Our main beneficiaries are as follows:

Mahonia Na Dari ("Guardians of the Sea" in the local Talasea language) is a program which has been working to protect Papua New Guionea's abundant biodiversity by promoting the sustainable development of its biological and cultural resources. MND was established in 1996 as a result of a cooperative venture by the owners of Walindi Plantation Resort and several international governmental and non-governmental orgapnizations, including the European Union and the Nature Conservancy.

ProPeninsula is a conservation organization dedicated to empowering communities in Baja California, Mexico to protect and preserve their environment. Pro Peninsula is the coordinating body for the Grupo Tortuguero, or Sea Turtle Conservation Network, and through this program works to identify local marine conservation leaders and to support their conservation efforts on a local and regional level. Grupo Tortuguero was formed in 1998 to teach Mexican sea turtle fishermen about sustainability for sea turtles who in turn took what they learned to their respective communities to perpetuate this educational effort.

Other beneficiaries have included:

The Ohio Council of Skin and Scuba Diving, Inc. Memorial Scholarship fund.

MAST (Marine Archaeological Survey Team) which is an organization that sponsors education in Marine Archaeology. MAST also helps buoy shipwrecks in Lake Erie for preservation from anchor damage, as well as document and preserve the history of Great Lakes shipwrecks.

Diveheart whose purpose is to provide and support educational SCUBA diving and snorkeling experience programs that are open to any physically impaired child or adult in the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value to that person.

British Virgin Islands > Sea Trek BVI

2010-04-23T13:22:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get $200 off any 21 day voyage. Whether you're interested in marine biology summer camps for teens, summer sailing programs, summer diving programs, or just the all around adventure summer programs, you've come to the right spot! SeaTrek offers tropical adventure summer camp programs for teens in the British Virgin Islands. We welcome jr. high, high school and college aged students. Voyages revolve around hands-on sailing, learning to scuba dive, and marine biology for teens. All of our educational experiences are geared toward adventure, leadership, growth, and fun. No experience is necessary! Previous sailing summer camp and scuba diving camp experience is not required. In fact, most of our students have never been sailing or scuba diving before they join our program. Exciting community service opportunities are also available. We offer two and three-week scuba summer camps for teens at five different experience levels, Trek 1 - Trek 5, with pricing beginning at $4050. Along with being a scuba student you will also be introduced to the environment by our onboard naturalist and marine biologist through a variety of marine biology camp activities. Our staff of scuba and sailing instructors is the best in the industry with years of experience teaching and guiding all over the world. Our Marine Science Programs are available on each trek and each voyage to anyone who is interested in them. Simply follow directions here and forward to scienceproject@seatrekbvi.com. SeaTrek students live and play onboard one of several 45 foot catamaran sailing yachts equipped with the latest safety equipment and onboard technology. Explore the Moorings 4500 and its equipment. Get ready for a new level of excitement and learning. SeaTrek is adventure . . . evolved. Tap into your undiscovered potential. Learn more about the world and yourself than you ever dreamed possible. SeaTrek also offers both crewed and bareboat Private Charters. SeaTrek on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email SeaTrek

Borneo rainforest yields exotic new species

2010-04-23T11:12:00.001-07:00

The Associated Press

Last Updated: Friday, April 23, 2010 | 11:14 AM ET

The Bornean flat-headed frog has no lungs and breathes entirely through its skin. It is one of the discoveries of a project to conserve one of the oldest rainforests in the world. (David Bickford/World Wildlife Fund/Associated Press)

A lungless frog, a frog that flies and a slug that shoots love darts are among 123 new species found in Borneo since 2007 in a project to conserve one of the oldest rainforests in the world. A report by the World Wildlife Fund on the discoveries also calls for protecting the threatened species and equatorial rainforest on Borneo, the South China Sea island that is the world's third-largest and is shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. "The challenge is to ensure that these precious landscapes are still intact for future generations," said the report released Thursday.

The long-tailed slug, Ibycus rachelae, uses 'love darts' made of calcium carbonate to pierce and inject a hormone into a mate to increase the chances of reproduction. (Peter Koomen/World Wildlife Fund)

The search for the new species was part of the Heart of Borneo project that started in February 2007 and is backed by the WWF and the three countries that share the island. The aim is to conserve 220,000 square kilometres of rainforest that was described by Charles Darwin as "one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature for herself." Explorers have been visiting Borneo for centuries, but vast tracts of its interior are yet to be biologically explored, said Adam Tomasek, leader of WWF's Heart of Borneo project. "If this stretch of irreplaceable rainforest can be conserved for our children, the promise of more discoveries must be a tantalizing one for the next generation of researchers to contemplate," he said. The zebra-striped Eirmotus insignis is another recent discovery in Borneo. (CK Yeo/World Wildlife Fund, /Associated Press)The scientists' discoveries include the world's longest known stick insect at 56.7 centimetres, a flame-coloured snake and a frog that flies and changes its skin and eye colour. In total, 67 plants, 29 invertebrates, 17 fish, five frogs, three snakes and two lizards and a new species of bird were discovered, said the report. Borneo has long been known as a hub for monster insects, including giant cockroaches about 10 centimetres long. Notable among the species discovered are:

A snake that has a bright orange, almost flame-like, neck colouration that gradually fuses into an extraordinary iridescent and vivid blue, green and brown pattern. When threatened it flares its nape, revealing bright orange colours.
A frog that breathes through its skin because it has no lungs, which makes it appear flat. This aerodynamic shape allows the frogs to move swiftly in fast flowing streams. Although the species was discovered in 1978, it was just recently that scientists found the frog has no lungs.
A high-altitude slug found on Mount Kinabalu that has a tail three times the length of its head. They shoot calcium carbonate "love darts" during courtship to inject a hormone into a mate. While resting, the slug wraps its long tail around its body.

The Heart of Borneo, the core island area the conservation effort targets, is home to 10 species of primate, more than 350 birds, 150 reptiles and amphibians and a staggering 10,000 plants that are found nowhere else in the world, the report says. This snake, Dendrelaphis kopsteini, is one of the recent discoveries from Borneo. When threatened it flares its nape, revealing bright orange colours against a background of vivid blue, green and brown. (Gernot Vogel/World Wildlife Fund/Associated Press)

SDG Stephanie's Weight Loss Update 4/23/10

2010-04-23T10:07:00.001-07:00

4/23/10 So I got a little discouraged because after I posted my great accomplishment over the last week because then yesterday (4/22) I weighed myself and the needle landed in EXACTLY the same spot! I fully expected to have lost another pound! So I thought, well it is probably just a plateau...maybe I will lose 2lbs by tomorrow! Well I woke up this morning and still 147.6. Not even the decimal point of weight loss! So I am hitting the movies again, and you know what that means...POPCORN! I have not cheated since my last popcorn eating frenzy so I will let you know tomorrow how everything pans out with my and my scale :) I am not going off this cookie diet because I have never had an easier time with weight loss. I will be ordering more cookies today! So off to the movies I go...I will post again tomorrow and let you know what my scale tells me :)

Earth Day: No more burning rivers, but new threats

2010-04-22T22:29:00.001-07:00

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein, Ap Science Writer – Thu Apr 22, 2:08 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Pollution before the first Earth Day was not only visible, it was in your face: Cleveland's Cuyahoga River caught fire. An oil spill fouled 30 miles of Southern California beaches. And thick smog choked many cities' skies. Not anymore. On Thursday, 40 years after that first Earth Day in 1970, smog levels nationwide have dropped by about a quarter, and lead levels in the air are down more than 90 percent. Formerly fetid lakes and burning rivers are now open to swimmers. The challenges to the planet today are largely invisible -- and therefore tougher to tackle. "To suggest that we've made progress is not to say the problem is over," said William Ruckelshaus, who in 1970 became the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency. "What we've done is shift from the very visible kinds of issues to those that are a lot more subtle today." Issues such as climate change are less obvious to the naked eye. Since the first Earth Day, carbon dioxide levels in the air have increased by 19 percent, pushing the average annual world temperature up about 1 degree Fahrenheit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "We've cleaned up what you can see and left everything else in limbo," said Kathleen Rogers, president of the Earth Day Network.

Click image to see more Earth Day photos Reuters

Improvements took shape in the form of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and changes in the way businesses treat the environment, said Denis Hayes. Those reforms, he added, grew out of the first Earth Day, an event Hayes helped coordinate. "It is the most powerful, sweeping, society-wide change America has had since the New Deal," Hayes said. "The air is cleaner despite the fact that we have twice as many vehicles traveling twice as many miles." Nancy Sutley, head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said progress in the past 40 years is about more than just laws. It's also about innovation that made cleaner cars. And that innovation, Sutley said, "is going to be the answer for tackling climate change." No place illustrates progress more than the Cuyahoga River. Cleveland's main river used to periodically catch fire. On June 22, 1969, trash and an oil slick ignited. The river burned for half an hour, drawing national attention to water pollution nationwide. People didn't swim in the river at the time, and anyone who fell in needed to be checked by a doctor. "The river bubbled like a cauldron. There were all kinds of chemicals in there, and that was what was bubbling at the bottom," said Wayne Bratton, a boat captain then and now, and the first president of the Cleveland Harbor Conservation Committee. On Tuesday, Wayne Bratton was aboard his boat, The Holiday. He looked over the starboard side at Collision Bend and described by telephone what he saw: "I'm looking at a lot of gulls, there's a loon, a lot of black heron." People now fish in the river, which holds 60 species. There's a spiffy amphitheater on the river bank, which never would have been built when the water had a dreadful stench, Bratton said. It's not just the Cuyahoga. In 1957, the Public Health Service declared the Potomac River unsafe for swimming. Now Rogers lets her children swim in it. "I don't even wash them off any more," she said. In Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s, the joke was that if you moved in during the summer you wouldn't notice the nearby mountains until the winter. Now peak smog levels are only one-third as high as 40 years ago, he said. "Unfortunately, it leads some people to think that we don't have a problem any more," said Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The region still has 6,000 yearly premature deaths linked to unseen tiny particles in the air that cause heart and lung problems, Atwood said. In 1970, Ruckelshaus said, about 85 percent of pollution was from places like factories or power plants that the government could regulate. Now such sites account for only 15 percent, with most pollution coming from sources like farms that are harder to control. That makes fixing the remaining problems politically difficult, said Russell Train, chief environmental adviser in 1970 to President Richard Nixon. "Back in the '70s, people felt the threat of environmental mistakes and misbehavior," Train said. "There was a real threat to your health and people knew that. Today, people will accept that as a general principal, but don't feel any immediate threat from climate change or indirect source pollution from farmers." Last month was the hottest March on record worldwide. It was 1.4 degrees warmer than March 1970, according to NOAA. The average temperatures for the last 40 years are higher than the rest of the 130 years of record-keeping, said Deke Arndt, head of climate monitoring at NOAA's National Climate Data Center. And, this week, German scientists published an analysis in the scientific journal Nature that says the greenhouse gas agreement reached by some international leaders last December in Copenhagen would lead to a 10 to 20 percent increase in carbon dioxide levels in 2020. That puts "in dire peril" chances for limiting the effects of warming, the researchers said. Still, the White House's Sutley is optimistic. "The Cuyahoga River is not on fire anymore, and air quality in Los Angeles is not as bad as it was 40 years ago. I think people get those connections," Sutley said. "People get that something is changing about our climate."

Innovative Scuba Clothing: ScubaDoRags™

2010-04-22T22:11:00.001-07:00

Mention coupon code SDGCoCo get 10% off. ScubaDoRags™ (US Patent 6,738,986) were originally developed for divers to contain their hair, identify them underwater and provide sun protection on the surface. If they become wet, they dry quickly and do not blow off like other hats on the boat. Boaters and fishermen started wearing them, now anyone that needs to keep their hair contained on those bedhead or beach bouffant days Some females with medium length put their hair in pigtails which peak out from the two spaces on either side of the Secret Compartment. If you have longer hair, you can tie the Ragtails over and under your ponytail and stuff it into the SecretCompartment in the Stingray Pouch™ or use the included ziplock bag for storing a bit o' cash, credit card/ID, key, lucky charm or a tip for your favorite dive master. Now to the history of how this product came to be…While going through a "MidLife Awakening", I was developing this character, CoCoCheznaynay®, Secret Agent of Truth & Style. She teaches to own all of who you are, to find your mission and to develop your true sense of style in a whimsical, non-threatening way. I was writing through CoCo to be fearless about making change. I was quite confident in parlaying this information because of my own personal experiences and growth – until I started scuba lessons. I came face to face with my own fears I did not know I had – performance anxiety about doing the skills in front of others and not being able to speak underwater when I was scared or did not understand. I then understood what a huge issue this is for me and many others – giving your power away and trusting that someone would have your best interest in the forefront. The class was big and haphazard and I realized once again, I evidently learn and process differently than most. I also realized not being able to use my personality or gift of gab underwater greatly handicapped my normal coping skills and I had always been hired or praised for being so different in my design and special event business. I really felt "like a fish out of water" … One night the class was small and I was descending with two other students and I went down too fast without clearing – I blew out my ! ear but luckily with no permanent damage. While it healed, I went on a scheduled trip to England and knew I had to go back and finish no matter how scared or bothered. I was paralyzed by my fear and knew if I did not face it I could never teach about courage through my character, CoCo. That dive instructor quit before we could finish the class so they hired another. I started all over instead of making up just what I had missed. I finally got certified in a rock quarry and vowed that I would never dive again unless it was blue water and warm. I traveled by myself to Mexico and was still shaky but feeling better. I started seeing the beauty of owning my fears so I could see the beauty at the bottom of the ocean. I was writing about how much scuba parallels life lessons. I went on eight trips that year and had another horrible certification experience (Advanced) with a dive instructor who had a problem with alcohol. But I became very vested in becoming a good diver and really honed my skills in the fast waters of Cozumel. Traveling alone has its merits – I met so many wonderful divers and started paying attention to their equipment, their processes, their fin kicks, their breathing and their thoughts on how to develop their skills. One girl I was diving with had medium length hair and messed with it the entire dive. I always liked Secret Agents and grew up with many. I love gadgets and appreciated how they always had the perfect tools for any situation. That's another reason I love scuba – the "Stuff"! My Secret Agent mind started the process of seeing the hair problem and knowing James Bond surely would have had a fix for this… I came back and researched what was on! the mar ket and improved and developed new features. I made the first ten myself, paid for a label design so others would know I was serious about protecting my innovation, went on a trip to test dive them. After great reviews, I started the manufacturing and distribution learning curve. (I am still in the curve). Since that time, we've added many new products such as ScubaGoodHoods, ScubaTubeSocks, OhMyTie!, CoCoCoverUp, BigOh!, and many more to come. We credit our customers with some of the best ideas and improvements we make – customer feedback rocks – and we listen! Every design decision we make is based on the Secret Agent philosophy of CoCo Cheznaynay® who believes in the energetic power of color and the constant quest for courage to own all of who you are. Our products are designed for safety, action, and style with dual purposes, secret compartments, hidden messages, and reversible features for your Secret Agent, mysterious, stylish life. ScubaDoRag™ on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email ScubaDoRag™

Catalina Ca. Event: Chamber Day 2010 – May 5th, 2010

2010-04-22T16:14:00.001-07:00

Help support the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber in its 36th year of service to the Southern California Diving Communities. The 22nd annual Chamber Day and 12th annual Chamber Evening Fund Raiser for the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber will be held on Wednesday May 5th. For the past 36 years the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber has been dedicated to the treatment of diving accidents on a 24/7/365 basis. Having the Chamber available gives divers in Southern California waters a vital safety net in the event of a diving accident. The Chamber's contract from LA County provides a little over 50 percent of the Chamber's annual budget needs. The annual Chamber Day contributions from divers, clubs, shops, manufacturers, organizations, publications and dive boat operators provide a significant portion of the remaining budget. These funds go to covering transportation of Chamber Volunteers to and from the mainland, treatment gas, equipment purchases, maintenance, and repairs. If you haven't already signed up for Chamber Day 2010 there are many ways you can participate:

Participate in the 22nd Annual Chamber Day Dive
Attend the 12th Annual Chamber Eve Dinner
Enter the Chamber Day Raffle
Donate to the 2010 Catalina Chamber Challenge
Participate in the Chamber's Safety Sponsor Pledge Drive
Dive The Flying Dutchman
Order Chamber Day & Chamber Evening Shirts On-Line

For more information on how you can be involved in Chamber Day 2010 visit the Chamber Day web site at www.ChamberDay.org. You can also get updates on Chamber Day and other Chamber Events by becoming a Facebook Fan of the Chamber.

Ecuador > Galapagos > Dive Center Silberstein

2010-04-22T16:00:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get a 5% discount from our published rack rate in Diving. Also get a free Scuba Diver Cocktail after each Dive Day in our Cafeteria/ Bar El Pelicano from Hotel Silberstein and with a minimum of 3 Dive Days a free Dive Center Silberstein Dive Crew T-Shirt. Sub Aqua Dive Center Silberstein in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island is the German-speaking dive center in the Galapagos Islands. We are a PADI Resort, the first of its kind in Galapagos. The building for our office has not been completed yet. For that reason we are temporarily situated in an adjoining room at Hotel Silberstein. The facilities with equipment and compressors are situated outside the hotel facilities, just a few meters away. The facilities for rental equipment, personal equipment of our dive guests as well as tanks and compressors consist of three large well ventilated and lockable rooms. Furthermore, two basins with fresh water for rinsing the equipment are available. There are as well two bathrooms with toilet for changing and showering. As these rooms are situated in a big garden, there is the possibility to relax and to have a cool drink after an adventurous day of diving. Our Dive Center is operated in cooperation with „SUB AQUA", to ensure safer, more relaxing and high quality diving for our dive guests and to be constantly up to date with the worldwide dive activities. „SUB AQUA Tauchreisen" is one of the leading dive tour operators in Germany and „SUB AQUA Dive Center" has successfully been operating own dive centers for more than 30 years in Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives. Dive Center Silberstein on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Dive Center Silberstein [caption id="attachment_4563" align="alignright" width="240" caption="T-shirts, swearshirs, hats and more!"][/caption]

Burning oil rig sinks in Gulf of Mexico

2010-04-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

By the CNN Wire Staff

April 22, 2010 3:53 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- An oil rig that was burning in the Gulf of Mexico after an explosion has sunk, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday. This latest development came as the search continued for 11 workers who have been missing since the "catastrophic" blast on the rig Tuesday night off the Louisiana coast, Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael O'Berry said. "Every hour that passes without locating them obviously decreases survivability, and we're still searching, and we want families of those who remain missing to know we are continuing our efforts," O'Berry said Thursday afternoon. Pollution response teams are on the way, and crews are assessing how much oil is leaking from the sunken rig, he said. Up to 336,000 gallons could spill into the Gulf, based on the amount of oil the rig pulled out daily, he said. Up to 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel also could leak, Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashley Butler said. An investigation was under way to determine what caused the blast about 10 p.m. Tuesday aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Watch the VIDEO

The rig was about 52 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana, O'Berry said. "It obviously was a catastrophic event," he said. There were no indications it was a terrorist incident, the Coast Guard said. Officials said 126 people were on board at the time of the explosion. Of the 115 accounted-for workers, 17 injured were evacuated by helicopter from the rig. Ninety-four others were taken to shore with no major injuries, and four more were transferred to another vessel, according to the Coast Guard. It was not known whether the missing workers were able to make it to one of the rig's lifeboats -- fully enclosed, fire-resistant vessels designed to evacuate people quickly. The Coast Guard said favorable weather conditions and warm Gulf waters increase the likelihood of survival for the missing workers. "We're still searching, and there's still a probability that those crew members are alive," O'Berry said. Carrol Moss told CNN affiliate WWL-TV in New Orleans, Louisiana, that her husband had been rescued from the rig. But she said she had some anxious moments before receiving the call. "The only thing I was thinking is, 'How am I going to tell my kids that their dad is not coming home?' " Moss told the affiliate. "The worst goes through your mind. We were just blessed we got the call." With rescue crews continuing to search for survivors, a federal lawsuit was filed Wednesday in New Orleans alleging the companies connected to the oil rig explosion were negligent. The suit was filed on behalf of one of the 11 missing men. Transocean Ltd., which owns the rig, and BP PLC, which operates the license on which the rig was drilling, were named as defendants. BP spokesman Tom Mueller declined to comment on the suit, and a spokesman for Transocean did not immediately return a call requesting comment. The suit does not provide details about the blast but says one man, Shane Roshto of Amite County, Mississippi, "was thrown overboard as a result of the drilling explosion, and his body has not yet been located." His wife, Natalie Roshto, also is named as a plaintiff. Adrian Rose, a vice president for Transocean, said Wednesday that "we are deeply saddened by this event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the crew members of the Deepwater Horizon and their families." Transocean's website describes the company as the "world's largest offshore drilling contractor" with 140 offshore drilling units. The rig involved in the explosion -- a mobile unit that moves to different locations in the Gulf of Mexico -- had been drilling for oil in its current spot since January, said Eileen Angelico, a spokeswoman for Minerals Management Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior agency that regulates the oil industry in federal waters.

