Pelago Adventura dive company and lodge for sale in Mozambique

Urgent sale of an established lodge property and scuba dive company in Mozambique.

All the dive equipment, boats, quad bike, a Dhow, a piece of land and the rights to Pelago as well as full ownership is included in the sale.

The website is also included in the sale: www.pelago-mozambique.com

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to snitch it up.

Any interested parties can contact Jonathan Symmonds at nojule@hotmail.com

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Pelago Adventura dive company and lodge for sale in Mozambique

The Permit Battle... Continued

http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3590601

Divers get legal opinion

Rule on scuba permits 'is beyond powers of MCM'
December 13, 2006 Edition 2

Melanie Gosling

Legal opinion obtained by Cape Town scuba divers is that the
government is acting beyond its powers in compelling them to buy
permits before they may dive in marine protected areas, which cover
the entire coastline of the Peninsula.

The R75 permits come into force on January 1 and will be valid for a
year. Monthly permits cost R45.

The legal opinion is that the Department of Environment's Marine
Living Resources Act does not allow the government to make rules to
control recreational uses of the sea that do not entail the
consumption of marine resources. Examples are swimming, surfing and
scuba diving.

Scuba divers were advised they could get the new permit legislation
overturned, but that this would require high court action that could
take three years and cost R500 000.

Monty Guest, chairman of the False Bay Underwater Club, said repeated
requests, made over three years by diving businesses, clubs, divers
and tourism organisations, not to introduce the permit system had been
ignored.

"MCM has just gone ahead with this hugely flawed system. We've lodged
a complaint with the Public Protector.

"Fishermen kill sharks in marine protected areas and nothing happens
to them, but we cannot even swim underwater to watch marine life
without buying a permit.

"There are sewerage outfalls pumping effluent into the marine
protected area and nothing is done ... but scuba divers must have
permits.

"I believe they're doing it to collect money, because everyone knows
MCM is bankrupt, and to control poaching. But poachers by definition
operate outside the law, so they're not going to get dive permits. But
even if they did, how would that stop them poaching?"

Alan Boyd, of MCM, agreed that the act did not permit MCM to
promulgate legislation controlling non-consumptive recreational use of
protected areas, but said MCM might do so if the activity was causing
damage.

He conceded there was no evidence that scuba divers damaged the
Peninsula's kelp forests. He said permits were necessary to enable MCM
to "manage" the scuba diving industry, and was not an attempt to
control poaching.

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The Permit Battle... Continued

Liquid Edge Diving - A new independent technical training choice in Johannesburg

Liquid Edge Diving (LED) (http://www.tekdiver.co.za) has opened shop in Northcliff, providing an independent, alternative choice to technical training in Gauteng.

LED is run by Gerhard du Preez (formerly of IANTD South Africa) and offers the full range of IANTD Courses, both sport, lite technical and full technical.

This is a bubble friendly school that focuses on entry level, open circuit technical diving well as the more advanced technical courses (Trimix and cave) and re-breathers.

Equipment and courses are competitively priced and structured to accommodate busy lifestyles without compromising the quality of training.

Gerhard is an avid deep cave diver whose passion is exploring and passing on his knowledge, creating new explorers.

Services include mixed gases and boosting (a booster enables LED to give you a 200bar fill as well as pure Trimix fills).

Gerhard can be contacted on gerhard@tekdiver.co.za or 0794935384.

Source: http://www.tekdiver.co.za

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Liquid Edge Diving - A new independent technical training choice in Johannesburg

Where in the world am I?

The AfriOceans Conservation Alliance is hosting a competition which ends on the 15th of July 2006. They released Dee the Raggie in March and you get to guess where her satellite transmitter will surface around the 15th of July.

Before being released, Dee the Raggie was an aquarium inhabitant. If you can guess where her transmitter will surface, you stand in line for winning one of three great prizes. Get more details at:

Where in the world am I?

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Where in the world am I?

Hundreds of Dolphins dead

Hundreds of dolphins washed up on the shores of Zanzibar at the beginning of May. Scientists are still baffled but suspect it may have something to do with the very low tide, red algae poisoning or Sonar Bursts originating from US Navy patrols. For more info visit national geographic Hundreds of Dolphins dead

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Hundreds of Dolphins dead

DAN Awards Equipment to Rescue Organizations

DAN has awarded an oxygen unit and an automated external defibrillator (AED) unit through its Oxygen Grant Program and AED Matching Grant Program, respectively.

Texas EquuSearch (TES), a nonprofit volunteer organization that specializes in search, rescue and recovery in the United States and around the world, recently received a Dual Rescue Pak Extended Care valued at $669. And Winston-Salem Rescue Squad Inc. of North Carolina received a DAN FR2+ AED Kit. The equipment is valued at $2750. The Winston-Salem Rescue Squad will use the AED kit on its dive vehicle.

Based in Dickinson, Texas, TES, is the dive organization that supplied divers in Aruba during a recent search for a missing American woman. It is a nonprofit organization composed of volunteers trained in various rescue and life saving skills such as CPR, advanced lifesaving skills and field craft. Members include business owners, medics, firefighters, housewives, electricians and students.

The Winston-Salem Rescue Squad offers a variety of technical rescue services, which include vehicle extrication, high-level/low level rescue, water rescue, dive rescue and recovery, confined space/trench rescue, building collapse and land searches. Most members are certified as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and many are certified Emergency Rescue Technician (ERT) levels. The squad was one of the first rescue units certified at the N.C. Department of Insurance standard for heavy rescue.

In a dive emergency in which a diver is suffering from decompression sickness or an arterial gas embolism, the primary first aid treatment to offer is oxygen first aid. Through the Oxygen Grant Program, DAN provides emergency oxygen units to deserving departments and organizations. Oxygen grant requests are decided case by case. Training in the use of the equipment by attending a DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course is a mandatory requirement to being considered for the grant.

