USS Oriskany scuba diving review ‘You can float around it like you are a bird’ May 27, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : WreckDiving , 2comments
Following the sinking of the USS Oriskany to create the world’s largest artificial reef, and the excellent photos of the wreck by the first divers able to scuba dive the wreck, there are now reports coming out about just good a dive it is.
In an article at Pensacola News Journal.com, Polyana da Costa interviewed some of the divers who have been lucky enough to dive the USS Oriskany.
(more…)
Diving ban proposed in South Africa to help curb perlemoen poaching May 26, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Conservation, Travel , add a commentTHE Eastern Cape legislature has called for an interim ban on all scuba diving to help authorities curb perlemoen poaching, which has reached “preposterous proportions”.
Reaction to the call has been mixed, as diving companies have questioned whether the ban would work and how effective it would be. From an article in The Herald Online
In a notice of motion unanimously passed by all the political parties in the Bhisho legislature on Tuesday, DA provincial leader Athol Trollip said “scarce, ecologically sensitive marine reserves that are a natural heritage to this province‘s coastline are being irrevocably destroyed in complete contempt of all existing legislation and policing initiatives”.
Japanese Researchers trying to save coral with ceramic plates May 26, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Conservation , add a commentI recently spoke about a successful idea which was being implemented to rejuvenate coral using concrete blocks as a base for corals to grow.
I saw this article on kansas.com which tells how Japanese researchers are using ceramic plates to provide a safe haven for fertilised coral eggs. This is all taking place on the 105 square mile coral reef, which lies between Ishigakijima and Iriomotejima islands.
(more…)
Stop exaggerating the Sipadan incident, says Deputy Chief Minister May 25, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Conservation, Travel , 2commentsUnderwater Times have copied an article from bernama.com (Don’t you just hate it when there is no link to the source) regarding the recent incident at Sipadan when a construction company used a large barge to transport building materials to the island rather then a smaller ‘kompit’ boat originally granted in their application.
There was an uproar and many news organisations and websites condemning the whole thing talking about the destruction of the reef and the Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat has finally asked the media to stop exaggerating.
(more…)
Researchers present video of volcano erupting 550 mtrs underwater May 25, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Trivia , 1 comment so far
I often have a look through Underwater Times for some interesting stuff and found an article today, regarding a team of scientists who have been watching volcanoes erupting at the bottom of the ocean, 550 metres deep, near the Mariana Islands northwest of Guam.
The researchers have now observed eruptive activity at the site during three separate visits over a period of more than two years, suggesting that these types of deep-sea volcanoes erupt chronically for longer periods than other undersea volcanoes located on the mid-ocean ridge. The eruptive activity they just observed at a volcano dubbed Northwest Rota-1 was explosive, but provided some of the closest observations ever of a volcano, thanks to the help of an underwater robot.
(more…)
Malaysian dive operators issue statement on Sipadan reef disaster May 24, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : Conservation, Travel , add a comment
I know there has been plenty of news and articles written on various sites regarding the incident on Sipadan, regarding a construction barge which had apparently destroyed some reef there. Willy Volk at Divester has been covering the story in great detail. Well, it seems that the diving operators have issued a statement which supports the authorities in their attempt to build some kind of infrastructure on the island. This will undoubtedly annoy some of the scuba divers who have been saying that there is no need for any building work to be undertaken on the island, but here is a statement via finsonline.com