SDG Stephanie says "I lost weight!"

2010-04-22T10:59:00.001-07:00

So after months of nursing school and sitting around, I stepped on the scale one day and WHOA! I had gained over 15 lbs!!! How did that happen? I mean, I am relatively active...I dive a couple times a week...hmmm. Then I took a mental account of what I had been eating. Let's see....yes, In and Out Burger was definitely on the menu quite often! Oh yeah and then the daily sugar boost with my M&M's! Looking back, I realized the path that had brought me to this day where I found myself staring at the numbers 156 between my toes. Now what? I jumped off the scale and plopped down next to my hubby and said "it is time for US to get in shape." Yes, it is a partnership all the way down to gaining and losing poundage! So we turned over a new leaf...starting with a trip to the Co-op to get our healthy foods and then a stop at the gym to renew our membership. Over the next month and a half we worked out religiously and ate healthy and I lost a whole 2lbs. Well that is discouraging. Then, one day while sweatin' to the oldies I noticed a girl who I had seen several times at the gym but the difference between her and I was SHE was actually getting smaller. I walked over and asked her how she was doing it! That is when I found out about the cookie diet. She told me that all you have to do is eat a 90 calorie cookie in the morning with a big glass of water, if you are still hungry in 15 min, eat another one. Then at lunch repeat that process and for dinner eat a sensible mean from 700-800 calories. I laughed at her and said "first of all, 1 or 2 cookies will not keep me full and second of all who eats cookies to lose weight?" And she smirked at me and said "I do...case closed." So last Tuesday April 13th I got my cookie diet order in the mail and me and my husband got started. I was so surprised that I was not hungry like I thought I would be and the cookies are super good! The day I started the cookie diet I weighed 154lbs. NO I did not take a before picture...I mean...come on would you? I don't want to memorialize this whole thing! But I promise I will take an AFTER picture soon! Over the last week I did cheat on my diet a couple times, once I ate out at the Yardhouse and then another day we went to the movies and we ate 3 tubs of refillable popcorn! And even with that...I weighed myself this morning and guess what? The scale told me 147.6!!! Happy Dance!!! So I am going to keep on eating my cookies because summer is here and that means bikini season and with the results I have had in just a little over a week...I can only imagine what my weight will be by June!!! So I will keep you posted on my progress over the next several weeks and if you are doing the cookie or any other diet successfully, feel free to comment! I am also open to words of encouragement :)

US > Colorado > Greeley > Tortuga Bay

2010-04-21T19:52:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 10% discount on all non sale items on the retail floor. 15% off tuition for private classes. ½ price tuition on any training done while on a Tortuga Bay group trip. Tortuga Bay is a PADI 5 Star IDC Center. We have an onsite Course Director. We offer training from entry level through all the professional levels. Tortuga Bay also teaches technical courses through the Technical Diving International agency (TDI) as well as public safety diving. Tortuga Bay is home to the "world's deepest, Indoor, heated, saltwater pool". It is our onsite training pool and is 14 feet deep. Tortuga Bay offers "on demand" training. That means we have no set course schedules. You, the customer tell us what your schedule is and we try to accommodate that schedule the best we can. The bulk of our classes are private, but at standard course pricing. This gives you a very personalized class, usually one on one, but never more than 4 to 1. Tortuga Bay offers several group trips per year as well as individual bookings. Tortuga Bay on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Tortuga Bay

Top 10 Little-Known Dream Islands

2010-04-21T12:41:00.001-07:00

Head to one of these undiscovered islands, where you'll find that dream beach vacation – minus the crowds

By Sherman's Travel Editorial Staff

Everyone loves a little slice of island paradise! Unfortunately, that's the problem with an island beach vacation – you're often forced to share your stretch of sand with countless others in search of a little R & R. If you're looking for an island getaway minus the crowds, we've rounded up 10 undiscovered islands around the world where you'll find just that – and while you may have to work a little harder and travel a little longer to get there, you'll be rewarded with deserted beaches, fascinating culture, exotic cuisine, and the satisfaction of "discovering" a fabulous, off-the-beaten-path island destination. And if you've heard of every island on our list, pat yourself on the back – you're a well-traveled wanderer whose passport must be worn from use!

Anegada, British Virgin Islands Flickr/ktylerconk

Anegada, British Virgin Islands

A small airport and ferry service makes getting here from one of the other British Virgin Islands fairly easy, but Anegada still feels a world away. The only coral island in the volcanic BVI chain and surrounded by the largest coral barrier reef in the Caribbean, this undiscovered island is a haven for beach bums, fly-fishermen, and wildlife enthusiasts alike. The north shore boasts nearly deserted white-sand beaches, the south is home to a huge population of bonefish, and the west end lays claim to large salt ponds and exotic birds. Spend your nights feasting on local lobster – rumored to be the best in the Caribbean – and rest your head at one of the island's few hotels and quaint guesthouse inns.

Cat Ba Island, Vietnam Flickr/ktylerconk

Cat Ba Island, Vietnam

If you needed another reason to visit Halong Bay – often hailed as the world's Eighth Wonder – the limestone outcropping that is Cat Ba Island is it. The best way to explore the natural wonders of this undiscovered island – home to the remarkable Trung Trang Cave, cascading waterfalls, plummeting cliffs, and awe-inspiring National Park – is via motorbike. An hour-long ferry ride from Halong Wharf will get you there, where you can opt for accommodations that range from sparse and basic affairs to full-fledged four-star resorts. You'll have no problem staying awhile on this untouched, unspoiled masterpiece of Mother Nature.

Fakarava, French Polynesia Flickr/ktylerconk

Fakarava, French Polynesia

Overshadowed in popularity by neighbors Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea, Fakarava – a pristine Polynesian island enveloped by a coral reef and blue lagoon waters – is so remote, it's not even found on most maps. Yet, it's part of a UNESCO nature reserve and rich in natural fauna, offers pink-sand beaches, and is rife with rare aquatic life that includes loach, meru, and barracuda – not to mention hammerhead and tiger sharks. Not surprisingly, scuba diving is the undiscovered island's top draw, but other attractions include the ancient village of Tetamanu, where you'll find a Catholic church made of coral that dates back to 1874, and pearl farms, where rare black pearls are shelled.

Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec Flickr/ktylerconk

Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec

Remote, beautiful, and altogether unique, the stellar Iles de la Madeleine (or Magdalene Islands, in English), 130 miles off the coast of Quebec, are the ultimate off-the-path escape. Of the dozen undiscovered islands that comprise this windswept archipelago, only seven are inhabited, six of which are connected only by sand dunes and long grassy reeds. The islands boast 200 miles of virgin beaches, the freshest seafood, and an uncomplicated atmosphere that make them a joy to visit. Given their northern location, summer is, not surprisingly, the best time to go. Of all the settlements here, Ile du Havre aux Maisons is our favorite for its colorful houses, charming boardwalk, and salty pubs and restaurants rife with local character.

Ischia, Italy Flickr/ktylerconk

Ischia, Italy

Though well-known to European and Asian travelers, the island of Ischia, Italy, is oft-overlooked by Americans whose sights are more often set on nearby Capri. Though you'll hardly have Ischia to yourself, you will find fewer crowds and a less-pretentious attitude on this volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Though predominantly green and mountainous, beach bums will have no trouble scoping out a stretch of sand. And, when the sun sets, you'll have your choice of accommodations for every budget to rest your head, plenty of al fresco perches that are primed for aperitivo, and some of the world's best food – this is Italy after all.

Lamu, Kenya Flickr/ktylerconk

Lamu, Kenya

Kenya's oldest living settlement, Lamu boasts golden sands fronting the Indian Ocean, tiny villages, and a breezy, slow-moving pace of life. It's an undiscovered island that offers a glimpse into the past – a place where donkeys are the main mode of transportation and residents still keep their arms and legs covered out of respect while out in town. The rich atmosphere and history alone makes Lamu worth the trek, but so do its beaches: Shela Beach offers the best swimming, while excursions to ruins and coral reefs could have you snorkeling alongside frolicking dolphins.

Monhegan Island, Maine Flickr/ktylerconk

Monhegan Island, Maine

Though artists have sought out this remote, car-free destination for over a century, Monhegan largely remains an undiscovered island. Full-time residents number around 75, whose main occupation is fishing or lobstering, supplemented by an artists' colony and tourism. Visitors who make the hour-long ferry ride from the Maine mainland can discover firsthand the beauty and simplicity of the village and surrounding landscape. Lobster Cove in particular draws nature lovers for its bird-watching and coastal views. Don't miss the Monhegan Museum, housed in what was once a lighthouse and residence – it showcases the history of the community and boasts an extensive collection of local artwork. There are a handful of quaint inns and cottage rentals to choose from, though note that some accommodations are only open May through October.

Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe Flickr/ktylerconk

Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe

Les Saintes, a spectacular cluster of eight undiscovered islands situated just off the coast of Guadeloupe and accessible only by ferry or private yacht, is the very essence of French West Indies life – without the crowds, to boot. Terre-de-Haut is the most appealing of them all, with its attractive beaches, mouth-watering Creole cuisine, and laid-back French-speaking locals; it also has the most options for overnight accommodations of Les Saintes' islands. Beach bums will love the powdery white sands of the palm-lined Plage de Pompierre, while the spectacular underwater world of colorful reefs and exotic fish (attracting divers as renowned as Jacques Cousteau) makes scuba diving and snorkeling another huge draw. Rent a golf cart to get around (you won't find much in the way of cars here) and zip around to a different beach at dawn, midday, and dusk.

Vis, Croatia Flickr/ktylerconk

Vis, Croatia

With its medieval villages, deserted beaches, ancient ruins, rambling olive groves, and the best vineyards in Dalmatia, Vis is poised to become the next "it spot" for sun and fun on the Adriatic. The winding streets of the two main towns – Vis and Komiza – are brimming with restaurants serving delicious seafood and Italian-style fare, while miles of sandy beaches, pebbly enclaves, and glittering shores attract sunbathers (Srebrna, a beautiful beach covered in large flat stones that appear silver in the sun, is one of the most beautiful). At just 2 hours by ferry from Split, Vis offers only three modest hotels, but visitors can also opt to rent apartments and villas.

Yap, Micronesia Flickr/ktylerconk

Yap, Micronesia

Part of a remote tropical archipelago in the midst of the Pacific, Yap is the most intriguing destination in the island nation of Micronesia. Having managed to escape most outside influences, like colonization and mass tourism, the undiscovered island's traditional way of life remains both authentic and distinct: Legends are portrayed in colorful dances; village women dress in grass skirts, the men in brightly colored loincloths; and ancient stone money discs are still used as local tender (though the U.S. dollar is the official currency). Spend your days hiking among the island's rolling green hills, mangrove forests, and antiquated stone paths or, go off and explore the ocean's coral reefs and swim with dolphins and magnificent manta rays.

US > Hawaii > Waikiki > Waikiki Diving

2010-04-21T09:06:00.001-07:00

We offer $10.00 off your dive when you mention Scuba Diver Girls. We are Waikiki's only full-service dive center. Since 1979, we have been providing SCUBA diving charters and services on Oahu. Our dive center can accommodate all your diving needs, whether it's equipment repair, purchases or air fills - our store can do it all. We are also a premier Oahu scuba certification dive shop, offering scuba certification courses for both PADI and NAUI from Open Water to Dive Master at affordable prices. We operate our own custom dive boat, outfitted with full safety equipment including oxygen and emergency radio beacon. She is United States Coast Guard approved and certified to carry up to 12 divers. Our experienced Captains and crew are here to make your diving experience truly remarkable. SCUBA Diving -We offer a wide range of dives for the beginner, novice, intermediate, or experienced diver. PADI Certification and NAUI Certification - Waikiki Diving is a PADI certification and NAUI certification facility. We offer certification courses from Open Water to Dive Master. Class schedules are flexible and custom tailored to your needs. We specialize in small groups and personalized attention. On a typical day, you'll be diving with no more than 5 or 6 other divers on our custom dive boat. We offer complimentary charters with all diving tours. Morning charters start at 8:15am and return around 12:30pm. Afternoon charters begin at 1:15pm and finish around 5:00pm. Waikiki Diving on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Waikiki Diving [caption id="attachment_4508" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="t-shirts, swearshirts, hats, and more!"][/caption]

Mexico > Oaxaca > Gravity Sport Divers

2010-04-20T16:58:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 10% off two dives with full equipment or with groups between 4 and 8 get 30% off two dives with full equipment. Are you an instructor and you wanna diving with your group? You dive for free! Based in Huatulco, Oaxaca Mexico, Gravity Sport Divers is THE place for your next water adventure! At Gravity Sport Divers, our services are ALL INCLUSIVE -- premium staff, full accommodations and complete amenities including food, beverage, transportation and entertainment. We simply want you to have best possible dive experience. Our team is a friendly, diverse and fun-loving group of guys hailing from points near and far. Each of them are experts in their respective realms. They know how to show you a great time while still keeping safety at the top of the list. The Boat An amazing 51', 4 decks, 2 master cabin, all-in-one vessel that has it all. Take a look at our prized "fun" toy, completely GSD-erized the way we like it. (That means everything is upgraded inside and out!) Completely refurbished teak, 50" flat screen with 8-speaker sound system, plush, colorful cushions all around and so much space that we have to bring friends along just so we don't feel lonely. ↓ With the full capability and range of 4-40 people on board, our "dudes" can get you energized to scuba, snorkel, drink and eat too much or just relax and enjoy our massive sun lounge on the bow that we've secretly named, "The Nest"... (sshhh, don't tell anyone!) Gravity Sport Divers on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Gravity Sport Divers

Honduras > Utila > Utila Dive Centre/Mango Inn

2010-04-20T16:27:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get a 5% discount on any courses, packages, with Utila Dive Centre/Mango Inn between September 15th and Dec 15th.

In the early 1990's the dive industry on Utila was in it's infancy with few centres and training programs. Utila Dive Centre (UDC) was set up in 1991 by a group of passionate Diving Instructors who wanted to create a dive training facility which offered amazing dive experiences and educational programs for visitors to Utila. Utila Dive Centre is now managed by a team of experienced, young, passionate and environmentally aware dive professionals who are actively involved in the daily operations of the dive centre. Our training programs, from beginner through to Master Instructor, are taught to the highest standard possible There is no other facility in Utila, Honduras or elsewhere in Central America that has such a combination of experience, commitment and enthusiasm and we aim to provide our divers and students with more than just diver education and that is what makes our team so successful. We are on the cutting edge of training and conservation and set the standard for so many dive operations and professionals in the region. . In the last few years we have received countless awards from PADI for our training programs. In 2003 it was awarded the rating of a PADI Career Development Center (CDC). It is to date the only PADI CDC facility in Central America. In 2004 we were voted No 1 Dive Facility worldwide for entry level training. Also from 2004 to 2008 our PADI Course Directors (Instructor Trainers) received Certificates of Excellence for their Instructor Training Programs. In 2006 the 'Divers Alert Network' (DAN) rewarded our Instructor trainers for their commitment to promoting safe diving and from 2006 - 2008 we also received the PADI Project Aware' Environmental Achievement' award. . In 2006 Utila Dive Centre was one of the founding members of the 'Utila Centre for Marine Ecology' (UCME), a non-profit NGO, which is headed by marine biologist Dr Stephen Box. UCME is dedicated to protecting Utila's delicate marine environment, through research, scientific studies and education. UDC is also a PADI National Geographic Centre and a Divers Alert Network (DAN) member. UDC offers a technical dive training from both DSAT and IANTD, the two most respected agencies in technical diver training. On top of this it is also the only facility in Central America/Bay Islands to offer diver level and Instructor training with the 'Beautiful Oceans' Science and Marine Ecology Programs.We're all aware that the future for the diving industry can never be predicted but we understand that only by promoting and teaching diving in a safe and professional manner will we create a better 'underwater world.' We place emphasis on marine conservation and environmental sustainability and want you to have fun being a part of this. That's why our divers are more educated and skillful and why our professionals are more successful than most other facilities. There is no substitute for the experience of our staff. This includes boat Captains, Instructors, Management and our PADI Course Directors who conduct the Divemaster and Instructor training. The experience and expertise of our staff, the standard of our facilities and our continued success has raised the standard of training, education and conservation within the Bay Islands. We invite you to come to Utila and dive with us. Whether you are a novice or an expert diver, we will show you why Utila Dive Centre has been so successful in training more divers than anywhere else in the world. We are often copied, but never surpassed. At Utila Dive Centre, diving is our business but first and foremost it is our passion. Utila Dive Centre on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Utila Dive Centre