Through its AED Grant Program, DAN recognizes the life-saving potential of AEDs; accordingly, the AED Matching Grant program assists individuals, businesses or organizations in the United States. Grant recipients must have a connection to diving or aquatics and demonstrate a genuine need of AED technology in the course of their normal operations.

Source: www.diversalertnetwork.org

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DAN Awards Equipment to Rescue Organizations

DAN Insurance - Update

Here are a few related articles on the latest from DAN

DAN America Insurance Dumped at 10 Popular Dive Destinations; Cozumel, Belize, Bahamas, Galapagos...
In a news release dated March 9, 2006, hyperbaric chamber operators from some of the world's most popular dive destinations have announced they will no longer accept DAN America insurance. The destinations include The Bahamas, Baja California, Belize, Cancun, Cozumel, Galapagos, Phuket (Thailand), Playa del Carmen, Samui (Thailand), and the Yucatan (Mexico).
Source: www.underwatertimes.com

SSS announce Chambers not accepting DAN America insurance
SSS (Sub-aquatic Safety Services) Chambers continue their lawsuit against DAN America by issuing a statement on which chambers are not accepting DAN America Insurance.
Source: www.deeperblue.net

Important Public Statement from Divers Alert Network
DAN responds to latest unfortunate email blast sent to the dive industry.
Source: www.divenewswire.com

DAN Addresses SSS Insurance Issue - official release
DAN ensures that all members with dive accident insurance are covered for recompression.
Source: www.diversalertnetwork.org

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DAN Insurance - Update

SCUBA Theory: Snorkels aren't evil

I really enjoyed this post by Will O'Brien on Divester. Divester is beginning a new series on SCUBA diving theory starting with this fantastic article. There are some good reader comments posted on this page as well.

Quoted from Divester: We're beginning a series on SCUBA diving theory. Not only will we explore techniques and best practices in safety, we'll talk about the reasons behind them. Bad puns will abound as we dive into everything from using and maintaining your gear to compartmental decompression theory. Today, snorkels: they aren't evil.

Do you carry a snorkel on your dives?
I've met several divers lately who leave the snorkel at home when they go SCUBA diving. The snorkel has become percieved as dead weight that tugs at the mask strap. Today I'll talk about the importance of strapping that tube to your head.

Snorkels are annoying
They add extra drag to your head. They poke you in the chin. You forgot the one that isn't pink...
Yup, they're just obnoxious, until you need them.

I'm diving, not snorkeling
According to reports by DAN(The Divers Alert Network), the majority of diving deaths at the surface in 2005 were due to exhaustion. In one case a diver drowned at the surface after he dropped his regulator because his tank was empty at the beginning of his dive.

That boy's head is like Sputnik
In full diving kit, keeping your head above water is very exhausting. The human head averages about 12 pounds. That's a big weight to keep out of the water. Oh, and don't forget that the top of the tank and your regulator are poking out of the water. Lets make that 20 to 25 pounds of dead weight. Inflating your BC will offset the weight of your noggin, but todays BCs are not designed to keep the divers head out of water.

Please sir, make them smaller
It's not entirely the diver's fault that snorkels are being left behind. It has become difficult to find a simple, streamlined snorkel in a dive shop. Purge valves certainly make clearing a snorkel very easy. Unfortunately adding a purge valve makes the snorkel bigger and heavier, resulting in more drag on the divers head. My favorite, trusty, valve free SCUBAPRO snorkel isn't even made anymore. Purge valves are simple devices, but they can fail. A piece of sand in the right place can turn that spiffy valve into a water inlet. Aside from children's gear, my local dive shop doesn't even carry a snorkel without a purge valve.

You're still not convinced?
For the local Advanced Open Water course, we have a skill designed to prove the importance of the snorkel. In full gear, the divers swim laps around the pool with everything but a snorkel. In a class filled with 20 year olds in good physical condition, most hit exhaustion between 5 and 8 laps or 250 to 400 yards! After a break, we give them back their snorkel. Once their heads is comfortably in the water, previously exhausted students easily swim the same distance and more with very little energy use. This skill is designed to produce exhaustion, DO NOT try it without an instructor to keep you safe.

Failure is not an option
Have you really considered what happens if you experience an equipment failure at the surface? An aborted dive can easily result in surfacing away from the dive boat. BC failure, broken fin straps, an un-recoverable free flowing regulator all become more serious problems if you left your snorkel in your bag. Even in an out of air situation, most people take their regulators back once they get you to the surface.

Gearing up?
Every year, several diving deaths occur at the water surface. The majority of these deaths are due to exhaustion. Snorkels may be a drag, but carrying your head out of the water is even worse. Swimming at the surface in full gear without a snorkel will quickly exhaust even the most physically fit diver. The snorkel is sort of a secret seat belt for divers at the surface.

Me? I carry my snorkel on every dive.
I'll even take the pink one.

Source: www.divester.com

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SCUBA Theory: Snorkels aren't evil

"Shark Parks?" Oceans said in need of protection

With tracts of the ocean as little known as Mars, discoveries of a stunning richness of life in the depths are spurring calls for more protection from trawlers, oil drillers and prospectors.

Only about 0.5 percent of the oceans are in protected areas, compared to about 12 percent of the earth's land surface set aside in parks for creatures ranging from lions in South Africa to polar bears in Alaska.

A United Nations meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Brazil from March 20-31 will review calls to extend protected areas into the high seas to help safeguard marine life ranging from seaweeds to sharks and from starfish to corals.