For the Love of Sharks - Diving with Tiger Sharks & Blacktip Sharks

2010-04-19T11:25:00.001-07:00

By Lesley Rochat Sunday, April 18, 2010 at 8:46PM The sea is rough, the spray whips across my face, the boat ride out to the site bumpy and long, and my butt hurts each time we smack into a wave crest and drop down with a crash. But I don't care, and fortunately sea-sickness is a rarity for me, all that is on my mind is them, the blacktip sharks and hopefully the tiger sharks too, only minutes away. My companions on this photographic mission are close friends and fellow conservationists: Mike and Val Fraser, fine underwater photographers and water babies extraordinaire, with countless hours underwater; Dr Leonard Compango, world renowned shark expert; Sophia and Mark van Coller, both talented underwater photographers, and Sophia, a gifted freediver with the style of a dolphin, and the legendary Wolfgang Leander whose love for tiger sharks is unmatchable. The reason I am here this time round is because of Wolf. He had invited me to join him in 2008 when he was last in South Africa to dive with the tigers but I sadly had to decline as the shark centre consumed my time veraciously back then. Meet him I must and now I'm free again and back where I love to be, where I belong, the sea on my skin and the sharks surrounding me. The viz is poor, the bait stem attracts around 40 blacktips, but no tigers yet… I love the blacktips (Carcharhinus limbatus), they are exceptionally beautiful. Their torpedo shaped golden, bronze bodies are perfectly designed for slicing through the water at speed, above you, below you, right next to you, sometimes accidentally touching you. I am honored to be in their domain, safely surrounded by moving walls of sharks and prove once again that sharks are not out there to eat us, hunt us or harm us. To think this is to insult such great animals as they are far smarter than that. Then she comes, the mighty tiger shark. I have not seen one for a couple of years and I'm at the surface on snorkel with Wolf when she appears. I get a fright; she seems so big in comparison to me, so close to me. And for a second the conditioning of the media over all those years prior to knowing better flashes back and I feel a twinge of fear. Wolf reaches out to me, assuring me all is fine and I relax knowing full well he is right. She moves much slower in comparison to the blacktips but with curious purpose. Soon there is another one, smaller than her but equally graceful and beautiful. It is difficult to describe in words the privileged experience of diving with so many of some of the oceans most majestic animals. No drug or alcohol high or any adrenaline sport I was once hooked on like paragliding, rock climbing, and white water canoeing, ever gave me this deep sense of fulfillment, abundant peace and overflowing enjoyment. I stop photographing for a while and just watch the spectacular dance of the great sharks before me, etching it into my mind forever. I smile, and water trickles into my mask. Two days later the dance continues as I am still having visions of them each time I close my eyes, something that happens to me every time I spend hours with them. Craig Foster, award winning documentary filmmaker, who has spent years filming tribes of Africa, tells me my vision experiences are similar to those experienced by tribal people when in trance, and he believes I am tapping into the great thread of life that we are all connected to. The sharks do that for me. They bring me home. (A special thanks goes to my good friends, Mike and Val for their hospitality, photos and sharing the ocean with me, and Sophia and Mark for taking some pix of me, thank you! Let's do it again soon!)

Let's Dance!

2010-04-18T20:18:00.001-07:00

US > California > Catalina Island > Catalina Divers Supply

2010-04-18T18:56:00.001-07:00

GIRLS: Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan to get 15% off all boat trips, rentals, and guided dives. 20 count air fill cards for $100.00 BOYS: Say "Pretty, Pretty Princess" and get the same deals! LOL!! Yep...you have to say it... or no deal boys! Catalina Island's original SCUBA diving facility, Catalina Divers Supply, LLC, was founded in 1958 and continues to inspire the diving tradition on Catalina Island. With a recently renovated facility in the center of Avalon, on the Historic Green Pleasure Pier, you can count on CDS year round for complete scuba and snorkel rentals, sales, outstanding customer service and air fills up to 3500psi. Our professional and courteous staff of diving instructors provides a wide variety of ocean experiences including: • NO EXPERIENCE introductory SCUBA DIVES • SNORKEL and SCUBA certified GUIDED TOURS • PADI, NAUI and SSI SCUBA CERTIFICATION from open water through dive master Guided Scuba Tours! Make the most of your scuba adventure on the island, experience a majestic kelp forest shore dive under the guidance of a trained professional. Our Guided Scuba Tour instructors know every detail of the Casino Point Underwater Park and will make your dive a memorable experience for novice and expert divers alike. Visit the wrecks, the mini-wall, or just relax and let the fish come to you. Guided Scuba Tours on the "Scuba Cat" dive boat are also available. We offer refresher dives for those who have not been submerged for a year or the full SCUBA Tune-Up program. This is a great opportunity to improve your diving skills and knowledge base.

Guided Snorkel Tours! If you can swim you can snorkel. Float effortlessly on the water's surface under the guidance of our experienced instructors. Your tour includes mask/snorkel, fins, wetsuit and fish food. This is an incredible opportunity to learn the proper usage of your snorkeling equipment, get face to face with fish, lobster and other beautiful sea life while surrounding yourself in an inspiring kelp forest marine environment! You can also reserve a spot on the "Scuba Cat" dive boat to take your Guided Snorkel Tour to the next level. Catalina Divers Supply on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Catalina Diver Supply [caption id="attachment_4438" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Get your Catalina Island SDG Shirts, Sweatshirts, Hats, and Bags...click here"][/caption]

Whaling peace plan to go forward this year

2010-04-17T21:57:00.001-07:00

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News A proposal aimed at bridging the split between whaling nations and their opponents will almost certainly come to governments for decision this year. Sources say it could involve Japan accepting quotas below current levels; but Iceland is opposing proposed catch limits and an international trade ban.

Some anti-whaling countries see such a "peace package" as the only way to constrain whale hunting. But others are likely to hold out for a complete end to the practice. A small group of countries including the three active hunting nations - Iceland, Japan and Norway - and opponents such as New Zealand, Australia and Germany has been holding talks in Washington DC this week, exploring a possible compromise on quotas and other issues. Following these talks, BBC News understands that a package is very likely to be finalised and lodged with the International Whaling Commission (IWC) by next Thursday - the deadline, under IWC rules, if it is to be debated at the June IWC meeting.

Saving whales is absolutely what we are about

Monica Medina US commissioner to the IWC

As yet, the package contains no agreed quotas; the chairman, Chilean diplomat Cristian Maquieira, is to insert suggested numbers over the next few days. Sources close to the talks say Japan appears prepared to contemplate scaling back its annual Antarctic hunt to a size that anti-whaling nations might find acceptable. In return, it would expect to gain catch quotas in the North Pacific waters close to its shores, which would benefit coastal communities where whaling is still practiced. At the time of writing, Japanese representatives could not be reached for comment. Although commercial whaling was banned in 1982, Japan hunts under regulations permitting whaling for scientific research, while Iceland and Norway lodged formal objections to the moratorium and so mount openly commercial operations. Targets for criticism However, if agreement between Japan and its opponents appears possible following two years of preparatory talks, there appears little scope for compromise on Iceland's whaling. "We have been showing good faith, but by presenting a moving target they are showing a lack of will to negotiate," said Iceland's IWC commissioner Tomas Heidar.

Nordic nations hope to sell whalemeat into the Japanese market

"You cannot negotiate with a moving target," he told BBC News from Washington. Last year, Icelandic boats caught 125 fin whales and 81 minkes - a significant increase on previous years, though still substantially below quotas in the years before 1982. At a previous preparatory meeting, the anti-whaling side had proposed quotas of 60 fins and 60 minkes per year, Mr Heidar said. Knowing these were not acceptable to Iceland, the anti-whaling bloc then lowered their offer still further, he related - subsequently adding the rider that under the new agreement, whales would have to be caught for local consumption only. As Iceland's ambitions include exporting fin whale meat to Japan, this was absolutely not acceptable. International trade in whalemeat is banned, but Iceland, Japan and Norway have registered exemptions to the UN wildlife trade convention for some whale species. The importance of international trade has been demonstrated in recent weeks by the interception in a Dutch port of an Icelandic whalemeat consignment apparently destined for Japan, the disclosure of a small export from Iceland to Latvia, the closure of a Los Angeles restaurant that was selling whalemeat, and a DNA study claiming to show that at least some of the meat sold there and in South Korea came from Japan's scientific whaling programme. Green splits The "peace package" would set terms for the next 10 years, with a review after five. Initial quotas could be amended downwards if scientific assessments indicated the necessity. Governments would agree not to set quotas unilaterally. Whaling nations would have to agree to a monitoring regime involving observers on boats and a DNA register designed to keep illegal whale meat out of the market. Whaling by indigenous groups would not be affected. Environmental groups have been split on the "peace process". Most are vehemently opposed in public, and have castigated anti-whaling governments for getting involved. But those governments argue that simply demanding an end to whaling is not working, and compromise could be a better option. "Saving whales is absolutely what we are about," said US IWC commissioner Monica Medina. "But now we have a problem of increasing whaling, a black market and no controls. "The US government couldn't be more opposed to lethal scientific whaling and commercial whaling." But behind the scenes, some activists are prepared to endorse a compromise if it results in a significant and sustained cut in the numbers of whales killed each year. Those moving the "peace process" are keen to find consensus at this year's IWC meeting in Morocco. But it is not clear how the impasse between these countries and Iceland can be overcome.

It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2010-04-17T16:33:00.001-07:00

SDGs Karma, Occhi, and Margo head out to the neighborhood to visit all our pals! Everyone seemed to have spring fever and were out having some fun! The girls goof around a bit before ending their dive with a big HUG and KISS!!!

Costa Rica > Guanacaste > Diving Safaris

2010-04-17T11:06:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get a 10% discount for the local dive site trips. Diving Safaris is the oldest dive shop in the area, having been created by another diving enthusiast over 20 years ago. It has since continued to be one of the best dive shops in the area, offering small, personalized dive vacations to customers around the world. Diving Safaris is a fun, friendly and customer oriented PADI 5 Star Dive Resort and is the oldest dive shop in the area! We offer daily diving and snorkeling excursions. Plus, we offer introductory scuba classes and PADI courses all the way through to Dive-master. Check out our Turn Pro! page for more information about becoming a PADI professional. We are located in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste; just 30 minutes away from the Liberia International Airport. Our location puts us in the heart of some of the best diving in the area, including Catalina Islands and the famed Isla Murcielagos (Bat islands). Diving Safaris is owned and run by its owner, Bobbie Jo, with help from her two daughters, Kelley and Karie Jo. Bobbie Jo and Kelley are both PADI Open Water Scuba trainers and Karie is a PADI Divemaster. In 1997, then dive shop owner Earl Gibbs and now dive shop owner, Bobbie Jo, were itching to live their dream, to own their own dive shop in a tropical country where they could dive, have fun and raise their daughters. When they saw an ad for a dive shop for sale in Costa Rica, they saw their chance. Originally from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Earl was a deputy sheriff who also worked in the search and recovery team, while owning a small dive shop, called Pagosah High Dive. Bobbie Jo owned her own business as a child day care provider. Living and diving in Costa Rica was a huge change, but one they happily made. In the winter of 1997, Earl and Bobbie Jo bought the dive shop and moved the whole family down to Costa Rica. Learning to adapt and run a business in Costa Rica was quite an experience. With the help of friends and locals, Diving Safaris is now one of the most well known dive shops in Costa Rica. We are a 5 Star PADI Dive Center, located in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We offer a variety of PADI courses, from Discover Scuba through to Divemaster. There are over 25 different local and advanced dive sites; including Catalina Islands and Isla Murcielagos (Bat ISlands). Diving Safari on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Diving Safari

Florida > Key West > Subtropic Dive Center

2010-04-17T10:42:00.001-07:00

Mention that you're a fan of Scuba Diver Girls and receive 10% off all dive trips, classes, and retail items. We offer convenient doorstep diving, with our boats located right here at the shop; free parking; gear storage; nitrox and trimix fills; monthly tech diving trips; spearfishing trips; PADI instruction from Open Water up to Assistant Instructor. Subtropic Dive Center is the only Dive Center that takes pictures of its divers and snorkelers and posts them on its website ready for download as a vacation picture. We have done this for our customers since 1996. Join us aboard our comfortable fleet. We run regularly scheduled trips on each of our boats. In addition to our regular trips, each boat is available for private charter. Our largest dive boat, the Starfish Enterprise II, is a 42' Burpee, and can carry 26 divers comfortably. Our 30' Burpee, the Pelican, is fully equipped for spearhunting and lobstering, and can take up to 10 divers to all the best hunting locations. Subtropic Dive Center on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Subtropic Dive Center

Canada > British Columbia > Sub Aviator Systems

2010-04-17T10:08:00.001-07:00

Mention Scuba Diver Girls to get a 5% discount on your submersible adventure. "Super Aviator" is a fully-pressurized 2-person winged submersible that "flies" under the sea like an airplane. SAS offers 1, 2, & 3-day "underwater flight schools" where you get to dive with an instructor & learn to pilot the sub yourself, which are held in a variety of exotic locations. Private charters are also available.

Learn to FLY underwater!

She glides silently through the cobalt water, banking gently to the left so smoothly the movement is barely discernible. Seconds later, with pinpoint precision, we swoop down to chase a school of fish confused at the sight of this strange new creature... If you want to go that fast on water, Super Boat International runs a series of races, like IndyCar, but with high-speed "cigarette" boats. If meandering under the surface is more your thing, diving shipwrecks with New York-based Mad Dog ... Who hasn't stuck their hand out the window of a fast moving car, angled their flat palm and formed fingers up and down, and marveled at the unexpected force of the air-stream? This simple deflection plane is the basic principle behind the control... Sub Aviator Systems on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Sub Aviator Systems

US > Florida > Key Largo > Silent World Dive Center

2010-04-17T09:43:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 10% off any single dive trip or 5% off a dive package. We offer the best recreational and technical scuba diving, wreck diving and snorkeling Florida has to offer in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Uncrowded boats - carrying a maximum of 12 scuba divers, giving you a more relaxed and personal experience. We have an extensive range that covers the pristine virgin reefs in the North end of Key Largo right down to the Southern sites of Islamorada and the unmarked wrecks that are out of reach of many Dive Operators. Our fast charter boats will take you to uncrowded parts of the sanctuary where visibility and coral growth are superior. We pride ourselves in personal service as we take you to these beautiful sites on board our three custom dive boats. Our personal attention to your adventures extends to our ability to arrange special dive sites on request - or ask our experienced crew to take you to where the conditions are best that day! Our friendly crew and relaxed atmosphere will assure you of the best dives possible! Full range of training from recreational to technical. Both Recreational level and professional. Only dive shop in the keys that rents rebreathers. 3 Small custom dive boats with personal service with no more then 12 passengers on board. Brand new 3600 sqf retail store with state of the art classroom. Banked Nitrox & Custom blend trimix. Technical rental gear available. Female instructors on staff. Silent World Dive Center on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Silent World Dive Center

Cyprus > Larnaca > Alpha Divers

2010-04-17T09:18:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 20% across the board on all diving activities and 20% off on all courses up to Dive Master or Dive Leader. We are dedicated to quality customer service. Our goal is to build customer loyalty by being the best family scuba diving, snorkeling, and water sports operation in Cyprus. Alpha Divers flagship operation is located opposite the Beau Rivage Hotel in Larnaca and just a stone's throw from the famous Zenobia Ferry Wreck. The staff of Alpha Divers are experienced and committed to your safety and enjoyment while you are Diving in Cyprus. With our Ayia Napa and Larnaca locations, Alpha Divers is the only dive center in Cyprus regularly taking divers to all the reefs and Our Larnaca dive boats provide twice daily scuba and snorkeling trips to the Zenobia Ferry Wreck, often referred to as the best wreck in the world! If wreck diving excites you, we take scuba divers to the Bridge, Restaurant, Duty Free shop, Upper, Middle and Lower Vehicle decks where you can see over 100 Trucks full of sunken treasure. The Calypso operation takes divers and snorkelers to the Larnaca Marine area with a flexible schedule to meet your needs. Our instructional staff teach all of Certification courses from Open Water through to Open Water Instructor and Ocean Diver through Advanced Diver plus we offer a wide selection of specialty courses. We offer a full line of the latest scuba equipment for sale and rent. When you are not scuba diving, come enjoy our other water sport activities. We offer para sailing, wave runners, kayaking, paddle boats, and aqua-cycles for the enjoyment of the entire family. We also link you up with a fantastic company who offer Quad Bike Safari trips. Explore the thrill of off road quad biking! Alpha Divers can also plan that special occasion for you on the water or underwater weddings, private party cruises, and private scuba diving and snorkeling trips.Scuba diving Cyprus means Alpha Divers Cyprus. Alpha Divers on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Alpha Divers

US > New York > Brooklyn > Scuba New York

2010-04-17T08:53:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fans and get 10%-15% off on a new package purchase of Regulator, Octopus, Gage or Computer and BCD and 10% on any full rental package.

Two convenient locations for your training and shopping needs. Brooklyn, N.Y. & Yonkers, N.Y. B.A.D.SCUBA/SCUBA NEW YORK is affiliated with the top recognized training agencies world wide such as N.A.U.I., P.A.D.I., T.D.I. & S.D.I. offering courses from basic open water up to and including Instructor Certifications. Our Technical Dive Staff can offer a variety of technical courses from basic Nitrox (offered on line), through Deep & Decompression & Tri Mix certifications. Our sales staff is very knowledgeable with years of dive experience to assist you with merchandise information and selection to suite your specialized diving needs. We service all regulators in our inventory and are authorized to repair most major brands. All regulator repairs are done in either of our two locations to save you time and expense. We sell only top quality merchandise and are dedicated to the highest degree training with your safety in mind. ALL MERCHANDISE SOLD WITH ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE WARRANTIES. Scuba New York on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Scuba New York

Manufacturer > Nuvair

2010-04-17T08:36:00.001-07:00

Scuba Diver Girls fans just enter coupon code "Scuba Diver Girls Fan" at check out when purchasing a Nitrox O2 Quick Stick and get 10% off!

Nuvair has been manufacturing low and high pressure breathing air systems for the working diver for over 20 years. In recent years we have expanded beyond diving into the Fire & Safety, Industrial and Paintball compressor markets as well. We offer standard and custom configurations for a wide variety of stationary and portable installations. We create customized compressors to meet your specific needs and guide you through the many configurations that the compressor packages can be purchased in. We understand that needs, budget and comfort level lead to the choices one makes on the type, brand and model of compressor you will be using. We offer custom configurations of "tried and true" compressor brands combined with electric, gas or diesel motors of the same caliber. All Nuvair compressor packages are manufactured in-house and tested before leaving Nuvair. From start to finish our technicians are making sure your compressor package is inspected, tested and delivered on time. The Company's CEO and founder, Glenn Huebner, is the innovative force behind many of the Company's Nitrox Systems. He has a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Finance from California State University, Northridge and over 25 years experience in commercial and sport diving and the use of gas producing systems. The Company's Production Manager, Danny Graham, assists in the technical design of the Company's products and is responsible for coordinating the manufacturing process. He is a certified compressor repair technician and has over 15 years experience in the commercial and sport diving industry. The O2 Quickstick is the first Diver Friendly oxygen analyzer available anywhere! Easy to use...effective...and amazingly affordable! The O2 Quickstick is designed for the nitrox diver who wants the security and convenience of having his own O2 analyzer and does not want to pay a small fortune to own one. Operating the O2 Quickstick is as simple as pointing at the tank valve and "shooting" with only one hand needed! Features On/Off switch and the replaceable thermally compensated sensor maintains accuracy levels that exceed dive industry standards. The unit is totally O-ring sealed for excellent water resistance...and as one of the lowest priced consumer analyzer on the market, you will not be able to resist buying it! Features:

Fast Response, Thermally Compensated Sensor
Completely Sealed, Water Resistant
Heave Duty Anodized Aluminum Housing
No Hoses, Adapters, or Cables Required
Easy Calibration
User Replaceable Battery and Sensor
Pocket Sized

Nuvair on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Nuvair

A 2nd garbage patch: Plastic soup seen in Atlantic

2010-04-15T16:39:00.001-07:00

By MIKE MELIA, Associated Press Writer

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Researchers are warning of a new blight at sea: a swirl of confetti-like plastic debris stretching over a remote expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The floating garbage — hard to spot from the surface and spun together by a vortex of currents — was documented by two groups of scientists who trawled the sea between scenic Bermuda and Portugal's mid-Atlantic Azores islands. The studies describe a soup of micro-particles similar to the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a phenomenon discovered a decade ago between Hawaii and California that researchers say is likely to exist in other places around the globe. "We found the great Atlantic garbage patch," said Anna Cummins, who collected plastic samples on a sailing voyage in February. The debris is harmful for fish, sea mammals — and at the top of the food chain, potentially humans — even though much of the plastic has broken into such tiny pieces they are nearly invisible. Since there is no realistic way of cleaning the oceans, advocates say the key is to keep more plastic out by raising awareness and, wherever possible, challenging a throwaway culture that uses non-biodegradable materials for disposable products. "Our job now is to let people know that plastic ocean pollution is a global problem — it unfortunately is not confined to a single patch," Cummins said. The research teams presented their findings in February at the 2010 Oceans Sciences Meeting in Portland, Oregon. While scientists have reported finding plastic in parts of the Atlantic since the 1970s, the researchers say they have taken important steps toward mapping the extent of the pollution. Cummins and her husband, Marcus Eriksen, of Santa Monica, California, sailed across the Atlantic for their research project. They plan similar studies in the South Atlantic in November and the South Pacific next spring. On the voyage from Bermuda to the Azores, they crossed the Sargasso Sea, an area bounded by ocean currents including the Gulf Stream. They took samples every 100 miles (160 kilometers) with one interruption caused by a major storm. Each time they pulled up the trawl, it was full of plastic. A separate study by undergraduates with the Woods Hole, Massachusetts-based Sea Education Association collected more than 6,000 samples on trips between Canada and the Caribbean over two decades. The lead investigator, Kara Lavendar Law, said they found the highest concentrations of plastics between 22 and 38 degrees north latitude, an offshore patch equivalent to the area between roughly Cuba and Washington, D.C. Long trails of seaweed, mixed with bottles, crates and other flotsam, drift in the still waters of the area, known as the North Atlantic Subtropical Convergence Zone. Cummins' team even netted a Trigger fish trapped alive inside a plastic bucket. But the most nettlesome trash is nearly invisible: countless specks of plastic, often smaller than pencil erasers, suspended near the surface of the deep blue Atlantic. "It's shocking to see it firsthand," Cummins said. "Nothing compares to being out there. We've managed to leave our footprint really everywhere." Still more data are needed to assess the dimensions of the North Atlantic patch. [caption id="attachment_4348" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Support the Environment with GO GREEN merch from SDG!"][/caption] Charles Moore, an ocean researcher credited with discovering the Pacific garbage patch in 1997, said the Atlantic undoubtedly has comparable amounts of plastic. The east coast of the United States has more people and more rivers to funnel garbage into the sea. But since the Atlantic is stormier, debris there likely is more diffuse, he said. Whatever the difference between the two regions, plastics are devastating the environment across the world, said Moore, whose Algalita Marine Research Foundation based in Long Beach, California, was among the sponsors for Cummins and Eriksen. "Humanity's plastic footprint is probably more dangerous than its carbon footprint," he said. Plastics have entangled birds and turned up in the bellies of fish: A paper cited by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says as many as 100,000 marine mammals could die trash-related deaths each year. The plastic bits, which can be impossible for fish to distinguish from plankton, are dangerous in part because they sponge up potentially harmful chemicals that are also circulating in the ocean, said Jacqueline Savitz, a marine scientist at Oceana, an ocean conservation group based in Washington. As much as 80 percent of marine debris comes from land, according to the United Nations Environmental Program. The U.S. government is concerned the pollution could hurt its vital interests. "That plastic has the potential to impact our resources and impact our economy," said Lisa DiPinto, acting director of NOAA's marine debris program. "It's great to raise awareness so the public can see the plastics we use can eventually land in the ocean." DiPinto said the federal agency is co-sponsoring a new voyage this summer by the Sea Education Association to measure plastic pollution southeast of Bermuda. NOAA is also involved in research on the Pacific patch. "Unfortunately, the kinds of things we use plastic for are the kinds of things we don't dispose of carefully," Savitz said. "We've got to use less of it, and if we're going to use it, we have to make sure we dispose of it well."

Honduras > Utila > Utopia Village

2010-04-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get a free one hour Massage at Utopia's U-Spa, when you book a week dive package at Utopia Village! Utopia Village is an "off the beaten path vacation retreat". It is remote, it is casual, it is friendly, it is beautifully designed and it is adventure set in unchoreographed natural surroundings. The hotel is built on the edge of an abundant reef, a twenty-minute boat ride from the nearest and only town on the tiny island of Utila, off the coast of Honduras. There are no roads at Utopia, no fast food joints and no nightclubs. The nightlife includes the grass thatched beach bar with sounds of the ocean rolling in, footsteps crackling down the coral paths and the rustle of palm leaves in the breeze. The biggest focus is on personal service. If you desire a vacation where you feel like a welcomed guest in someone's home, then Utopia Village is for you. Many of the owners live on site and oversee the hotel, dive and spa operations. Utopia's staff is friendly, outgoing and eager to make your stay the best it can be. Utopia's number one motto is "You arrive as guests and leave as friends!" Utopia's greatest, natural asset is the house reef in front of the property. Divers and snorkelers alike will truly appreciate the giant Stag Horn and Elkhorn coral and the waters teaming with colorful Caribbean fish. The goal was to create a dive destination that would offer some pleasant and welcomed surprises. Full service dive amenities are available plus four-star meals served at your table, spacious rooms with custom built furniture and bedding and a spa perfect for a relaxing massage after a long week of diving. Utopia's philosophy is to combine adventure and relaxation in a casual secluded atmosphere that allows every guest to feel at peace and carefree during their stay. Our promise to our customers is to provide personal service and comfort for all who pass through Utopia's doors. Our pledge to this island's unique eco system, both above and below water, is to protect and preserve its natural habitat for future generations. So, kick off your shoes, leave any worries on another shore and allow us to treat you to an unforgettable stay at Utopia Village. Utopia Village is a "remote adventure" dive, fishing, and spa resort. Utopia Village on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Utopia Village

Spain > Greenwichdiving

2010-04-13T21:56:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 10% in all our courses. Open 365 days a year

Greenwichdiving is the Costa Blanca's leading PADI 5 star Gold Palm IDC Resort (Instructor Development Centre)We have been running our Dive Centre for eight successful years and our professional team are experts in the local area. We take great pride with regards to our safety standards, excellent service and our dive centre offers a fantastic variety of activities and courses in all languages. The Greenwich Team work hard to welcome everyone to our truly fun and friendly environment . Discover the hidden secrets of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Enjoy crystal clear waters and immerse yourself in an exhilarating underwater world of outstanding natural beauty. Explore living reefs and caves and experience for yourself, an environment teeming with diverse and colourful marine life. Before you go diving, why not check out the details of our diving sites, facilities, courses and holidays, use our navigation bar, and select the category you require to find out further information. Send us your e-mail and we will keep you updated monthly via our newsletter. We welcome divers and groups from all recognised training organisations and are open 12 months a year. Whether you just fancy a dive with a buddy or are interested in developing your diving qualifications, then check out the courses that we offer. You will find the prices we offer are VERY competitive, and club membership entitles you to many benefits and special offers. Seventy percent of the world lies just below the surface so join us and Dive Today , The Greenwich Team

Greenwichdiving on The Scuba Diver Girls Directory

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US > Florida > Port St. Lucie > Life Underwater, Inc.

2010-04-13T21:25:00.001-07:00

Scuba Diver Girls Fans Mention the MSD Challenge to get The PADI Master Scuba Diver Challenge for $2995 plus 50% off of class materials and up to 30% off of scuba gear purchased while taking the MSD Challenge. Regular Cost of Challenge is $3609 plus Materials.

We are dedicated to serving our customer's Scuba needs, and our goal is 100% customer satisfaction. Whether you opt for one of our Dive Charters, choose your very own Private Scuba Class, or join one of our on going PADI Scuba Courses, you are sure to understand what Life Underwater Inc. is all about! Our staff of PADI MSDT Instructors are here to ensure the best Scuba instruction no matter whether you are a Novice or Advanced Diver. Come Dive with us and see the difference!!! Scuba is what we are all about!!!! Life Underwater, Inc. on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Life Underwater, Inc.

Learn About: Utopia Village in Utila, Honduras Bay Islands

2010-04-13T21:04:00.001-07:00

Article by: Scuba Diver Girl Mary Schriefer Gorden from Plano, Texas Texins Dive Club enjoyed hearing from guest speaker Angelika Lukacsy, owner and president of Utopia Village in Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras, during the club's April 13, 2010 meeting at Outback Steakhouse in Plano, Texas – a Dallas suburb. Angelika, a Dallas native, worked for Corgan Associates Architects for 14 years. Her job took her from Dallas to London and London to New York, where she lived mere blocks from the Trade Towers. A combination of that fateful 9/11 day and her longtime desire to design and own a small eco-friendly resort made for an interesting, 2-year process of designing and building her dream – the all-inclusive Utopia Village resort. She told the Texins Dive Club members that, after life threw her the "curve ball" of 9/11, she chose not to "strike out" but to "start a new game." She set out to explore the eastern and western Caribbean Ocean, learning and loving to scuba dive and discovering what she considers the "premiere dive location in the Caribbean" – the tiny Honduran bay island of Utila -- to build her dream resort. With little to no money, Angelika enlisted the assistance and partnership of her Texas friends and a bank loan to put her dream into motion. Utopia Village resort is "casual and luxurious at the same time," said Angelika, architect and co-owner of the resort with several female and a few male fellow Texans. The 16-room eco-friendly resort is located on 500 feet of jungle beachfront, offering both bungalows and hotel-like rooms, first-class meals, unlimited shore diving with a sensational wall merely 50 feet from shore, snorkeling, boat diving a dive valet service. "Utila has more than 100 buoyed dive sites with diverse terrain for scuba enthusiasts to explore," said Angelika. And, Utila is just minutes from the larger island of Roatan, Honduras, which holds its own allure for adventurists and diving enthusiasts. Utila and its surrounding islands are home to the largest fish in the sea, the Whale Shark. "Sightings are year round," explained Angelika, however visitors can see the beautiful giants mostly in November and December. "When the whales move, they generally move down, not out, depending upon the climate and conditions," she said. Utopia Village is the only eco-permitted resort on Utila. The resort staff oversees weekly clean up dives and periodic Project Aware events, in which resort guests are welcome to participate. Utopia's owners are also proud of the fact that they have employed and trained several island locals to help build the resort and as cooks, dive boat operators and luxury spa technicians, to name a few. "If you're looking to 'get away from it all' and for a "peaceful, stress-free environment, consider our island retreat of Utopia Village," Angelika told Texins Dive Club members. The resort includes a mere 2 ½ hour flight from Houston, Texas, to Roatan, Honduras, and then a puddle jump to tiny Utila and the Utopia Village resort. She shared several specials with guests, which can be found on the Utopia website at: http://www.utopiadivevillage.com/ The Texins Dive Club was founded 1958 and comprises mostly Texas Instruments employees (current and former) plus other interested Texas scuba diving enthusiasts. Visit Texins Dive Club online at: http://www.texinsdiveclub.com/ [caption id="attachment_4305" align="alignleft" width="168" caption="Texas Scuba Diver Girls will love all the SDG Texas products! click here!"][/caption]

The Australian Flatback and the Fossil Fuel Frenzy

2010-04-13T19:11:00.001-07:00

By Teri Shore, Turtle Island Restoration Network I recently returned from a four-week trip to Australia to assist with field research and visit the Kimberley where sea turtles are under major threats from Big Oil. The Australian flatback turtle and five other species of marine turtles that nest and feed along the coast seem to have been forgotten in the fossil fuel frenzy occurring in the Northwest of Western Australia. All six species of marine turtles that occur in Australia are considered to be at risk of extinction under state, Commonwealth and international law. Yet so little is known about the flatback that its status has been deemed "data deficient" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But enough is known about the forgotten flatback to raise major concerns about its future with as many as 50 new industrial projects planned for the Northwest including the new natural gas facilities planned at James Price Point - Walmadany in the Kimberley and on the tiny nature reserve of Barrow Island in the Pilbara. Flatbacks and greens nest and forage at both sites. Read more about the flatback and my trip into the Australian bush. What is not known is whether the flatback populations in W.A. are in decline, stable or growing. Most populations of marine turtles are in decline around the world due to human impacts. The Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation is drafting a Marine Turtle Recovery Plan designed to identify the threats to the flatbacks and other species, determine research gaps and implement measures to protect them. But the long-awaited plan has not been approved or released to the public. Until this happens the flatbacks and the other species are at great risk of harm and decline from human activity ranging from driving on the beach to lighting to fishery by-catch to climate change to the natural gas projects. And time is running out. The long and short term threats to sea turtles from the natural gas projects are many: lighting, dredging, blasting, ship strikes, oil spills, dumping of sewage and graywater, air pollution and other disturbance. What you can do: Sign the urgent new petition or write to Australian Environmental Minister Peter Garrett, AM MP, Parliament House, Canberra 2600 Australia and W.A. Premier Colin Barnett MLG, Parliament House, Perth, 6000, Western Australia to halt the proposed LNG project at James Price Point. Write to Chevron seeking a halt to the Gorgon project on Barrow Island and to pull out of the James Price Point Joint Venture in the Kimberley: Mr. John S. Watson, Chief Executive Officer, Chevron Corporation, 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road San Ramon, CA 94583, USA Read more about the flatback sea turtle and the Kimberley on our campaign page Australia's Sea Turtles, www.wildernessociety.org.au, www.environskimberley.org , http://handsoffcountry.blogspot.com and Savethekimberley.org [caption id="attachment_4290" align="aligncenter" width="192" caption="Get your Sea Turtle Love shirts, sweatshirts, caps, and more!"][/caption]

Australia to prosecute over Barrier Reef ship crash

2010-04-12T21:06:00.001-07:00

BBC, Sunday, 11 April 2010 12:46 UK Those responsible for a Chinese ship running aground on the Great Barrier Reef and leaking oil will be prosecuted, Australian authorities say. Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the vessel was clearly on an unlawful route and compensation would be sought for the spill. "We'll be throwing the book at those responsible," Mr Albanese said. In a separate case, three men have been charged with steering their cargo ship through a restricted area of the Reef. The men, from Vietnam and South Korea, will appear in an Australian court on Monday, accused of taking their coal carrier on an unauthorised route through one of the world's most valuable marine wildlife reserves. It is alleged that their vessel, the MV Mimosa, was not registered with the Reef Vessel Tracking System and failed to respond to attempts by the authorities to establish contact. If found guilty, the men could face a maximum fine of more than A$200,000 ($205,000, £121,000). Oil fear The Chinese vessel, the Shen Nang 1, rammed into a sandbank some 70km (43 miles) off the east coast of Great Keppel Island on 4 April after straying off its permitted route. "It is quite clear that this vessel went on a course that was unlawful," Mr Albanese told reporters after flying over the stranded ship. "The Australian government will ensure that the full force of the law is brought to bear on those responsible," he said. "And we will also ensure... compensation is paid with regard to the cost of cleaning up." Salvage crews have been pumping fuel oil from the vessel, which was carrying carrying 950 tonnes of oil and about 65,000 tonnes of coal. Inflatable booms are in place around it to contain any oil that may spill. In the wake of these incidents, it has emerged that bulk carriers regularly take short cuts through the world heritage-listed marine park - reef "rat-runs" that cut down on voyage times and therefore save money. The Australian government has vowed to tighten up its maritime laws in response The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system and extends for more than 2,500km.