Scientists say the issue is pressing because life is being found in parts of the ocean long thought barren -- in the sediments of abyssal plains on the ocean floor, around subsea mountains, deep sea corals or hydrothermal vents.

"Great attention gets paid to rainforests because of the diversity of life there," said U.S. oceanographer Sylvia Earle, an executive director of Conservation International. "Diversity in the oceans is even greater."

"We should have at least as much of the oceans protected as of the land," she said. Most existing protected sea areas are close to coasts, such as around Australia's Great Barrier reef, Ecuador's Galapagos Islands or in the Mediterranean.

"We need better international cooperation and marine protected areas are one way forward," said Kristina Maria Gjerde, an expert at the Geneva-based World Conservation Union which groups governments and environmental groups.

CATCHING SQUIRRELS WITH A BULLDOZER
"Key areas for protection are deep sea coral reefs and seamounts which are being strip-mined by bottom trawl fishing," said Simon Cripps, director of the Global Marine Programme at the WWF environmental group.

Fishing fleets are trawling ever deeper international waters in search of new commercial species, like the orange roughly, as traditional stocks, such as cod or tuna, dwindle due to over-exploitation.

Unregulated fishing is by far the biggest threat to marine biodiversity because trawlers dragging nets over deep corals, for instance, may be destroying nurseries for fish.

Earle said deep-sea trawling was like trying to catch squirrels in a forest with a bulldozer.

New technologies are also opening up the ocean depths: Exxon Mobil Corp. says it can drill for oil in waters approaching 3,000 meters (9,840 ft) deep. Deep water sponges have uses in fiber optics and heat-loving bacteria from thermal vents have promise in helping produce ethanol fuel.

Yet much of the ocean remains as mysterious as Mars.

"We still can't begin to say what's down there," said Ron O'Dor, chief scientist of the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year $1 billion international effort to map life in the seas.

"We've only explored an area the size of 10 football fields of the abyssal plains," he said, referring to the flat sediments on the seabed covering 60 percent of the planet's surface at an average depth of 4 km (2.5 miles).

One recent expedition off Angola turned up more than 400 new species in abyssal sediments, mostly tiny single-cell organisms.

And only 250 of about 15,000 seamounts, rising from the plains but not tall enough to become islands, have been sampled.

Scientists went to the Arctic last year to explore two seamounts marked on charts. "We discovered they weren't even there," O'Dor said. "How much do we know about seamounts? Obviously not enough."

And scientists were stunned in 1977 by the discovery of deep sea hydrothermal vents, leaking acidic water heated by subsea magma and sustaining heat-loving bacteria, tube worms and crabs. Many more such vents have been found since.

Many experts say implementation of existing laws, drafted before the deep-sea marine finds of recent decades, is insufficient to protect the high seas -- the area beyond the 200 nautical mile territorial waters.

HIGH SEAS
Yet many countries fear restrictions and experts say the Brazil talks are unlikely to resolve the tangle -- many nations say the U.N. Law of the Sea is the proper forum while the Convention on Biological Diversity should just advise.

One huge headache would be how to enforce any marine protected areas.

"A simple approach of blue-helmeted U.N. police on the high seas is never going to happen," WWF's Cripps said, adding it would be unworkable despite satellite surveillance.

Still, the very existence of a protected area on a map would allow the world to "identify and vilify" violators, he said.

Some parts of the high seas have some forms of protection.

The Indian Ocean has been a no-go area for whaling since 1979 and the Southern Ocean was added in 1994. Wrecks like the Titanic can be protected under rules on cultural heritage.

And since 2002, a U.N. convention has begun restricting trade in endangered species of commercial fish -- the great white shark, the humphead wrasse, basking sharks, whale sharks and seahorses.

Source: today.reuters.co.uk

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"Shark Parks?" Oceans said in need of protection

No serious coral reef damage after tsunami

Most Indian Ocean coral reefs which were hit by the December 2004 tsunami escaped serious damage, but their full recovery could be hampered by humans, the World Conservation Union warned on Wednesday.

A small number of damaged reefs may take two decades or more to bounce back, while some individual reefs may never recover at all, said the union and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network in a joint report.

But most of the ocean's remaining tsunami-affected coral reefs could recover within five to ten years, provided the damage from human activities can be reduced, the report said.

"These human activities include over-fishing, deforestation and climate change," said Clive Wilkinson, an expert from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and one of the editors of the report.

The tsunami disaster, triggered by a 9.3-magnitude earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, killed about 220 000 people in 11 Indian Ocean countries.

It also wreaked enormous economic damage.

However, the report said, the physical impact on coral reefs in the Indian Ocean was patchy, depending on factors including the distance of the country from the source of the tsunami and existing condition of the reef.

Most of the damage to coral reefs resulted from backwash of debris and sediment from land, including from waste disposal sites, it said.

The report raised concerns about potential damage caused by efforts to revive the economies of tsunami-affected areas near coral reefs, particularly fishing communities.

In the aftermath of the disaster, the focus was on potential tsunami damage to coral reefs and the associated livelihoods for millions of people who lived and work near them, but unsustainable reconstruction efforts are now moving into the spotlight, the report said.

It pointed in particular to fears that replacement boats, motors and general fishing equipment often use different technology, often leading to inappropriate use and increased fishing, to the possible detriment of the reefs.

Source: www.iol.co.za

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No serious coral reef damage after tsunami

Climate change - Our oceans and reefs are in danger

Global warming, CO2 emissions, pollution and climate change - call it what you will, our planet is suffering. Here are a few articles I found ralating to these issues.

CO2 emissions damaging seabeds
Carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere are harming the world's seabeds, stunting the growth of coral reefs because of rising acidity levels in the water, according to a study due out in Norway this week.
Source: cooltech.iafrica.com

Coral bleachings haunt the world's reefs
When marine scientist Ray Berkelmans went diving at Australia's Great Barrier Reef earlier this year, what he discovered shocked him - a graveyard of coral stretching as far as he could see.
Source: today.reuters.co.uk/news

Coral reefs stunted by too much pollution
Carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere are harming the world's seabeds, stunting the growth of coral reefs because of rising acidity levels in the water, according to a study due out in Norway this week.
Source: www.iol.co.za

Tower of London on climate list
UN experts are meeting to determine the risks which climate change poses to some of the world's special places. The UN's cultural and scientific wing Unesco says climate change threatens World Heritage Sites such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Tower of London.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Indian Ocean coral may die in 50 years - researcher
Rising sea temperatures caused by global warming could kill off the Indian Ocean's coral reefs in the next 50 years, threatening vital marine life, a marine researcher said on Wednesday.
Source: today.reuters.co.uk/news

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Climate change - Our oceans and reefs are in danger

Shark cage diving and shark encounters without cages

Most people have heard of shark cage diving. But now try this: diving with the Cape's sharks with no steel cage for protection.

That's exactly what a local tour company has been quietly offering for six years.

Chris Fallows, of Apex Shark Expeditions, has warned against hysteria after the latest shark incident.

Durban tri-athlete Peter Larcombe was training in Fish Hoek bay on Monday when a shark swam near him and he was hauled out of the water on to a fishing boat. A witness said: "The shark was moving closer to the man. It was a matter of seconds and he would have been another statistic."

Fallows congratulated the fishermen who helped Larcombe, but said humans were not part of sharks' diets.

And he opened his photographic library on the extraordinary company he runs.

Most people would consider such a venture madness.

But Fallows says: "We use cages off Seal Island in winter but we also offer snorkelling with blue and mako sharks off Cape Point in summer when the Great Whites leave Seal Island and are difficult to find.

"Humans don't form part of the natural food chain of sharks. And, as such, in most instances, they're more curious about us, even wary, than they are aggressive.

"In most instances, they shy away from us, instead of provoking an interaction."

Fallows and his wife, Monique, have worked with sharks for more than 15 years and have, for the past six years, offered snorkelling with the pelagic blue and mako sharks off Cape Point.

Pelagic refers to the "blue water" type of diving, over 1 000m deep, as opposed to close to the shore.

"Most of our dives take place (about 25km) out to sea. We use low frequency sounds to attract the sharks to the boat, whereupon the divers get into the water and, under strict safety guidelines, get to encounter them at close quarters.

"In more than one hundred dives with pelagic sharks, no shark has ever acted aggressively."

Do Great Whites generally have a different attitude?

"Although they're very curious animals and will inspect floating objects, they are very selective as to what they bite and consume.

"In all likelihood, Peter would probably have been inspected and the shark would have continued on its merry way, as they've been doing for hundreds of thousands of years in False Bay.

"Having tagged more than 600 sharks of various species within 150m of the shore off the Strandfontein beaches over the past decade, I'm sure people are regularly inspected by sharks and are complacently unaware of it.

"Human beings kill more than 100 million sharks a year and, on average, less than 20 people are killed each year by sharks.

"They certainly have a lot more to fear from us."

Source: www.iol.co.za

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Shark cage diving and shark encounters without cages

New Product Manager and other appointments made by Mares

Mares Diving, a division of Head USA, today announces three personnel changes.

Enrico Romeo, current Product Manager of Diving for Mares Diving in Norwalk has been promoted to Sales Manager for South America and will relocate to Mares worldwide HQ in Rapallo, Italy.

Monica Sullender named Product Manager for Diving.

Monica Sullender, has been appointed Product Manager of Diving for the Mares Diving division of HEAD USA, based in Norwalk, CT. Monica has relocated from Mares worldwide HQ in Rapallo, Italy where she was formerly involved in product development for the North American market and instrumental in the development of Mares She Dives Collection, a collection of diving products specifically designed for women. Prior to joining Mares in 2004, Monica was a store Manager for Ocean Enterprises based in San Diego, California.

Sullender will report to Phil Mintz, Director of Sales and Marketing. In her role, Sullender will manage the North American product assortment and interface with HQ on product requirements specific to the North American markets.

Scott Cook has been appointed Warranty Service Technician of Diving, for the Mares Diving division of HEAD USA. In his new role Scott will handle warranty and service for diving products and respond to dealer inquiries and technical questions. Scott recently returned from HQ in Rapallo Italy where he completed regulator training and instruction to repair and service Mares regulators and conduct certification and training for our diving customers. The Mares Service Center is located in Baltimore, MD at the Head USA distribution center.

Scott's most recent position was as Senior Service Technician for La Cimbali espresso machines. He has seventeen years of experience in deep sea diving supervision and diesel mechanics and spent several years as a Deep Sea Diving Supervisor for the U.S. Naval Station and Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Scott lives in Arnold, Maryland with his wife and children.

HEAD USA is part of the HEAD NV Group, which is based in the Netherlands and listed on the New York and Vienna Stock exchanges. The HEAD NV Group is a worldwide sporting goods company that manufactures and markets products under the HEAD brand (racquet and winter sports), Penn (world's #1 tennis ball and racquet ball brand), and Tyrolia (wintersports bindings), in addition to the three diving brands (Mares, Dacor and Sporasub).

HEAD NV's Chairman is Johan Eliasch. The telephone number for the Diving Division is 203 855 0631; fax 203 866 9573; website www.mares.com. For HEAD USA information, log onto www.head.com

Source: www.sportdiver.com

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New Product Manager and other appointments made by Mares

Medical talks could appeal

The Diving Medicine 2006 conference, to run on 23/24 March in Shrewsbury, could be of interest to sport and particularly technical divers.