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Indonesia > Bali> Dive International Bali

2010-04-12T16:37:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 5% discount on any of our training courses, book two or more and receive 10% discount. We are a PADI Dive Centre located in the heart of Tanjung Benoa just minutes from the lush beaches and hotels of Nusa Dua and Bali's largest harbour and are always happy to help divers planning to come to Bali help find their way around saving time and money on getting what they want first time. We are the proud owners of the Lindy Lou, our purpose built 13 metre dive boat capable of taking up to 20 divers for day trips around Bali's best dive spots. We specialise in teaching non-certified divers to take the first step and experience the thrill and adventure of diving on the PADI Open Water Course or an Introductory Dive. We also conduct continuing education courses, such as Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, Emergency First Response, numerous Speciality Courses and even the highly acclaimed PADI Divemaster Course – the first step on the PADI Professional ladder. We run daily dive trips to Bali 's best dive spots for already certified divers. Not happy with day trips and want to explore every corner of Bali's Underwater Kingdom ? Choose our Dive Safaris or design your own trip and we will cater for your exact requirements. We also run fishing trips, dolphin watching, snorkeling, island tours and we can also arrange accommodation and car hire, with or without a tour guide/driver. Why Dive in Bali ? Bali is situated in the heart of the Coral Triangle, an area stretching from Indonesia , the Philippines and Papua New Guinea , which is home to up to 20% of the world's coral reefs. The Coral Triangle is one of the world's largest underwater jewels and is considered the most bio-diverse underwater habitat on the planet. The richness of marine life coupled with Bali's location in the migratory bottle neck strait between the Indian and Pacific oceans makes Bali an ideal place to dive year round. Experts estimate our waters contain over 3,000 species of reef fish, which is twice as many as the Great Barrier Reef and more than that found in the Red Sea . Bali has 80 genera of coral, compared to the Caribbean 's 20 genera. Indonesia is famous for the largest amount of reef fish in one place anywhere in the world. Our fertile waters provide ample food supply for large pelagics such as Mola Molas (sunfish), whales, dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, sharks and turtles to name but a few. You can see Manta Rays daily in Bali and Mola Mola's are regulary sighted particularly during Mola Mola season; August through October. But remember nothing is guaranteed in diving, ok apart from wrecks generally they don't move! Some estimates show year round one in every 15-20 dives around the Penidas divers see at least one Mola Mola. Diving in Bali offers such a wide variety of diving; a World War II ship wreck, a wooden ship wreck from two centuries ago, vertical drop-offs, sand slopes, black volcanic outcrops, limestone shores, huge bommies, roaring currents, quiet secluded bays, deep coral covered ridges and in seas grass beds. Great dives can be had in Bali every single day year round. Unlike numerous other dive locations, Bali is not greatly affected by monsoon. We have two seasons in Bali , wet and dry. The seasons are broadly defined as: Dry April – October Wet November – March What does this mean for diving in Bali ? "Even at the worst times, Indonesian diving conditions are infinitely preferable to those prevalent elsewhere – 'cold' water in Indonesia is anything under 25 degrees Celsius and bad visibility is anything below 10-15 m." Dive International Bali on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Dive International Bali

Spain > L’Escala > Kenna Eco Diving

2010-04-12T15:50:00.001-07:00

Apply to be a member on our website homepage and get a FREE Medes Islands Marine Reserve dive and our wonderful newsletter! Kenna Eco Diving offers you a wide choice of scuba diving experiences! Enjoy the best Mediterranean dives on the Costa Brava from the lovely town of L'Escala. Dive the famous Medes Islands Marine Reserve, mix 'n' match coastal boat dives and shore dives, or opt for an exclusive liveaboard diving trip. Just beginning your scuba dive adventures or considering diving as a career? We offer PADI Courses from Open Water through to the professional Divemaster qualification, or take a Discover Scuba with us to get your first great experience of the wonderful underwater world. Email Kenna Eco Diving to Schedule Your Dive Vacation Today! Are you seeking a fresh challenge, adventure, and a change of scenery? Want to make your diving count? Enjoy all these benefits as an Eco Dive Volunteer:

UNLIMITED Eco Dive Volunteer diving
Learn about Mediterranean marine coastal ecosystems
Gain practical underwater marine research experience
Make a real contribution to marine conservation
Bring your camera and get lots of practice taking underwater photographs
Experience some of the best dive sites in the Mediterranean Sea
Holiday in the lovely Catalan town of L'Escala on the Northern Costa Brava

Come and join us. Become an Eco Dive Volunteer Any keen diver, or person who would like to learn to dive, is welcome to enjoy the subsidised volunteer opportunities and experiences afforded by Eco Dive Volunteering. You only need the PADI Open Water certificate or equivalent dive qualification to take part as an Eco Dive Volunteer and can qualify to dive with us. You don't need to be a marine biologist to become an Eco Dive Volunteer! Find Kenna Eco Diving on Scuba Diver Girls Directory for your Dive vacation! Find Kenna Eco Diving on Scuba Diver Girls Directory for Volunteering!

World's deepest known undersea volcanic vent found

2010-04-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Writer Raphael G. Satter, Associated Press Writer

LONDON – Scientists using a remote-controlled submarine have discovered the deepest known volcanic vent and say the superheated waters inside could contain undiscovered marine species and perhaps even clues to the origin of life on earth. Experts aboard the RRS James Cook said they found the underwater volcanic vent more than three miles (five kilometers) beneath the surface of the Caribbean in an area known as the Cayman Trough, a deep-sea canyon that served as the setting for James Cameron's underwater thriller "The Abyss." Geologist Bramley Murton, the submersible's pilot, said exploring the area was "like wandering across the surface of another world," complete with spires of multicolored mineral deposits and thick collections of fluorescent blue microorganisms thriving in the slightly cooler waters around the chimneys. The scenes "were like nothing I had ever seen before," Murton said. Volcanic vents are areas where sea water seaps into small cracks that penetrate deep into the earth's crust — some reaching down more than a mile (two kilometers.) Temperatures there can reach 750 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees Celsius), heating the water to the point where it can melt lead. The blazing hot mineral-rich fluid is expelled into the icy cold of the deep ocean, creating a smoke-like effect and leaving behind towering chimneys of metal ore, some two stories tall. The spectacular pressure — 500 times stronger than the earth's atmosphere — keeps the water from boiling. The environment in volcanic vents may appear brutal: the intense heat and pressure combines with toxic metals to form a highly acidic undersea cocktail. But vents host lush colonies of exotic animals such as blind shrimp, giant white crabs, and even large red-lipped tubeworms whose lack of any apparent digestive system once left scientists scratching their heads. At the base of this ecosystem present are chemical-eating bacteria who draw on the hydrogen sulphide and methane erupting from the vents to make food. "Although those are lethally hostile conditions for surface-dwellers like us, life exists at all depths in the oceans, right down to the bottom of the deepest trenches," said marine biologist Jon Copley in an e-mail interview from the James Cook. "We're still figuring out how." Because the vent area is nearly half a mile deeper than any previously discovered, scientists speculate that it could be the hottest ever found. Study of the vent could yield a variety of new insights into the history of the ocean, the physics of so-called "supercritical fluids" — liquids so hot they act like gasses — and the chemical makeup of the deep ocean. Most tantalizing is the prospect that the expedition, led by geochemist Douglas Connelly of Britain's National Oceanography Center, could also reveal a variety of new life forms specially adapted to the Trough's punishing environment. "The deep sea is full of surprises," a statement posted to the expedition's Web site said. "We may find species unlike any seen before. The Cayman Trough may be like (Arthur) Conan Doyle's 'Lost World,'" a novel that imagines an area populated by prehistoric monsters hidden deep in the Amazonian rain forest. Other scientists said they were excited by the discovery. "I'm extremely curious to see and hear what they have found there in terms of biology," said Maya Tolstoy, a marine geophysicist with the department of earth sciences at Columbia University. This vent and others like it are also of interest to scientists because of the role some scientists believe they played in the creation of life on earth. Copley said it has been theorized that life may have originated in similar environments early in the Earth's history — in part because the microorganisms found in deep-sea vents appear close to some of the Earth's most ancient organisms. Still, Copley said, "there are a lot of assumptions in that deduction." "The origin of life is one of the greatest unanswered questions in science, and at the moment vents are one of the contenders, but they are certainly not the only one." The Cayman Trough vent was discovered on April 6, according to Copley, who said the team used a cube-shaped submersible linked to the ship by three miles (five kilometers) of cable. Copley said the discovery had been three years in the making and built on the previous efforts to scour the depths for signs of the cloudy, mineral-laden water which the vents emit. He said the find illustrated how little was known about what lurks at the bottom of the sea, a sentiment backed by Tolstoy. "We know more about the surface of the Moon and Mars than we do about our own planet because two-thirds of our planet is covered by ocean making it very hard to explore," she said. "We've only seen a tiny fraction of the deep sea floor so there are undoubtedly many more vents and other amazing things to discover." [caption id="attachment_4251" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Get many designs and styles click here!"][/caption]

Sea Forester Plants a Rare Species

2010-04-11T19:48:00.001-07:00

Laguna Beach Independent By Ted Reckas Marine biologist Nancy Caruso quizzes Thurston Middle School students prior to spring break. After years reviving local kelp beds with seedlings nurtured by students, marine biologist Nancy Caruso is attempting underwater farming with a different species: she's intent on reintroducing the nearly wiped out green abalone to the rock reefs off Laguna Beach. After west coast abalone stocks collapsed in recent decades, the species became a rallying cry for marine conservationists. Commercial and recreational harvesting of the mollusk was banned in 1996. Now, Caruso's one-woman crusade will rely on aquaculture to regenerate what some researchers deem a local marine ecosystem in decline. The 37-year old Garden Grove resident recently pried loose some green abalone specimens from two sites in Laguna Beach under a state-approved research permit. With the support of city officials, Caruso has also applied for a $70,000 grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service to fund a 500-mollusk abalone farm for species restoration. Grant seekers will learn the results in June. Daniel Peterson shows off kelp blades that will produce spores in the classroom tanks for the next generation of kelp. "People pay big money to go to Little Cayman, for instance, and see reefs that are untouched. There aren't many places in the world you can go anymore and see pristine reef or pay for a glass bottom boat tour to see kelp forest that's untouched. love nature and love the idea of national parks. Why not have pure nature in the ocean here in Laguna?" she asked. City Manager Ken Frank, too, likes the idea. "Generally, people are interested in trying to preserve marine life. To the extent that we can…reintroduce abalone to our coast, it's a benefit for everybody." Under Caruso's proposal, she intends to nurture 500 green abalones, which would eventually be transplanted in a location she would not reveal. "I would put them all on one area that's kind of hard to find, out of the way of general beach diving," she said. In the meantime, the animals she harvested are being kept in tanks. Their feces is being analyzed at the state Department of Fish and Game shellfish lab for bacteria that causes withering foot syndrome, a factor in the abalone's demise that could also affect the odds of success for Caruso's project. Even as a 10-year-old, Caruso was captivated by marine biology. As an adult, her fascination led to jobs on a Mississippi catfish farm, selling fish-farming equipment on the West Coast, and working for Long Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific as a water chemist. Since 2002, with grant financing from various sources, she's cobbled together a living replanting kelp forests off Orange County. Now, she's intent on restoring abalone to the coastal waters, too. She's not stopping there either. Caruso has a Toyota-funded third project involving turning classrooms at Huntington Beach High School into white sea-bass nurseries next year. Re-introducing abalone to the wild is not easy, said Tom Mc- Cormick, a marine biologist and abalone conservation expert, currently advising the Aquarium of the Pacific on growing white abalone. Long a proponent of abalone farming, McCormick's efforts planting 10,000 juvenile mollusks in the waters off Catalina Island proved an exercise in frustration. "We'd go back in a year and maybe you'd find one or two out of 10,000. The problem with abalone is everything likes to eat them, including us. Lobsters, crabs, cabezon, sheep head, sea stars, octopus, everybody," he said, adding that when eco-systems become imbalanced, there are repercussions that scientists can't anticipate. McCormick's experience reflects the daunting task of revitalizing an ecosystem a single species at a time. "We assume there were abalone before, so we'll put them back and it will be fine, but things may have changed," he said. "Some areas where there were abalone populations before have turned into brittle star barrens. You introduce abalone but the brittle stars simply out compete them. The abalone can't get any food." While McCormick praised Caruso's initiative, he pointed out the most successful abalone restoration program is a hugely expensive effort by Japan's government that placed hundreds of thousands of animals on reefs. Without similar financial support, Caruso's projects run on a shoe-string budget, relying on sixth-grade manpower from Richard Selin's science class at Thurston Middle School and others in the county. Students sprout kelp in classroom tanks for Caruso, who transfers the fledgling blades of Macrocystis pyrifera to local reefs. Their efforts enrich an essential habitat for fish and other organisms, damaged by fluctuating ocean temperatures, storms and pollution. With an assist from the Laguna Ocean Foundation, Caruso is also organizing "Kelp Fest" at Main Beach on April 24, an event to raise public awareness about marine restoration efforts underway. "The sixth grade curriculum is about ecology and our case study is our local marine community, the kelp forest," said Selin, who also chaperones students during a week-long science camp on Catalina Island where they study and snorkel through kelp forests. "Hopefully the more we learn about it, the more we appreciate it." McCormick also values educating beach-goers about a decimated species he says were once worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. "That is worth all the money she's spending, all her time and effort," he said. If her project wins funding, Caruso intends to buy juvenile abalone from The Cultured Abalone, a farm in Goleta, Calif. The mini mollusks may share a tank with kelp for a school year before they are big enough to survive the transition to the ocean. Once three inches in diameter, the only predators strong enough to pull them off rocks are octopi or humans, according to Caruso. There is little research to show how many abalones live in the area, but anecdotal stories from local residents indicate the animal was once abundant. "Marine ecosystems are resilient. I hope I live long enough to see them in full restoration," she said. [caption id="attachment_4247" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Get your Ocean Lover Tshirts, Hats, Swearshirts, Bags etc"][/caption]

Hotels With the Most Beautiful Views

2010-04-11T19:27:00.001-07:00

Yahoo Travel By Jacqueline Detwiler Travel experts say these breathtaking spots offer unique, inspiring beauty. Going on the recommendations of several frequent travelers and travel experts, we found different hotels around the world, each providing jaw-dropping views. Among them are jungle scenes, ocean vistas, and massive displays of ice, rocks and valleys--all in some of the most unique locations in the world. Lapa Rios Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Set in one of the last remaining lowland tropical rain forests in Central America, this Costa Rica eco-resort has something for everyone, from beach bunnies to anyone who ever wore a "Save the Rainforest" button. Stay in bungalows three through eight for the best views; they all sit on a high hill, giving them the best angle over the rain forest and ocean. In 2003 Lapa Rios received the top level Certification for Sustainable Tourism, so guests can rest easy that they're not intruding on the pristine natural surroundings. Wolwedans NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia

Wolwedans, Namibia

This resort leaves 1,000 hectares of untouched land for every bed at the resort, so each separate camp provides sweeping views of virgin dunes, plains and the Nubib Mountains. Guests staying here can indulge in a private scenic drive or a hot air balloon ride over the reserve, then return to watch the sunset from the comfort of the Mountain View Suite, a cozy private lodge that is almost entirely open to the outdoors. Jackson Lake Lodge Jackson, Wyo.

Jackson Lake Lodge, Jackson, Wyo.

After a long day exploring the park, enjoy panoramic vistas of the Grand Tetons and big Wyoming sky from private terraces in each of 46 cottages, or stop in the lodge's upper lobby to check out Native American artifacts next to 100-foot picture windows. Just bear in mind, the lodge is only open from May through October. Enchantment Resort and Mii amo Spa Sedona, Ariz.

Surrounded by massive rocks decorated with swirls of gold and red, guests get the feeling they're wrapped in the sands of a giant hourglass. Stay in Casita No. 31 for the most unobstructed view of Boynton Canyon and the pristine Coconino National Forest. Dreams Luxury Suites Santorini, Greece

Dreams Luxury Suites, Santorini, Greece

Dangling 300 meters over the Aegean, the Dreams Luxury Suites resort is so small it only offers four accommodations, all with panoramic vistas over the Santorini caldera from Imerovigli, a quiet cliff-side town on the west face of the island. Featuring whitewashed walkways, private pools and colorful doors that open onto an endless expanse of bright blue ocean, the Foivos and Armonia Suites are the most lush. [caption id="attachment_4244" align="alignnone" width="192" caption="Get your SDG Tshirt, Sweatshirt, Hat, Stickers Here!"][/caption]