Organised by the United Kingdom Sport Diving Medical Committee, the event covers such subjects as fitness for diving, heart PFOs, asthma, diabetes, DCI treatments, and the physiology and medicine of technical diving.

The venue is the Shropshire Education and Conference Centre. Full details, www.uksdmc.co.uk

Source: www.divernet.com

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Medical talks could appeal

Dive Bar offers counter display and special discount in March

Dive Bar is a delicious and nutritious sport bar made exclusively for underwater enthusiasts. Since its launch late last year, Dive Bar has made a huge splash with customers and retailers from coast to coast. And now, for the month of March, we are having a 15% OFF SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER on our Dive Bar Counter Display!

The counter display is great for last minute, add-on sales. It contains 4 boxes of 18 Dive Bars each, neatly displayed with an attractive P.O.P. header card. We also have special volume discounts on our floor displays and power centers.

Dive Bar is a high energy snack bar with enough Ginger to help settle the stomach and ward off seasickness, and Papaya and Pineapple enzymes to aid in digestion. But the best part is the incredible taste that will have your customers coming back for more. It's the perfect pre-, post- or in-between dives snack.

You always knew that your customers craved sport bars as a convenient snack while diving - now they have one created just for them!

To take advantage of this limited-time introductory offer, call 1-800-918-8714 today, visit www.divebar.com or email sales@divebar.com.

Related Articles: New 'Dive Bar' with ginger wards of seasickness

Source: www.divenewswire.com

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Dive Bar offers counter display and special discount in March

Pre-Dive Checklist

Scuba diving is full of opportunities for embarrassment, as perhaps you've noticed. Does your diving protocol include sometimes stepping off the boat without weights?

Mine too. You'd think we might learn eventually to run down a checklist of all the gear we're going to need in the water before making that giant stride. You know the kind of thing: Weight belt on? Check. Air on? Check. But somehow paper checklists get lost when you need them most. And who wants to do paperwork when there's diving to do?

PADI Course Director Ned Branch doesn't use paper checklists for recreational diving. "I tried them and forgot stuff," he says. "I'd skip something, thinking I'd get back to it later." But paper does have its place. When he dives his complicated closed-circuit rig, he uses paper and pencil to be sure he's got everything. And people differ. If you feel more comfortable making those tick marks with a pencil before every dive and have the discipline that takes, do it.

I don't. On ordinary dives, I need a substitute for the shopping list that's hard to screw up and impossible to forget: a no-pencil, no-brain reminder of all the equipment we must have and all the things we must do to avoid embarrassment--something, well, idiot-proof. And I don't mean those acronyms and trick phrases that instructors love so much. I can't remember them either.

Instead, I like the "checklist" that's always right at my fingertips because it's my own body. Each part of it--my eyes, ears, mouth, chest, stomach, hands and feet--suggests a piece of essential gear or a predive ritual. By always making a head-to-toe body scan of my predive checklist, I haven't forgotten anything important. Lately, at least.

Visit Scuba Diving's Ultimate Pre-Dive Checklist for the full article and find out how it can work for you...

Source: www.divester.com

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Pre-Dive Checklist

New Zealand: Health of scuba divers to be monitored

Recreational scuba divers will soon be asked to provide information about their health to prevent more deaths under the water.

The New Zealand Underwater Association has begun circulating a medical questionnaire as part of best practice guidelines.

Its head of dive safety Lynn Taylor says it is in response to coroner recommendations after several diving deaths involving pre-existing medical conditions.

She says the questionnaire will also bring overseas divers who are not required to have a medical check before gaining a certificate to their attention.

Taylor hopes the questionnaire will help stop regulation being imposed on the industry.

Source: tvnz.co.nz

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New Zealand: Health of scuba divers to be monitored

San Jose diver may have drowned before shark attack

By many accounts, Anthony Moore was an experienced diver. The 45-year-old San Jose engineer left a detailed "float plan" with his wife before heading out for a free-diving excursion off the south coast of Maui Thursday.

Then something went terribly wrong. When he failed to return as scheduled, his wife called 911, prompting a massive search by the US Coast Guard and Maui authorities.

On Friday morning, a kayaker discovered parts of Moore's shark-bitten body off the coast near Makena. The coroner's office received three different sections of remains: a pelvis and lower extremities. A Coast Gaurd official said Saturday that Moore's wife identified her husband by a lanyard that included his rental car key.

"We're not able to determine the cause of death," said Dr. Tony Manoukian, a coroner's physician, from the morgue at Maui Memorial Medical Center Saturday. "We can't exclude the possibility that he was dead at the time of the attack."

Manoukian, a forensic pathologist, said this was his fourth autopsy of a shark attack victim. He said the fact that the kidney was congested with blood indicated that Moore probably drowned and was then attacked by sharks, as opposed to bleeding to death while alive.

"We see shallow water blackouts and drowning more frequently than shark attacks," said Manoukian, who said that DNA testing or recovering the skull and dental records would be required to positively identify the body.

"It may have been more than one species of shark," Manoukian said. "But we have no evidence that it was anything other than a tiger or reef shark."

Moore was an engineer at Code Green Networks of Sunnyvale.

"He was very well liked, and he'll be missed," said Bob Verheecke, who recently joined the company as Chief Financial Officer.

Source: www.mercurynews.com

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San Jose diver may have drowned before shark attack

New shark species discovered in the Sea of Cortez

A Mexican marine biologist has discovered a new shark species in the murky depths of Mexico's Sea of Cortez, the first new shark find in the wildlife-rich inlet in 34 years.

Postgraduate student Juan Carlos Perez was on a fishing boat in early 2003 studying sharks from the Mustelus family netted at depths of 660 feet when he noticed some of them had darker skin and white markings.

The sharks, slender, dark gray-brown and around 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, turned out to be a new species that Perez and his team have named "Mustelus hacat," after the word for shark in a local Indian dialect.

"What I first noticed was their color. They are dark in color, like dark coffee, and have white markings on the tips and edges of their fins and tails which jump out at you because they are so dark," Perez told Reuters on Thursday.

"I got back from the boat and the first thing I said was that I thought I had a new species, but I wasn't sure until six months on when we did genetic tests," he said, audibly elated.

Worldwide, marine biologists tend to discover two or three new shark species in any given year.

But Perez's find -- bringing to five the types of Mustelus shark found in the eastern North Pacific -- is the first shark discovery in the Sea of Cortez since the tiny Mexican Horn Shark (Heterodontus mexicanus) was identified in 1972.

"I wasn't looking for something new, but it's very satisfying. I'm very happy," said Perez, 31, who is based at the CICESE science and technology research center at the port of Ensenada in northwestern Baja California state.

His find was published in the U.S. journal Copeia in December.

"There must be more undiscovered species there but access is difficult. If we hadn't been on those boats I'd never have seen them because that's the only place they are caught. And it's not a region that attracts scuba diving."

There are some 50 to 60 species of shark in the Sea of Cortez, a narrow body of water also known as the Gulf of California that separates Mexico's Baja California peninsula from the mainland and is famous for its rich and unique ecosystem.

The Mustelus hacat lives in the ocean's depths feeding on shellfish and shrimp," Perez said, adding: "They have very, very small teeth. They are really not aggressive or dangerous."

Source: www.underwatertimes.com

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New shark species discovered in the Sea of Cortez

New species found on Barrier Reef

Scientists have found new species of fish and other sea life as part of a landmark survey of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project, conducted last year, covered 210,000sq km of the continental shelf from Fraser Island to Cape York.

Project leader Dr Roland Pitcher of CSIRO Marine today said a survey on such a scale had never been carried out before.

Data collected by survey vessels Lady Basten and Gwendoline May in several voyages over 325 days included more than 2000 hours of video footage by a remote-controlled camera.

About 15,000 plant and animal samples were collected using a small sled pulled along the seabed.

Dr Pitcher said one more voyage was planned before the end of the year to complete the mapping of seafloor life and marine habitats up to 100m deep.

The information would be analysed over the next two years, Dr Pitcher said.

These will likely include confirmation that many species on the east coast were related to species off northern Western Australia and in the waters of some Asian countries.

There would be some brand new sea creatures unique to the Great Barrier Reef such as the pipehorse – which resembles a snake-like seahorse, as well as a crab and lace-like corals.

"We think around one-third of the species that have been found might be new because these species had not been studied before," Dr Pitcher said.

The survey will help the federally funded Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), which manages the park, to plan how the reef can be better monitored and used, and how state authorities can best manage trawl fishing.

"It's very important to have maps of where things are and what they are, what's there and where is it, so you can think about all these planning activities in the same way that we think about them on land," Dr Pitcher said.

Source: www.theaustralian.news.com.au

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Atomic Aquatics presents AtomicVision line of dive masks

The latest innovation from Atomic Aquatics unveiled at DEMA Show 2005 in Las Vegas.

Atomic Aquatics continues to turn the dive industry on edge with its innovative products. First came the ground-breaking Atomic regulator family, followed by the award-winning SplitFins. Now at DEMA 2005 Atomic Aquatics is pleased to unveil its new Atomic-Vision ULTRACLEAR line of professional dive masks.

Atomic engineering combined decades of diving knowledge, proven concepts, and ESPECIALLY input from Atomic retailers and dealers to create the ultimate dive masks. Customers can choose from two distinct models - the Atomic Sub-Frame and the Atomic Frameless.

The Atomic Sub-Frame mask is the strongest and most indestruct-ible two-window mask ever made. After talking to several Atomic dealers nationwide our dealers noticed that many two-window masks on the market are inherently structurally weak and susceptible to twisting and breakage. Because of this Atomic decided to build the strongest and most durable two window mask we could. Now divers don't have to worry about breaking their mask if someone sits on it, steps on it, or even if a tank falls on it.

The Atomic Sub-Frame mask is a two-window design built with an innovative patent pending three-piece frame structure. This structure provides unparalleled durability and strength. In fact, the Atomic Sub-Frame is so durable that the company is announcing a LIFETIME WARRANTY against frame breakage.

The Sub-Frame mask design's strength is due to the super strong engineering grade thermoplastic frame molded beneath the mask skirt surface. This grade of plastic is so strong it has been used in other industries as a replacement for cast metal components.

To add even more rigidity and strength to the frame structure, Atomic engineers designed into the frame a solid 316 stainless steel Lens retainer support section around the nose bridge. This makes this the Sub-Frame mask incredibly rigid in the normally weak area of a two-window mask design. The support is not just a metal accent, but a purposefully designed structural support to keep the lenses flat and parallel to the viewing plane.

The two-window design also allows changing lenses for vision-correction needs with the mask’s interchangeable lens option.

The Atomic Frameless mask is all about fit, comfort, and simplicity. A large lens and a close fitting skirt work in harmony to create one of the widest viewing angles available for a frameless mask design. The lens shape was computer designed to maximize upward, downward and side-to-side vision. It is a true low profile and very low volume design.

The squeeze to release the buckles rest behind the lens for a sleek look and true hydrodynamic function. Available in either clear or black silicone with co-molded color accents.

ULTRACLEAR Lenses
Both the Atomic Frameless and Sub-frames models offer a new standard feature never seen or “seen through” before on a diving mask. We call them ULTRACLEAR lenses.