Paul Spielvogel - Shark Photographer

2010-04-10T11:24:00.001-07:00

[caption id="attachment_4201" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Photo by Paul Spielvogel"][/caption] Scuba Diver Girls have been watching the work of Paul Spielvogel for some time now. He is an amazing photographer with a lens focus on Sharks. Here is a little bit about himself from his facebook profile: "I am a "SHARK JUNKY," Staff Photographer and General Counsel for SHARK DIVER MAGAZINE ("SDM"). I have been SCUBA DIVING since the age of 16 and have earned numerous dive certifications including DIVE MASTER. I am following my dreams and passions by seeking ultimate adventures with Sharks in their natural habitat. With camera in hand I am always chasing the elusive "perfect shot". I am a regular contributor to SDM and currently have my own column entitled "PHOTO FRUSTRATIONS - THE MAKING OF A SHARK PHOTOGRAPHER". I work hard but play harder and I am "LIVN' THE DREAM" with SHARK DIVER MAGAZINE." Also read the following Q&A from iDivesharks.com to get to know Paul a little better! SDG will be publishing Paul's work in future blog posts, so we thought it would be nice if you got to know him! You've only got to surf the web within the 'Sharky Circles' of facebook to see the recurring imagery of this shark diving nut, so much is he endeared to sharks that his email start with 'sharkjunky'. A dedicated family man, a talented photographer and all around cool chap to have in any situation folks, it gives me great pleasure to introduce, the inimitable Mr. Paul Spielvogel. iDS: "Hey Paul, it's great to have you here on iDive Sharks. Firstly, could you tell us a little about yourself? PS: First, let me say that I am glad and proud to be a member of the iDiveSharks community and I wish you the best of luck with the iDiveSharks website. I grew up in Long Island, NY and then migrated to South Florida at the age of fourteen. My dad was a free-lance pharmacist so we moved quite a bit during my high school years. I attended four different High Schools and graduated from Boca Raton High School-Class of '75. After my High School years I returned to NY to attend Long Island University where I received my B.A. Then I was off to Houston where I attended South Texas College of Law and obtained my J.D. I met my wife, Janet, on her first day of law school; we passed the bar, got married, opened a law office in The Woodlands, Texas and had three children. I run the real estate division of our firm and Janet specializes in family law. iDS: Could you tell us a little about how long you've been diving? Where and when did you learn? PS: I have been diving since 1971 when I was first introduced to SCUBA at the age of fourteen by a family friend while living in South Florida. The minimum age for a SCUBA certification back then was sixteen. So, on my sixteenth birthday I drove to the local dive shop, Boca Marine, signed up for SCUBA lessons and became a certified open water diver. I am currently a PADI Dive Master. iDS: What kind of diving genre's are you into? PS: For the last seven years my diving profile dramatically changed to being Shark specific and I now hold myself out as a "Shark Diver" as well as a "Shark Photographer". I never thought I would be a shooter because I felt that the photographers missed so much of the activity around them because they were always focusing their attention through a lens. Now, I am one with my camera and I rarely enter the water without it. iDS: Sharks! So how are you connected with shark diving? Is it purely from a personal diving ambition or are you involved with any operations? PS: I had never really experienced a true up-close and personal shark encounter with any of the marquis species until I met Eli Martinez and became involved with Shark Diver Magazine in 2003. Though I had observed numerous species of sharks from a safe distance those brief encounters left me unsatisfied and wanting something more. In the eighties while diving in the Maldives I asked our Dive Master to show me something spectacular and he did not disappoint. He led our group to a ledge 130 feet down where I got my first glimpse of Grey Reef and White Tip Sharks. I was mesmerized and my time in the water just seemed to stand still. If it weren't for my dive computer, I probably would still be there. Then, on a later trip to the Galapagos Islands, I found myself for the first time in the company of Hammerheads and Galapagos Sharks. It was amazing but I was still felt like an outsider and not really a part of what I was seeing. Though I have had the good fortune to be able to travel to some really wonderful and exotic places early on in my dive career like Fiji, Malaysia, Mexico, Indonesia and numerous Caribbean and Bahamian Islands, the dive operators back then were more accustomed to appealing to the everyday tourist, not a thrill seeker like I was becoming. Many of the guides were basically afraid of sharks and considered a good trip to be one where there were no shark encounters. I attended Sea Space, a dive trade show in Houston, Texas to catch up with old friends in the industry, make my rounds to see what was new and just enjoy a day surrounded by diving enthusiasts. That's where I first met Eli Martinez, Editor and Publisher of Shark Diver Magazine. Eli had a booth advertising his magazine and shark expeditions. He had so much energy and he shared his ideas and concepts about taking diving to the next level. On the last day of the show, Eli and I spent hours talking "shark". By the end of the day, I was hooked and agreed to join him on a Great White Shark expedition to Guadalupe Island. I also signed up to take my two sons, Aaron and Adam, and my nephew Jason. It was at that same show that I also met Lawrence Groth of Great White Adventures, an enthusiastic shark fanatic who had made a name for himself as the go-to guy for the white sharks. Lawrence was to be our dive operator for this expedition. As if the trip was not wow enough, Gavin McKinney, a well known a cinematographer who was part of an IMAX production team shooting SHARKS 3D was also scheduled to be with us. This unforgettable trip ended up being a life changing experience for me and the kids. Since that trip to Guadalupe, Eli and I have done extensive travel together and it was his influence that helped me develop my passion for Underwater Photography. Working with Eli and Shark Diver Magazine afforded me numerous once in a life time opportunities by exposing me to the work side of Shark Photography which I thoroughly enjoyed. Through my association with Eli, I met many skilled underwater photographers such as Andy Murch whom I now consider my mentor much to Andy's frustration since he says I am a work in progress. Another day in the office, Paul with a Great Hammerhead Shark © Wolfgang Leander iDS: What is your general response to people when they ask 'the' question once they find out you're a scuba diver; "But what about Sharks"? PS: I love being asked about Shark Diving. Sharks are always a topic of discussion in my office, on facebook, and in social settings. When clients or their children see my shark photos proudly displayed on every wall in my office or they read the articles in the Shark Diver Magazines in my lobby, they are naturally curious, or envious, or both. "I always wanted to do that" is a very common response I hear from the adults. They ask if I am afraid when diving with sharks, or more often, they wonder why am I not afraid to enter the water when I know sharks lurk below. My initial response is that it is natural to fear the unknown, but I am on a quest to learn all I can about as many different species of sharks as my time in the water will permit. I let them know that I differentiate fear from respect, although they do go hand-in-hand to a degree, and that I understand I live on land, and they live in water, so I am a guest in the shark world. By emphasizing that this is a passion for education, and not just thrill seeking, the topic changes from questions about why do I dive with sharks, to what have I learned? That usually leads to discussions about the different types of sharks I have encountered, the different destinations I have traveled to, and my disapproval of people who kill sharks for sport or who waste a species for a food delicacy. I hope that by sharing my shark photography and diving experiences and opinions, I make a difference, however small it may be, not only to entertain, but to make those who listen understand that we can and need to co-exist with all animals, of all shapes, sizes, and locations. iDS: What are your hopes for the future with regards to shark conservation? PS: I support Shark Conservation knowing that sharks need our help and protection. To diminish the shark populations would obviously have a major impact on our ecosystem resulting in devastation to our planet that is un-thinkable on so many levels. Although there are many great conservation groups and individuals, there is a need to unify their efforts to achieve common goals "for the sharks". There are strong differences of opinion amongst the various conservation groups for how to effectively protect our marine life. My friend, Jeff Schreiber authored a blog titled "Conservation Attenuation" which was posted to address the in-fighting and bickering amongst the various shark conservationists. The bottom line of this most welcome blog was that we all need to get along, that there are common goals, and that the individual groups and people are more powerful working together for a common cause to the benefit of our sharks. He noted that the message of Shark Conservation is getting lost due to the bickering and infighting. I embraced this writing and I am hopeful that Jeff's message gets through to all concerned. It is definitely a good read; short and to the point. We as a group are powerful and if we in fact find our common ground we can be much more successful in the never ending fight to protect sharks. We all have something to contribute whether it is money, articles, protests, letters to the editor, images and/or videos that make a visual impact. What we do, no matter how little, can and will benefit sharks and make a difference. I personally am a strong believer and advocate of eco-tourism which I am very much a part of and I recognize and know that a live shark is worth a thousand times more than a dead shark. iDS: Do you have any tips you would want to share with folks looking to get into shark diving? PS: YES! Do your research. Know your limitations. Do not be afraid, but be respectful of the animals and their environment. Choose a dive operator with a good reputation. Subscribe to Shark Diver Magazine and join us on one or more of our shark specific dive expeditions. iDS: Living or Dead, is there someone you would want to dive with and why? PS: The obvious answer and probably answered by more than seventy-five percent of the diver population depending on age would be hands down Lloyd Bridges who portrayed Mike Nelson in the series Sea Hunt. I never missed an episode and I actually own the complete re-mastered DVD series. There are others, of course, like Jacques-Yves Cousteau, whom I enjoyed following his adventures aboard the Calypso. These are the two individuals that have influenced me the most as to why I wanted to be a diver and of course why I am a diver today. iDS: Do you have a particular and favored Shark Diving Destination? PS: I always joke with Eli that I am in charge of the Tropical Division of the magazine because I hate the cold! So, any tropical destination that guarantees me sharks is the destination for me. I have made numerous trips to the Bahamas and in particular, Tiger Beach. The Dolphin Dream is a favorite dive operator, the water is warm, the sun is hot, the water is blue, and there are sharks. I have had good luck with getting some really great shots of Tiger Sharks, Great Hammerheads, and Lemon Sharks. The subscribers who join us really add to the enjoyment of each trip because we all share the same goals of fun, friendship, and adventure. Other favorites would include Mexico and in particular, Playa Del Carmen for the notorious Bull Sharks.

Oppose Oil Drilling Off Florida

2010-04-10T09:49:00.001-07:00

OceanFuturesSociety — April 09, 2010 — Jean-Michel Cousteau expresses concern over Floridas possible lifting of a 20-year ban on near-shore oil drilling and urges the Florida legislature to continue to protect beaches and reefs from potential long-term disaster. Acknowledging the attraction of added revenue through drilling, Jean-Michel weighs the risk of accidents and increasing storm intensity and urges protection. To potentially sacrifice popular coastlines seems foolish, he notes.

Dutch Caribbean > Bonaire > Golden Reef Inn Resort

2010-04-09T18:14:00.001-07:00

Mention Scubagirls and get the following deals:

STAY, DIVE & DRIVE SPECIAL WITH FREE GIFT! $549.00 PP – 7 NIGHTS 8 DAYS

STAY AND DRIVE SPECIAL WITH FREE GIFT! $449.00 PP – 7 NIGHTS 8 DAYS • Accommodations in a one bedroom condo apt. • All Room Taxes • Energy Surcharges • Manager's Free Rum Punch Party • Bonaire "Oasis" Goodie Basket in your apartment • FREE Unlimited WIFI access • FREE International Calling • Double Cab Pickup Truck OR Compact Car • Airport Meet and Greet, Transfers • 10% off all Spa Services, 10% discount on photographic services at Fish Eye Photo • 15 Free minutes Internet access at Chat N Browse • Unlimited Shore Diving Package including tanks, air, taxes and 24/7 access to secure gear storage and tanks (INCLUDED WITH STAY/DIVE/DRIVE ONLY) • FREE NITROX UPGRADE

All packages based on double occupancy. Valid for stays as listed above. Thanksgiving Special valid with stay to include 25 November 2010/ Thanksgiving Day. Single Supplement add $275.00. Additional nights available at $99 pp diver/$79 non diver based on double occupancy, $125.00 pp diver/$105 non-diver single occupancy. Daily American Style Breakfast Buffet available at $10.00 pp/day includes taxes. Payment in full due with reservation, Cancellation policy: 25% returned if cancelled 31 days prior to arrival. Non-refundable if cancellation within 30 days of arrival. Cancellation fees can be used toward another stay within 1 year of original reservation date. Vehicle Insurance Extra: $7.95 pp/day includes CDW insurance, airport taxes and surcharges. CDW insurance/taxes/airport surcharge due on arrival. Specials cannot be combined with any other specials or previous reservations. Boat dives also available at $25.00 per single boat dive or $125.00 for 6 single boat dives2.) Name of your dive shop and link to website where product/service can be purchased (if applicable), or address and phone number where Scuba Diver Girls Fans can contact you for the special deal.

Golden Reef Inn is a quaint dive resort started BY DIVERS, FOR DIVERS, Owner Liz Ginocchio, a certified and active diver for almost 30 years is also a certified recompression dive nurse, and volunteers in the new, state of the art chamber on island. GRI is known for their casual, homey atmosphere, personalized service, and attentive staff, along with comfortable and complete accommodations for divers!. All of our units have complete kitchens, cable TV with free premium channels, FREE WIFI, air conditioning, in room safes, large bathrooms, great relaxing porches and your choice of twin, double or king size beds!

Golden Reef Inn Resort on Scuba Diver Girls Directory

Email Golden Reef Inn Resort

SDG's deserve a little R&R

2010-04-09T15:21:00.001-07:00

There is no better fun than taking a little trip with your BFF's! And if you can do that and go diving...that is the BEST! We know that as women we have so much going on in our lives...kids, work, house, food, bills, taxes, etc and how important it is to stop and smell the roses so to speak! I can always tell when I need my girl time because everything and everybody starts getting on my nerves. So ladies...don't feel bad or guilty when you want to say "Adios!" pack your bags and head off into the sunset! You deserve it!!! If you need girlfriends to travel/dive with? Just send us a message and we will try to help you get connected! Dive...and be healthy and happy!

US > California > Los Angeles > Makodivers

2010-04-09T11:35:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 10-15% off class rates. MAKODIVER is a unique and specialized professional diving service, with over 30 years of diving experience. We offer a variety of underwater and diving services. We specialize in training and consulting for Public Safety Dive Teams: Police, Fire, & Lifeguards. MAKODIVER also offers SCUBA classes for the public from beginner though Divemaster. Smaller classes = better divers. We place a strong emphasis on Diver Safety and Education. In addition to dive training, MAKODIVER provides Stand-by & Safety Divers for on-location TV/motion picture productions, and other in-water events and activities. MAKODIVER also provides Search & Recovery services for lost / sunken items - "no job too small". Makodivers on the Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Makodivers

My baby is born...now I want to dive!

2010-04-08T20:38:00.001-07:00

Article by Dive Bunnie Well, you waited your time, stayed on the surface during those months of growing that new life that seems to have totally taken over your world. With even the best intentions, you would be lying if you were not itching to get back under that water and make up for lost time. Of course we don't want to ruin your fun, however to ensure that your return to the aquatic world is indeed fun, it would be wise to take a little time and thought to make a few preparations. OK… some of these suggestions to some of you may seem like a slight case of stating the obvious, but you never know… there maybe that one thing that just slipped your mind. If we are able to make the return to the water more comfortable and safe for even one of you well, that is enough to make this page most worth-while. [caption id="attachment_4118" align="alignnone" width="192" caption="Baby on board tshirt for sale click the shirt!"][/caption] Please bear in mind that I am not a physician, so before doing anything, do ensure that you have the all clear from your doctor. They will know you and your circumstances, better than anyone and will be able to advise you accordingly. Here is an excerpt from the Divers Alert Network web-site with their current advice regarding diving after having given birth: "After a vaginal delivery, women can usually resume light to moderate activity within one to three weeks. Obstetricians generally recommend avoiding sexual intercourse and immersion for 21 days postpartum. This allows the cervix to close, decreasing the risk of introducing infection into the genital tract. A good rule of thumb is to wait four weeks after delivery before returning to diving. After a cesarean delivery wound-healing has to be included in the equation. Most obstetricians advise waiting at least four to six weeks after this kind of delivery before resuming full activity. Given the need to regain some measure of lost conditioning, coupled with wound healing, and the significant weight-bearing load of carrying dive gear, it's advisable to wait at least eight weeks after a C-section before returning to diving. Any moderate or severe medical complication of pregnancy - such as twins, pre-term labor, hypertension or diabetes - may further delay return to diving. For women who have had deliveries with medical complications, a medical screening and clearance are advisable before they return to diving. Additional Information: Caring for a newborn may interfere with a woman's attempts to recover her strength and stamina. Newborn care, characterized by poor sleep and fatigue, is a rigorous and demanding time in life. BREAST-FEEDING Fitness and Diving Issues: From the standpoint of the child, the mother's breast milk is not unduly affected. The nitrogen absorbed into the body tissues is an inert gas and plays no role in body metabolism. Insignificant amounts of this nitrogen would be present in the mother's breast milk; there is, however, no risk of the infant accumulating this nitrogen. From the mother's standpoint, there is no reason for a woman who is breast-feeding her child to avoid diving, provided there is no infection or inflammation of the breast." Before even heading for the water, it would be a good idea to ease back into being active once more. Start gently, try a few stomach excercises (of course not before the madatory break allowing your muscles to settle!) and lunges. This will strengthen your stomach, back and legs, so lifting those tanks won't be quite so much of a strain. Again you should always seek medical advice prior to starting an excercise program, especially after having a baby. It might also be a good idea to wait until your hormones have recovered somewhat from the pregnancy, as this could affect your general metabolism as well as your ability to deal with a stressful situation. Back to the fitness front, why not visit the local pool to restore your swimming stamina? Always good to prepare you for that unexpected surface swim, as well as getting reaquainted with the water. Even the most experienced diver will have realised that a few of her skills will have frayed at the edges a touch, so while you are there, why not book a pool session with a nearby diving club before plunging into the deep blue. It certainly won't do any harm as chances are, it will have been close to a year since your last dive. Like your skills, your equipment would probably also be in need of a service, so why leave anything to chance? The more prepared you are prior to diving, the less stressful your return will be. Finally you are on the boat, you have prepared yourself for this moment and can't wait to jump in. Before you descend, do make the usual buoyancy check, as chances are, your weight and certainly your buoyancy will have changed one way or another. Your body will have undergone huge changes over the past few months, gaining and (hopefully) losing weight, not to mention the hormonal changes that will have occured, so go easy on yourself, even if you had not borne a child, a break of this length of time would definitely require a little extra conservatism. So best not to do that 40m wreck today. Well, I hope that that has covered any elements that could have caused your return to diving to be anything other than a totally wonderful experience. Wishing you a safe and happy return to life underwater.

Earth Choice launches first ad campaign to bring out environmental benefits

2010-04-08T12:56:00.001-07:00

Youtube Video posted by: Mumbrella Natures Organics is launching the first advertising campaign for its 20 year-old cleaning brand Earth Choice. The "Torture" camapaign, created by Clemenger Harvie Edge (CHE) Melbourne, will aim to highlight the environmental benefits of using the brand versus traditional cleaning products. The ad carries the line "Stop torturing our aquatic life" and shows people using what appears to be a live duck, starfish and an octopus to clean their house. Jason Ross, CHE executive creative director, said: "We wanted consumers to consider where their waste water goes after it leaves their home. Showing aquatic animals in the cleaning process being 'tortured' by standard cleaning products dramatised this point." [caption id="attachment_4106" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="SDG Tshirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc many styles WEAR AND BE PROUD!"][/caption]

More about the Earth Choice Product Line

Earth Choice products are designed to assist you in the implementation of an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) cleaning products program. The program provides an overall best value, taking into account price, regulatory requirements, performance, environmental and human health impact. Through partnership with the USEPA Design for the Environment (DfE) - Formulator Initiative, Clean Control Corporation has worked for the past several years to reformulate many of our products with a more positive environmental and human health profile. Our partnership also enables us to help companies implement an EPP cleaning products program.

The USEPA DfE - Formulator Initiative program encourages and assists formulators in designing products with more positive environmental and health profiles than conventional products. DfE provides formulators with information on chemical characteristics and toxicities of raw materials and additives. Through this effort, Clean Control Corporation has been able to provide environmentally preferable products for maintaining attractive and healthful conditions in the home and workplace. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/formpart.htm. Through USEPA Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI), DfE recognizes environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to the use of safer surfactants. Safer surfactants are surfactants that break down quickly to nonpolluting compounds and help protect aquatic life in both fresh and salt water. On November 19, 2008 in Washington, DC, DfE recognized Clean Control Corporation and over thirty other manufacturers and formulators as Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) champions. Champion status indicates we have demonstrated and documented a strategy for ensuring that only safer surfactants are used in our products. For more information, USEPA Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI): http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/sdsi.htm.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

Did you know environmentally preferable purchasing is becoming commonplace in many governmental and institutional organizations? Proper sanitation and cleaning are important for a healthy building environment. Some cleaning products, however, can contain harmful chemicals that contaminate the environment and endanger human health. Implementing "green cleaning" practices can reduce these health, safety and environmental risks. Green cleaning involves selecting alternative products, using those products properly and taking other steps to reduce risks while maintaining a satisfactory level of cleanliness and disinfection. Consider these attributes when deciding which cleaners and degreasers to purchase: safety, price and performance. Select products that maximize beneficial environmental attributes (such as biodegradability, recycled content and energy efficiency) minimize adverse environmental and human health effects (such as cancer-causing materials) as long as they remain consistent with traditional purchasing factors. Remember, environmentally preferable purchasing is a process; not an outcome. Consequently, no product or set of products, including biobased, energy or water efficient or recycled-content products, will be environmentally preferable in every situation. For more information, see the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Website Training Tools located at http://www.epa.gov/epp/ and the Florida Green Lodging Certification Program at http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/recycling/GreenLodging/.

Undercover fish testing finds high mercury levels

2010-04-08T11:32:00.001-07:00

Our recent undercover investigation of grocery store fish counters led by GotMercury.org detected hazardous levels of mercury in almost every sample of swordfish and tuna. In addition to being toxic for humans, swordfish and tuna are caught in ways that kill thousands of endangered sea turtles each year. To read a copy of the Toxic Fish Counter Report please click here All swordfish samples taken from 13 San Francisco Bay Area supermarkets exceeded the U. S. government's mercury limits and one piece of swordfish was double the FDA mercury limit. Tuna also contained alarming amounts of mercury. Protect your family from mercury Women and children are most at risk from high levels of mercury exposure from eating tuna, swordfish and other seafood. Mercury ingestion can lead to memory loss, developmental and learning disorders, vision loss, heart disease and, in extreme cases, can result in death. To respond to the mercury in seafood crisis and to end the destructive fishing methods often used to catch tuna and swordfish, Turtle Island Restoration Network created GotMercury.org. Use the free mercury calculator at www.gotmercury.org to make lower-mercury fish selections. Join GotMercury.org in calling on food safety officials to require posting of mercury warnings wherever fish is sold and to cut by half the current 30-year-old mercury limits to better protect the health of women, children and anyone who eats tuna, swordfish and other seafood. Simple actions you can take today 1) Sign the petition urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to require more consumer protections Click here to sign the petition 2) Sign up at www.gotmercury.org to receive alerts and news 3) Become a Fan of the GotMercury Facebook Page 4) Make a contribution to the GotMercury.org project. Every donation makes a difference!