What makes ULTRACLEAR special? Did you ever notice that normal dive mask lenses have green tint to the glass? To see this tint put you're existing mask up to a piece of white paper and see for yourself. The green tint you see is the result of iron impurities left over in lower quality “ float or window type” glass. That green tint distorts true colors and blocks out some of the light that reaches the eye.

ULTRACLEAR is a new and exciting optical quality glass with exceptional clarity and high light transmission, with no color distortion.

The exceptionally high light transmittance and lack of distortion in an ULTRACLEAR lens maximizes the light available for improved visual acuity, especially underwater in low light conditions.

Like all Atomic products, the AtomicVision line is built for performance with the added elements of comfort and style. The ultra-comfortable silicone skirt is available in clear or black and the accent colors (red, blue, yellow or black) are designed to match to popular Atomic SplitFin line.

Visit Atomic Aquatics for more information.

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Atomic Aquatics presents AtomicVision line of dive masks

Hand signals used by divers approved by RSTC

The recreational scuba training industry is a self-regulated industry that is responsible for development of training standards that are used as a minimum platform for participating agencies to develop their own standards.

The Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC) was formed in 1986 to meet industry needs and has developed training standards from open water diver level through instructor trainer level.

In November of 2005 RSTC approved standard hand signals and common hand signals used by divers. Many of these standard signals were originally an ANSI standard. They are based on the standard hand signals used by training agencies when training entry level divers.

The approved hand signals are posted on the World Recreational Training Agency (WRSTC) web site at www.wrstc.com.

RSTC consists of International Diving Educators Association (IDEA), Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), Professional Dive Instructors Corporation (PDIC), Scuba Diving International (SDI) Scuba Schools International (SSI) and Young Men¹s Christian Association (YMCA) and meets throughout the year to deal with issues involving training in the scuba industry. RSTC is also the Secretariat for the ANSI Committee Z-375, Scuba Diving Training Standards and Safety.

For additional information on RSTC contact any member organization or contact RSTC at P.O. Box 11083 Jacksonville, FL 32239 or info@wrstc.com

Source: www.divenewswire.com

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Hand signals used by divers approved by RSTC

ADEX Show Announces New Exhibitors and Programs

With an influx of new exhibitors and with existing exhibitors significantly increasing their booth presence, organiser Suntec Integrated Media (SIM) has announced that the Asia Dive Expo 2006 (ADEX) will be a full 60% bigger than ADEX 2004 held in Singapore.

This increase in the number of world-class companies taking up booths at ADEX 2006 promises to attract a larger pool of quality visitors.

The marked growth in the number of equipment manufacturers is one of the main crowd-pullers at this year’s show. Top names like Bare Wetsuits, Coltri Sub, Cressi Sub, L&W Compressors, Mares, Nitrox Technologies Inc and Ralf Tech have pledged their presence at the exhibition to expand their footprint in Asia's burgeoning dive market.

At the same time, the participation of these manufacturers and their organization of value-added events like Distributor Workshops bring in more trade visitors keen on expertise transfer. Key manufacturers like Dadriba and Mares will be conducting such workshops to equip their distributors with product knowledge, product updates, marketing support and the service and maintenance of equipment.

Said Roel van Leeuwen, Director of Suntec Integrated Media, "It's good news to see some manufacturers effectively doubling the booth space because they've recognised that ADEX is the ideal regional platform from which to do serious dive business. What makes ADEX different from other dive shows is our 'holistic' approach to the dive business.

We've created the broadest possible range of programmes designed to draw quality visitors from distributors and dive operators, to travel buyers and consumers. The interaction between these different types of visitors and exhibitors really makes our show special."

ADEX 2006 has also designed and incorporated other winning programmes aimed at drawing in quality visitors. One such programme is the Dive Certification Updates, which will be a hit with dive centres and training agencies. This module offers agencies, like PADI, an excellent opportunity to inform their members on the latest training programme, product information and promotions, new course materials and marketing support.

The Dive Travel Symposium is another not-to-be-missed event for trade visitors. It brings together regional and international travel buyers who will present on travel-related topics such as how to package dive destinations and what would interest travel buyers from various markets. Any one in or related to the dive travel business could gain insight from what the experts look for when they are out shopping for destinations. Those attending will also have the privilege of meeting Mr. Tom Ingram, Executive Director of the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA), who will also be speaking at the Dive Travel Symposium.

"There is no better platform within the Asian marketplace for all the key players in the dive industry to come together in a mutually beneficial dialogue than at ADEX. It offers a critical opportunity for all those involved in the business of diving to grow their business and reach out to the people who matter, said Mr. Tom Ingram, Executive Director, DEMA.

"DEMA fully supports and endorses ADEX as the premier international dive exhibition in Asia. We urge all our members to participate actively in ADEX so as to reap the benefits of its excellent programmes and leverage on its pool of quality exhibitors and visitors."

Trade visitors are invited to pre-register for free entry to Asia Dive Expo at www.asiadiveexpo.com / Visitors / Trade Registration. Visitors who register before 10 March 2006 stand a chance to win an L&W Compressor worth S$5,000.

Asia Dive Expo, held from 21-23 April 2006 in Suntec Singapore, is organised by Suntec Integrated Media. Established since 1995, ADEX is the leading international dive exhibition in Asia and expects to welcome 150 exhibiting companies and 10,000 visitors. It offers companies in the dive and travel industry an integrated and cost effective marketing platform utilising multiple media such as exhibit space, print media, e-marketing and vital face to face contact time with key stakeholders. For more information on ADEX, please visit www.asiadiveexpo.com

Source: www.divenewswire.com

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ADEX Show Announces New Exhibitors and Programs

Diving businessman ruled liable over wife's death

A US dive shop owner has been found liable for the death of his wife, in a civil case that awarded the victim's parents more than $3.5 million in damages.