'60 Minutes' exclusive: Diving with the Sharkman

2010-04-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

Yahoo News Mon Mar 29, 9:40 pm ET

There is no animal that we fear more and understand less than the great white shark. In part because it's so hard to get near to them, studying great whites hasn't been easy. But there is one man who has spent his life getting closer to great whites, more often, than anyone else. His name is Mike Rutzen and in South Africa, where he lives, he's known simply as "The Sharkman." Watch CBS News Videos Online What he has discovered about these predators will surprise you: far from being mindless killing machines, Rutzen believes great whites are smart, curious, and not out to kill humans. And as CNN's Anderson Cooper saw when he went to South Africa, Rutzen is willing to risk his life to prove it. Rutzen and Cooper took a boat ride to look for a great white Rutzen could swim with. That's right, swim with. Before he gets in the water, he needs to find a great white that is both calm and curious, a shark he refers to as a "player." Asked what a "player" is, Rutzen told Cooper, "Well, a player is basically the shark that's so relaxed, has a nice personality, woke up on the right side of the reef, and...the animal's willing to interact with us, it's so curious." Rutzen says great whites have personalities. They may be the top predator in the sea, but they are, he says, not the man-eating killers of our nightmares. "Now how can you tell that's a player?" Cooper asked, looking at a nearby shark. "Look how she's moving. She's checking everything out. Checking how slowly she's gonna do this. See how she looks at everything," Rutzen explained. In Rutzen's mind, this shark was curious and a "player." This shark and several others have been attracted to Rutzen's boat by chum, a mixture of bait and fish blood. It's believed great whites can smell a single drop of blood from a hundred yards away. Now that he's found a player, Rutzen and his cameraman Morne Hardenberg suit up and prepare to do the unthinkable: plunge into bloody water with great white sharks all around. "There's no universities to teach you what these animals' social dynamics are and social behavior is. And the only way to find that out is by getting into the water," Rutzen explained. Immediately, a curious great white comes straight at Rutzen; his only protection, his camera. Rutzen has figured out that great whites don't like the feel of metal. Good visibility is crucial. The sharks are constantly circling, and Rutzen has to continually turn around so they don't sneak up on him. "They are extremely inquisitive creatures. I like to say they're like little kids in a toy store. And you just tell them, 'Don't touch. Observe.' They all touch," he told Cooper, laughing. "Problem is when they get curious, they sometimes bite," Cooper pointed out. "Yes," Rutzen acknowledged. "The animals are not trying to actively kill you. They're trying to outwit you. I mean, there's a difference. And you're trying to outwit them again." "So there's a mental battle going on or a mental game being played between you and the shark?" Cooper asked. "I believe so, yes," Rutzen replied. "That seems like the ultimate test of putting your life on the line," Cooper remarked. "I would like to think that it's the ultimate trust between the animal and myself," he replied. Watch the entire video and read the full story at the "60 Minutes" site.

Great white shark amazes scientists with 4,000-foot dive into abyss

2010-04-06T17:04:00.001-07:00

By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com

Monday, April 5, 2010 10:01am PDT

A great white shark known to frequent New Zealand waters has given new meaning to the term "Down Under." Scientists revealed that the 15-foot shark they've named "Shack" probed to 1,200 meters, or 3,937 feet, as it traveled across open ocean. Malcolm Francis, principal scientist in charge of the tagging study, is calling this "the world's deepest great white shark dive record" and said it extends the predators' known vertical range by about 600 feet--which is substantial given that great whites, until fairly recently, were regarded as coastal predators. If placed into perspective Shack might as well have been swimming upward into outer space: That's how bizarre the marine universe is at the depth to which the shark delved. It passed through the Mesopelagic Zone (600-3,300 feet), also referred to as the "Twilight Zone," and continued well into the Bathypelagic Zone (3,300-13,000 feet), or the "Midnight Zone." This is the realm of alien-like sea jellies and squids. It's also home to monster-like, needle-toothed predatory fishes and eels that utilize bioluminescence for light and have spawned nature TV specials and, subsequently, nightmares. What was Shack doing in the company of viperfish, hatchetfish, dragonfish, sabertooth fish, fangtooth fish and gulper eels? Unfortunately, nobody knows with certainty. Scientists at New Zealand's National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research did not address this in a five-year study that also tracked the country's white sharks migrating to warmer areas during the winter. However, a Southern California-based researcher, who has tracked great whites to about 3,000 feet, believes they're searching for food at deep-water haunts. The chief food source would be various squid species, including the fabled giant squid, whose epic battles with sperm whales are legendary. Michael Domeier, who runs the Marine Science Conservation Institute in Fallbrook, has offered this theory based largely on anecdotal evidence. His study has tracked white sharks from Guadalupe Island off Mexico to a vast, mid-Pacific area between Baja California and Hawaii. A similar tagging effort at the Farallon Islands west of San Francisco has followed white sharks to the same spring-and-early-summer habitat. In this area there is little productivity. However, scientists have seen squid there, and they've encountered sperm whales, which might imply a squid-based ecosystem far below the surface. Domeier's crew also found a giant squid carcass that had been chewed on. Though other scientists do not qualify this as proof, the theory is not far-fetched (there are giant squid off New Zealand, too). And as for possible encounters between great whites and giant squid, that's a TV special the "Shark Week" producers at the Discovery Channel ought to be working on without delay. --Note: Sources for this story include scientists form the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif. --Photos: White shark image courtesy of RTSea Productions. Fangtooth image courtesy of Monterey Bay Research Institute

Companion Flies Free to the Bahamas! Limited Time!

2010-04-06T14:40:00.001-07:00

For a limited time, Sandals Resorts is offering free companion travel to our two resorts in The Bahamas! Guests who book a minimum 4-night stay by May 10th, 2010 will receive Free Companion Airfare from US gateways! This offer is available at Sandals Emerald Bay and Sandals Royal Bahamian only. Additionally, guests staying for seven nights or longer can get up to 1 night free at both locations! Please see details of this offer below. [caption id="attachment_4089" align="aligncenter" width="210" caption="Scuba Diver Girls Bahamas Tshirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, hats and more!"][/caption] Discount Code: CFF10 Booking Window: Now – May 10, 2010 Travel Window: Now – December 22, 2010 Blackout Dates: March 19 – April 10, 2010 Minimum Stay: 4 nights

Sharks in Deep Trouble Wins its SEVENTH AWARD!

2010-04-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Watch this amazing and informative documentary from Shark and Marine Conservationist, Lesley Rochat WHY SHARKS? This question I am often asked and my answer is simple: I never decided on sharks, they decided on me. It goes like this: one day while photographing in the predator exhibit at the Two Oceans Aquarium with my good friend Geoff Spiby, I met a shark named Maxine. I wanted to get some good shots of sharks for an article I was writing on the plight of sharks. There were five sharks in the tank but Maxine stood out for me, she had a scar around her gills. Upon investigating how she got the scar I realised that she had an extraordinary story, one that encapsulates the plight of sharks, and that she could play a pivotal role in shark conservation. From that day on many things changed and happened for both Maxine and me. I would influence Maxine eventually being set free, while I packed up my well paying corporate job and began trying to raise funds to make a film about Maxine's unique story. During the course of another two years I took things much further, I decided that a film about her was not enough, Maxine could do a lot more toward raising awareness about the plight of sharks, she could become the icon for a shark conservation programme I designed that would include scientific research, education and awareness. Over a number of months more I established AfriOceans Conservation Alliance, and developed the Maxine, Science, Education and Awareness Programme, M-Sea for short. After much effort, and many rejections, I finally managed to secure funding for the Programme from the Save Our Seas Foundation. Five years after first meeting Maxine, and after she had spent nine years in captivity, she was released in March 2004. Satellite tagging and releasing a raggedtooth shark was a first for the world - Maxine became famous and I succeeded in raising awareness and changing perceptions about sharks. We have since released another 3 sharks and tagged wild sharks to compare the movements of the animals - go to www.aoca.org.za for more about this exciting project. I have made a 3-part series about my work with Maxine for national television, as well as a one hour documentary, which has yet to be broadcast. Today I don't know if Maxine is still alive, I do hope so. She is a very special animal that was the catalyst that made me change my life, for the better. I know I did the same for her. We had much in common, Maxine and I, we were both going around in circles, she at the aquarium, me on the treadmill of the corporate industry, both not where we belonged. Meeting each other helped us to break free, literally for Maxine when she was returned to the ocean, and symbolically for me as I pursued my passion in marine conservation. Big steps for us both, lots of challenges as we followed our separate paths, Maxine as she returned to travel her migration path along our coast, while I followed a path in conservation, filled with many unknowns. One day I will write that book about two journeys that ran parallel, hers and mine...

US > Connecticut > Capt Saam's SCUBA School

2010-04-05T14:55:00.001-07:00

Dive Charter BoGo Deal: Buy one Get one Half off. ** 10% off any single in-stock item in our shop. ** $20 off and dive class or specialty. Thank you for your interest in Capt. Saam's SCUBA School. We are dedicated to providing safe, quality, enjoyable, and affordable diving education. We are unique in that we are not just a retail dive shop. We are an educational organization first. We can be found teaching for the YMCAs, Continuing Education, and Recreation Departments of various towns in Fairfield, New Haven and Westchester counties. We run special classes for local Fire Department and Police Department SCUBA Teams. We talk on diving and environment topics at public functions and conferences. We can also come to your home and teach private lessons in your pool. We offer NAUI, PADI, and YSCUBA classes on a regular schedule. Our core courses include recreational certifications from Basic SCUBA to Masterdiver and the leadership courses Divemaster, Assistant Instructor and Instructor!. Among the many specialty courses offered you will find Underwater Environment, NITROX, Rescue, Wreck and several more. We offer ASHI Oxygen Administration and American Red Cross Courses in CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard. See a full listing for all of our courses offered by Capt. Saam's SCUBA School. Safety is number one! Our classes never run with more than eight students. One or more qualified assistants are present at every pool and open water session. We have the best student - teacher ratio that can be found. Our teaching assistants are all, at a minimum, trained in Diving Rescue, CPRfpr, First Aid, and Oxygen Administration. The class dive gear is always in top condition and maintained regularly. To support our local diving classes we run our Coast Guard inspected vessel. The Silver Dolphin is a 34' Thompson Trawler, diving charter boat out of the Norwalk Seaport. We visit several sites from shallow lighthouse dives to deep wreck dives. Our dive boat is outfitted with all of the best safety equipment and high tech electronics including radar, sonar, GPS and cell phone. Every trip runs with a US Coast Guard licensed captain and qualified Divemasters for your safety and convenience. Recreational and private charters are available on a regular schedule as well. For those who don't care to complete their open water training in the local waters we offer Florida and Caribbean trips. All of our trips are led by certified Instructors and Divemasters. The prices are extremely competitive. Our extended weekend Floridas trips, Wednesday evening to Sunday, include airfare, hotel and three two tank dive trips with tanks and weight. Our staff is looking forward to diving with you! Capt Saam's Scuba School on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Capt Saam's Scuba School

Stranded ship "time bomb" to Great Barrier Reef

2010-04-05T14:22:00.001-07:00

Article by Reuters Mon Apr 5, 3:56 am ET SYDNEY (Reuters) – A stranded Chinese coal ship leaking oil onto Australia's Great Barrier Reef is an environmental time bomb with the potential to devastate large protected areas of the reef, activists said on Monday. The ship was a "ticking environmental time bomb," Gilly Llewellyn, director of conservation for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Australia, told Reuters. She said this was the third major international incident involving its owners in four years. Australian government officials say the stricken Shen Neng I belongs to the Shenzhen Energy Group, a subsidiary of China's state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, better known by its acronym COSCO. In 2007, COSCO was linked to a major oil spill in San Francisco bay, while last year it was tied to another in Norway, both of which damaged environmentally sensitive areas. "We are seeing a concerning pattern potentially associated with this company," Llewellyn told Reuters. COSCO officials in Australia could not be contacted for comment on Monday. WATCH THE VIDEO The Great Barrier Reef stretches along Australia's northeastern coast and is the only living structure on Earth visible from space. It is the world's largest coral reef and a major tourist draw. As salvagers struggled on Monday to stop the ship breaking up and spilling hundreds of tons of oil and thousands of tons of coal, environmentalists told Reuters tighter controls on shipping were needed to protect the reef as Australia's energy industry expands. SHIP NEEDS HELP Although only a small amount of the 975 tons of fuel oil on board has so far leaked, Australian officials have warned the ship is unable to move off the shoal unaided, as its engine and rudder were damaged. International salvage firm Svitzer has been engaged and has attempted to use tugs to stabilize the vessel, but the head of the government agency overseeing the operation said on Monday the ship was still moving on the reef. The 230-meter (754-ft) ship was carrying 65,000 tons of coal to China when it ran aground on Saturday with 975 tons of heavy fuel oil on board, a type of oil environmentalists say is particularly sticky and damaging to marine organisms. The ship was off-course and traveling at full speed when it hit, Australian officials have said. If it broke up as feared, environmentalists said the effects could be devastating. "We would potentially be looking at an environmental disaster," Llewellyn said." It would be an extremely large spill." Among the animals affected would be protected species of turtles, dugongs, and marine birds, as well as the sensitive corals, she said. Chris Smyth, an ocean campaigner with the Australian Conservation Foundation, said with Australia planning to expand its energy industry, its government needs to consider whether ships should be traveling through the reef at all. "It is going to actually increase shipping traffic substantially and the likelihood of these kinds of incidents occurring in the future," he told Reuters. This is Australia's third such recent disaster, he said, following two last year, another oil spill off the Queensland coast and a major oil well blowout in the Timor Sea. It should be clearer within the next few days what the likely scale of this disaster may be, Smyth said. In a worst case scenario, the spilled oil could reach protected areas on the Australian mainland, he said. On Monday, Queensland state premier Anna Bligh called for tough legal action against the shipowners, saying they could face fines of up to A$1 million ($920,000), with the captain facing a further fine of up to A$220,000. Investigations are underway by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. A spokeswoman for AMSA told Reuters its investigation would be "exploring breaches and possible offences" under Australian law. Some 23 crew who were on board the vessel when it ran aground so far appeared to be safe, she said. Rescue officials have said the ship will require a long and careful salvage operation, expected to take weeks.

Salvage operation could take weeks on Barrier Reef

2010-04-05T14:14:00.001-07:00

Article by: Associated Press Sun Apr 4, 7:26 pm ET BRISBANE, Australia – A salvage team could take weeks to remove a grounded coal-carrying from Australia's Great barrier Reef where it is leaking oil in a pristine marine environment, a state leader said on Monday. The Chinese Shen Neng 1 ran aground late Saturday on Douglas Shoals, a favorite pristine haunt for recreational fishing east of the Great Keppel Island tourist resort. The shoals — off the coast of Queensland state in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park — are in a protected part of the reef where shipping is restricted by environmental law. Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world's largest coral reef, which is off northeast Australia and listed as a World Heritage site. The ship hit the reef at full speed, nine miles (15 kilometers) outside the shipping lane. State Premier Anna Bligh said a salvage team had reached the 755 foot (230 meter) ship on Monday and were attempting to stabilize it. "According to the safety experts who have briefed me, it could take some weeks," Bligh told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "It's in such a delicate part of the reef and the ship is in such a badly damaged state, managing this process will require all the specialist expertise we can bring to bear," she added. She said the ship's owner could be fined up to 1 million Australian dollars ($920,000) for staying from a shipping lane used by 6,000 cargo ships each year. "This is a very delicate part of one of the most precious marine environments on earth and there are safe authorized shipping channels and that's where this ship should have been." Bligh said. Authorities fear the ship will break apart during the salvage operation or spill more of its 1,000 tons (950 metric tons) load of heavy fuel oil. Marine Safety Queensland said in a statement a tug boat was at the site Monday trying to stabilize the ship and a second tug was due to arrive on Monday afternoon. "One of the most worrying aspects is that the ship is still moving on the reef to the action of the seas, which is doing further damage" to the coral and hull, the government agency's general manager Patrick Quirk said. Quirk said the initial damage report was that the main engine room was breached, the main engine damaged and the rudder seriously damaged. Aircraft sprayed chemical dispersants on Sunday in an effort to break up an oil slick that stretched for about 2 miles (3 kilometers) long and 100 yards (meters) wide. A police boat was standing by to remove the 23 crew if the ship broke apart and an evacuation was necessary. The bulk carrier was taking about 72,000 tons (65,000 metric tons) of coal to China and ran aground within hours of leaving the Queensland port of Gladstone. Conservationists have expressed outrage that bulk carriers can travel through the reef without a marine pilot with local expertise. State authorities were seeking information about the effect the coal could have on the reef environment if the ship broke up before its cargo can be salvaged.

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UN's Ban calls Aral Sea 'shocking disaster'

2010-04-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

[caption id="attachment_4055" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="AP – U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, right, looks at the ships cemetery in Muynak near Aral Sea, Uzbekistan"][/caption] NUKUS, Uzbekistan – The drying up of the Aral Sea is one of the planet's most shocking environmental disasters, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday as he urged Central Asian leaders to step up efforts to solve the problem. Once the world's fourth-largest lake, the sea has shrunk by 90 percent since the rivers that feed it were largely diverted in a Soviet project to boost cotton production in the arid region. The shrunken sea has ruined the once-robust fishing economy and left fishing trawlers stranded in sandy wastelands, leaning over as if they dropped from the air. The sea's evaporation has left layers of highly salted sand, which winds can carry as far away as Scandinavia and Japan, and which plague local people with health troubles. Ban toured the sea by helicopter as part of a visit to the five countries of former Soviet Central Asia. His trip included a touchdown in Muynak, Uzbekistan, a town once on the shore where a pier stretches eerily over gray desert and camels stand near the hulks of stranded ships. "On the pier, I wasn't seeing anything, I could see only a graveyard of ships," Ban told reporters after arriving in Nukus, the nearest sizable city and capital of the autonomous Karakalpak region. "It is clearly one of the worst disasters, environmental disasters of the world. I was so shocked," he said. The Aral Sea catastrophe is one of Ban's top concerns on his six-day trip through the region and he is calling on the countries' leaders to set aside rivalries to cooperate on repairing some of the damage. "I urge all the leaders ... to sit down together and try to find the solutions," he said, promising United Nations support. However, cooperation is hampered by disagreements over who has rights to scarce water and how it should be used. In a presentation to Ban before his flyover, Uzbek officials complained that dam projects in Tajikistan will severely reduce the amount of water flowing into Uzbekistan. Impoverished Tajikistan sees the hydroelectric projects as potential key revenue earners. Competition for water could become increasingly heated as global warming and rising populations further reduce the amount of water available per capita. Water problems also could brew further dissatisfaction among civilians already troubled by poverty and repressive governments; some observers fear that could feed growing Islamist sentiment in the region. Ban also is taking on the region's frequently poor human rights conditions. That is likely to be an especially tense issue when he meets Monday with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who has led the country since the 1991 Soviet collapse and imposed severe pressure on opposition and civil rights activists. The meeting comes less than two weeks after the U.N. Human Rights Committee issued a report criticizing Uzbekistan, including calling for fuller investigation of the brutal suppression of a 2005 uprising in the city of Andijan. Opposition and rights groups claim that hundreds were killed, but authorities insist the reports are exaggerated and angrily reject any criticism. Aeris Commander Roller Bag

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SUMMER IS HERE! The Best Swimwear for Your Shape

2010-04-03T21:14:00.001-07:00

By Cosmopolitan.com If the word "bikini" sends fear coursing through your body, then let us talk you down from the ledge: A swimsuit that flatters your shape is the look-sexy secret. These brilliant tips will help you flaunt what you've got.

If you're: Small on Top

Try: Fringes, ruffles, or frills Why: Embellishments will pump up the volume-or at least create that optical illusion.

Try: Triangle tops Why: This foxy style makes your twins the main attraction because even the smallest curves stand out under these tiny tops.

Try: Plenty of padding Why: The extra-thick liner gives your girls oomph. Demi-cup tops are a great choice.

Try: Horizontal lines Why: Sporting some bold stripes will make your set look fuller. If you have: A Bit of a Belly

Try: A belted one piece Why: Cinching your waist creates a foxy hourglass shape that distracts from other, unflattering curves.

Try: A cami top Why: With a tankini, no one will guess you've got a pooch under there. Make sure your top isn't too tight and is long enough to cover your muffin top.

Try: Black color blocks Why: Forget sucking it in. This hue does the work for you.

Try: An empire waist Why: This style draws the eye up from your middle and to the narrowest part of your shape. If you have: A Bigger Booty

Try: Bottoms with rings Why: Sure, rings look cute. But more importantly, they keep your suit from riding up and exposing that extra junk in your trunk.

Try: Boy shorts Why: A few extra inches of fabric will ward off wedgies...but still show off your curves.

Try: A plunging neckline Why: This look will draw attention to your top half and help balance out your figure.

Try: Darker bottoms with a lighter top Why: Dark colors have a slimming effect and minimize the look of your hips. But make sure you avoid tiny prints, even if they're dark.

Try: Low-rise cut Why: You can slim a curvy behind with bottoms that are set lower on the hips. If you're: Busty

Try: A V-neck Why: This style shows just the right amount of cleavage and elongates your figure, minimizing the fullness of your breasts.

Try: A thick-strapped halter Why: A beefy halter flatters and secures your assets. Avoid spaghetti straps or strapless tops because they will accentuate your top-heavy chest in an overwhelming, unflattering way.

Try: A top with an underwire Why: When you're blessed with a big bust, underwire is your BFF. Try to find one that ties in the back to minimize the chance of your top coming undone and your set popping out.

Try: A top with a supportive wide band Why: This strip supports your pair when you're active. Structure and support is crucial for busty girls.

US > Florida > Bonita Springs > Eagle Ray Dive Center

2010-04-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get a 10% discount of anything in our store with the exception of travel. Eagle Ray Dive Center opened in 1997 and is female owned and operated. Eagle Ray Dive Center is a full service dive center offering retail, repair, rental, air fill & Nitrox station in Bonita Springs, Naples, Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach Area in South West Florida. We offer local, Caribbean, and world renowned dive trips. PADI and NAUI certifications are available, as well as many other specialty dive certifications. At Eagle Ray Dive Center, you will find only the finest state of the art dive equipment available on the market today. Eagle Ray Dive Center on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Eagle Ray Dive Center

Get Miley Cyrus to help Sea Turtles!

2010-04-02T16:57:00.001-07:00

Have you heard that the popular #1 Movie The Last Song features loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings? In her new movie, The Last Song, Disney star Miley Cyrus helps with a baby loggerhead sea turtle project, watching them emerge from their nest on the beach in Tybee Island, Georgia. We need your help today to thank Miley Cyrus for highlighting loggerheads and to encourage her to join us in the ongoing fight to save these imperiled sea turtles from extinction. Miley, don't let destructive fisheries be The Last Song for imperiled loggerheads The baby loggerhead sea turtle stars will be forever in the hearts and minds of millions of Miley fans. Now, we are asking Miley and all her fans to be partners with the Sea Turtle Restoration Project in helping loggerhead sea turtles in Georgia and around the globe to survive despite pressures from fisheries, pollution, and impacts to nesting beaches. There are THREE ways you can take action now to help loggerhead sea turtle conservation efforts 1) Sign our petition to Miley Cyrus, encouraging her to take more action to promote the sea turtle conservation efforts of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project! 2) Click here to send a letter to the NMFS Sea Turtle Coordinator in support of uplisting loggerheads from threatened to endangered on the U.S. Endangered Species Act if you have not already signed. 3) Donate to the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, Adopt a Nest, or make a contribution and receive a Sea Turtle charm bracelet or onyx carved turtle. We can reach millions of caring young conservationists if Miley joins our cause, ensuring greater success for our efforts to support the proposal to list U.S. loggerheads as endangered species, designate critical habitat on nesting beaches and ocean migration corridors, and establish strong ocean policies that provide endangered sea turtles the protections they need to recover their population. Sincerely, Chris Pincetich, Ph.D, Campaigner & Marine Biologist Buy your Scuba Diver Girls Sea Turtle Lover T-shirt!

Rent a private submarine

2010-04-02T10:14:00.001-07:00

Posted by FiNS on Feb 6 Breda, The Netherlands, 05 February 2010 – Rent a private submarine A submarine for 3 takes tourists on Aruba to a depth of 100 meter Now, tourists on Aruba can take a genuine submarine to a depth of 100 meter, under the guidance of an experienced pilot. U-Boat Worx B.V., the Dutch manufacturer of exclusive private submersibles, has opened a new submarine center on the Caribbean island. The company meets the need in the tourist branch to explore the underwater world in a safe and comfortable way.

U-Boat Worx at Reef Aruba image by David Pearlman

Peter de Hoop, U-Boat Worx Aruba's managing director, has this to say: "For tourists, this is a wonderful opportunity to discover the underwater world in an exclusive way. You do not need a diving license and our guests can chat with each other, while enjoying a glass of champagne." The price for a ride in the submersible depends on what the customer wants. The dive can be geared completely to one's personal wishes. The submarine builder from Breda, The Netherlands, expects that the Aruba operation will open the eyes of many businessmen, wanting to apply this idea elsewhere in the world. "The business on Aruba was set up to break open the luxury tourist submarine market. By catering to tourism ourselves, we are showing third parties, such as luxury resorts, hotels and cruise companies, what the opportunities are", says Bert Houtman, founder of U-Boat Worx BV. Taking a trip in a submersible has many advantages over regular deep-sea diving. The guests are in a dry, 1 atmosphere environment. This means that, no matter how deep you go, there are no changes in air pressure. In this way, possible medical disorders resulting from decompression sickness, that can be caused by SCUBA diving, are eliminated.

U-Boat Worx at Renaissance-planes image by David Pearlman

The electrically powered submersible for 3 people is equipped with Lithium-Ion batteries for long sailing times. The Carbon Dioxide (CO2) produced by the passengers in the pressure vessel is removed by so-called scrubbers, and the oxygen used is also added automatically. The C-Quester-3, as this submersible is called, can stay underwater for over 96 hours, in case of emergency. There are numerous accessories, such as a safety buoy, a lead weight that can be dropped off, underwater communication, an air-conditioning system, a depth sounder, sonar and optionally video and tracking systems. Safety is guaranteed by a separate classification by Germanischer Lloyd.

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California surfer receives whale of an escort during marathon paddle

2010-04-01T20:16:00.001-07:00

By: Pete Thomas, GrindTV.com

When Southern California surfer Jodie Nelson set out Sunday to standup-paddle nearly 40 miles from Santa Catalina Island to Dana Point, she hoped it'd inspire her best friend, who has been involved in a long and exhausting struggle with breast cancer, to keep fighting. Nelson, 34, whose mother and aunt are cancer survivors, also hoped her nine-hour test of endurance would raise money for two cancer charities and heighten awareness about a plight affecting millions of women. What Nelson could not have known was that a 30-foot minke whale would swim alongside her 14-foot board and accompany the surfer as she stood and paddled for two of those nine hours, thus joining the cause. "It was a day that all of us involved will never forget," Nelson said, in reference to Angela Robinson, her best friend, and the rest of a crew aboard an escort boat. Minke whales are not commonly seen off Southern California, and those spotted by boaters are often elusive. So when a mammal Nelson named Larry joined her endeavor to become the first woman to make this long paddle, she took it as a sign. "To me it was a total God thing," the San Clemente resident said. "We prayed at 4 that morning that God would reveal his beauty and creation and nature, and allow me to endure this long trek, so for me it's not such a huge surprise that this happened." Larry did not merely swim close to Nelson. He rolled around repeatedly alongside her and blew bubbles beneath her board. A film crew was on the escort boat and CNN, Fox News and ABC are just some of the networks she says are interested in the story and footage. Alisa Schulman-Janiger, an American Cetacean Society whale researcher, said minke whales can be friendly but added: "This type of quality encounter is highly unusual." Nelson raised only about $6,000 in advance of the paddle, disappoingtingly short of her target of $100,000 for the Keep a Breast Foundation and Boarding for Breast Cancer. A few of her celebrity friends let her down, she said, but when this story reaches a national audience she expects the pool to grow considerably. "I thought, 'I don't need so-and-so,' " she said of a particular celebrity, whom she declined to name. "Because I honestly feel like Larry is going to help us reach the $100,000 mark with our fundraising effort." Larry or no Larry, completing a standup paddle over 39.8 miles of ocean and sharks speaks volumes about Nelson's strength, stamina and determination. Larry took her mind off the task for two magical hours, but her mind never strayed from the cause. "I can't even begin to compare what I did to what cancer patients are going through," she said. "But I wanted to put myself out there in a dangerous and scary, overwhelming situation; something that was big and just to show people that you can win that battle with that big, scary thing called cancer. "I wanted to draw some kind of parallel and just encourage people to keep fighting." Those wanting to help Jodie with her mission can do so via her page on the Keep a Breast Foundation website.

US > Florida > Key Largo > ScubaDuo Adventures

2010-04-01T16:51:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get 5% off a single person booking and 10% off per person for those booking with two or more Stacey and Kevin, combine scuba instruction, eco-education and, amazing dive travel adventures. They will help you achieve your dreams of experiencing the world's magnificent oceans and the endless marine life they have to offer.

Over 30 years of experience between us.
PADI IDC Staff Instructors.
We both have taught courses ranging from
Open Water Diver through Assistant
Instructor.
Teach over 20 PADI Specialties between us
Both are IANTD/Trimix certified divers
HSA (Handicapped Scuba Association) Instructors
EFR (CPR and First Aid) Instuctors and Instructor Trainer
Traveled extensively throughout the world having lived and taught in
Thailand, Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Mexico and Florida Keys
Accomplished underwater photographers.
Members of R.E.E.F (Reef Environmental Education Foundation)

South Pacific > Fiji > Sea Fiji Travel

2010-04-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Use offer code SDG2010 or mention that you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan on first contact and get $100 off your Fiji dive trip. *Some restrictions apply. e are Fiji experts, providing a free service to our clients from making arrangements for air transportation, ground transfers, and accommodations, to scuba diving, surfing, weddings, and more. Each itinerary is custom built for you, matching your needs and desires with one or more of the many Fiji diving operations, liveaboards or resorts in Fiji. Apart from recreational dive vacations for individuals and small groups, many travel agencies, dive and travel clubs, universities, and other larger groups have utilized us to organize a wide variety of both scuba diving and other special interest travel in Fiji since 1990. Sea Fiji Travel on the Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Sea Fiji Travel

Scuba Diver Girls Save a Horn Shark Part II: Disable the Trap

2010-04-01T15:11:00.001-07:00

The girls talk to the lobster fishing companies and found out that since the trap was a ghost trap in the reserve that they would not be able to get it and they told us to retrieve it! So we went out with the intent to get it out of the cove. Since conditions were so bad that day, we could not get it out through the beach so we decided to disable the trap and go back another day to get it.

Online Gear > UK > Sport Spex

2010-04-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

Use Coupon Code: WK214317SH to get 10% off! Sport Spex is a small family run business situated near Northampton in the UK. The idea for the company was originally developed by Rachel Roberts, a keen skier, swimmer, golfer and mother! Rachel, now taking a back seat because of the birth of her second child, is handing over the reins of the business to Taylor Rutter. Taylor is a keen swimmer and snowboarder and likes nothing more to be on the slopes. As well as these interests, he is also experienced in the skateboarding and, BMX cycle leisure industry. Sport Spex offers sports eyewear including swimming goggles, ski goggles, sports sunglasses, and prescription and non prescription scuba masks and we are rapidly expanding our kids range of eyewear, swimming and ski apparel and accessories. Taylor's involvement will also lead to us offering snowboards and related products. All Sport Spex eyewear products have been hand picked by us with a commitment to offering top quality eyewear. Safety of the eyes during sport is essential but, of course, so is style! Sport Spex offers brands which combine the two as well as performance enhancing tints to give you that edge over your competitors. You can rest assured that all eyewear products offered by Sport Spex offer 100% UV protection (where applicable) and conform to European safety standards. Whether you are an elite or casual sports person it is worth investing some time and thought into your choice of eyewear. And choice there is! If you are unsure about exactly what you need check out our Tint Advice page or you can contact us for free expert advice! You can view the products on our website with prices displayed either in Pounds Sterling, US Dollars or Euros. Simply click your preferred currency on the side navigation bar. Sport Spex offers competitive delivery charges to the US, Europe and the rest of the world. Sport Spex on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Sport Spex

US > Massachusetts > Andy's Sport Shop

2010-03-31T17:46:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get $25.00 off any NAUI Basic Open Water Certification or any NAUI Advanced Open Water. Andy's Sport Shop is a girl owned and operated business that has been fitting local residents with their favorite sports gear for over 70 years. Located in the same exotic location, we specialize in the sports of scuba diving, downhill skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. We have over 25 years of experience in scuba diving industry and in scuba diving instruction. Whether you are diving Plum Cove or the Andrea Doria, we have all the gear and services to fill all of your scuba diving needs! We have over 30 years of experience in the winter sports industry. We have all the gear to fit your active winter needs! Whether you are going out for your first day on the slopes or you remember skiing at Benjamin Hill we will be able to take care of all of your winter needs. Make it a point to come visit us soon. With the best prices, equipment, repair and instruction around you will be happy that you visited us at Andy's Sport Shop! Andy's Scuba Shop on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Andy's Scuba Shop

Puerto Rico > Culebra > Aquatic Adventures

2010-03-31T16:51:00.001-07:00

Mention you are a Scuba Diver Girls Fan and get $10 off any two tank dive trip! Aquatic Adventures offers Snorkeling Excursions, Diving Excursions, SCUBA review, PADI Open Water Dive, Dive Specialties, Sunset Cruises, Aquatic Tours, Beach Barbeques and lots of fun around the beautiful Island of Culebra, Puerto Rico, one of the Caribbean's Spanish Virgin Islands. Aquative Adventures is Culebra's premier Dive and water tour company operated by Captain Taz Hamrick. Captain Taz has over 20 years of diving experience, is a PADI Master Instructor and is a US-Coast Guard certified Captain. Taz is committed to your safety and to you enjoying your Aquatic Adventure! Culebra's Caribbean waters are awesome. They are a treasure to be explored, enjoyed, and cherished. Aquatic Adventures will be your ultimate Culebra experience. Aquatic Adventures on Scuba Diver Girls Directory Email Aquatic Adventures

Sea Creature Surfaces, Chaos Ensues

2010-03-31T16:30:00.001-07:00

by Mike Krumboltz, The Buzz Log Think sharks are scary? They're downright cuddly compared to the Bathynomus giganteus, a very terrifying (and very real) sea creature that recently surfaced from the deep. See Flickr photos of the creature. (Warning: May give you nightmares.) So, what the heck is it? According to an article from Fox News, the Bathynomus giganteus (henceforth known as "Bart") is a type of giant isopod, "a large crustacean that dwells in deep Atlantic and Pacific waters." It passes the time by feeding on "dead whales, fish, and squid." Ol' Bart attached itself to a submarine that was exploring the ocean floor. When the sub surfaced, people got an unexpected look at the slithery stowaway. The creature is a pinkish in color, two and a half feet long, and wouldn't be out of place in an Ed Wood movie (no offense, Bart). The story was originally posted on Reddit by a guy who works for the submarine company. It quickly went viral from there. Once news of the creature's existence hit, Web searches immediately soared. Online lookups for "sea creature found," "giant isopod," and (our personal favorite) "terrifying sea creature" all roared. It's worth noting that the existence of the Bathynomus giganteus isn't, in and of itself, a surprise. Scientists have long been aware of them. The shock came from seeing one up close in all its cockroach-like glory. Can't. Look. Away.

The Best Hair Care for Divers! Subseries Products

2010-03-29T17:23:00.001-07:00

Hey girls...how many of you come out from a dive with a BIG huge dreadlock in your hair from the salt water? Well I do! Since I spend so much time in the ocean, my hair really takes a beating. Well, I figured I had two choices, cut it all off and go with short hair (not an option), or live with dry, brittle, damaged hair! Honestly I thought that was my only option...until Suzanne from Subseries sent me her products to try out! I will tell you, I wasn't optimistic. I had heard that hair products don't really help your hair so I have never been one to spend a lot for all the bells and whistles...you know the lines, "sleek and shiny" "long and thick" "healthy and beautiful". I received the package and immediately put the protectant, clarifying shampoo and reconstructor into my dive bag. Before I got into my wetsuit, I sprayed my hair with the protectant. It comes in a nice spray bottle and the mist is fine and easy to apply. Then I braided my hair as always and slipped into my suit and hood. When I came out of my dive before the next dive, I applied some recontructor and went to the shower so I could comb through my typical mess. Then I rebraided my hair, reapplied the protectant, and went diving again. So far everything is as it always is with any product I ever used...except the fact that these product SMELL WONDERFUL! After I was all done diving, I shampooed and used the reconstructor again. Still everything seemed pretty much as with any other products I had ever used...but it was the next morning that I noticed an immediate difference. My hair was much less brittle and seemed more full and healthy! Now, it takes a lot to convince me even though I saw it with my own eyes, so I brought the products back down to the dive site the next day and told the other girls to use it. I told them how great I thought it was and so they were eager! After washing their hair at the end of the dives they all said, "well it sure smells nice, but what is so great about it Margo?" I told them to humor me and wait until tomorrow and let me know what they think. Sure enough the next day the girls arrived raving about these products and asking about getting a case to split. Every day now they have all been using the products and our hair has been improving! This line of products gets 5 stars from the Scuba Diver Girls! Any woman who spends her time in the salt water and sun should consider getting some. It is not an expensive line by any means, more of a moderate price and the results are STELLAR!