A Superior Court jury found that David Swain, 50, who ran a dive shop in Jamestown, Rhode Island, killed his wife Shelley Tyre, 46, during a dive off the Caribbean island of Tortola in 1999.

According to a report by The Providence Journal, the jury accepted testimony from experts that, based on examination of the victim's scuba gear, Swain had attacked his wife from behind at a depth of 24m, turned off her air and forced her to drown. However, Swain has never been charged with any crime.

Tyre's parents were reportedly awarded $2 million in punitive damages and $1,534,943 in compensatory damages. Tyre, according to her lawyer, had given up a $70,000-a-year job as an academy principal to take a lower-paid teaching job closer to home, in trying to salvage a marriage which she believed was in trouble.

Had the pair divorced, it was reported, a prenuptial agreement would have left Swain with nothing. Upon Tyre's death, Swain reportedly collected $570,000 from policies and other sources. However, he is reported to have filed for bankruptcy last autumn.

In the USA, as in Britain, in contrast to criminal trials in which guilt has to be proved beyond all reasonable doubt, in civil hearings a jury may find a defendant liable if such a position seems firmly likely under the weight of evidence presented.

Source: www.divernet.com

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Diving businessman ruled liable over wife's death

Jean-Michel Cousteau at LIDS

Jean-Michel Cousteau is the latest addition to a stellar cast of speakers at the London International Dive show (LIDS), which runs over 1-2 April at the Docklands' ExCeL Exhibition Centre.

Cousteau, the Santa Barbara, California-based son of legendry underwater film maker Jacques, is expected to talk about the work of his Ocean Futures Society in promoting marine exploration, education and conservation.

An element may well be the Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures series which airs on America's PBS TV channel this Spring. The intention of the series has been as a modern version of his father's famed diving exploration films of the 1960s and 70s.
Like Jacques Cousteau's original films, the series follows the adventures of a specific band of people voyaging aboard a vessel to different parts of the globe in such of wondrous experiences, knowledge and understanding of the marine world.

The series was produced by Ocean Futures Society and KQED Public Broadcasting. Following completion of the US screenings, it is to be hoped that repeats will be agreed for Britain and other countries.

Other LIDS star speakers include Peter Scoones, John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, Richard Lundgren, Leigh Bishop and Teresa Telus, Rick Stanton, Monty Halls, John Boyle and Guy and Anita Chaumette. More than 250 exhibitors will fill the main hall.

Admission is £10.50 on the door, or £7.50 by advance booking. Children enter for £2, whether by advance booking or on the door. Call 020 8977 9878 or go to www.diveshows.co.uk

Source: www.divernet.com

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Jean-Michel Cousteau at LIDS

Crowded dive site in Maldives

The Maldives is claiming a new Guinness World Record for the most people diving together at one time.

On 25 February 979 divers, aged 10-73 and drawn from Maldivians, tourists and expatriates, are reported to have got into the water together at Sunlight Thila on North Male Atoll.

Organised by the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board, the event involved divers brought to the site through a joint effort by 37 resorts, nine dive centres and 14 safari vessels, with support from the Coastguard.

The President of the Maldives, His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, attended the dive with other governmental officials. Post-dive celebrations included a beach barbecue at Kuda Bandos.

The current Guinness world record for the category Most People Scuba Diving Simultaneously is 722. The Maldives claim is being processed.

Source: www.divernet.com

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Crowded dive site in Maldives

South Africa: Spear diver hit by boat propeller

A diver in South Africa was injured after a boat ran over him.

The incident, in Melkbossstrand on the country's Western Cape, reportedly involved a 71-year-old diver who suffered lacerations to his buttocks after the helmsman of a motorboat failed to see him and drove over him.

The diver, who was reported to have been spear-fishing with two others, was airlifted to hospital, where he was described as being in a stable condition.

Source: www.divernet.com

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South Africa: Spear diver hit by boat propeller

Grey Nurse Shark species at risk of extinction, says genetic survey

Grey nurse sharks are in danger of becoming extinct, according to a genetic survey of the fish in their natural habitats.

Scientists analysed DNA from small populations of the sharks off the western and eastern coasts of Australia and South Africa to see how much the groups mixed and how diverse their genes were.

They found that grey nurse sharks living around the Australian coast are isolated from other small groups of sharks, suggesting that their dwindling numbers will not be boosted by sharks migrating from other waters.

The survey also discovered that each individual population of sharks had a very small range of genetic diversity, making the group vulnerable to dangerous infections and changes in habitat. "Low genetic variation lowers the potential for a species to adapt to environmental change such as global warming and also increases the risk of disease," said Adam Gow, of Macquarie University in Sydney.

Grey nurse sharks have been in rapid decline, particularly during the 60s and 70s, when they were hunted for sport using explosives. The species, Carcharias taurus, is now listed as critically endangered. "Although it has rather menacing needle-like teeth on display, it has become clear that they really are not people eaters. Their tooth structure is suited to grasping slippery fish rather than large mammals," said Dr Gow.

The decline of the grey nurse shark is exacerbated by its slow ability to bounce back from overfishing. The sharks take up to 10 years to reach full maturity and each female has a maximum of only two live young because the firstborn attempts to eat all of its siblings in the uterus, leaving only a single "pup" in each of the two fallopian tubes. "The population is so low now that with their slow recovery rate, they really are particularly vulnerable to extinction unless all mortality due to fishing and other human impacts is removed," said Dr Gow, whose study appears in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

"Along with the negligible migration into the critically endangered east Australian population, our finding of low genetic variation shows that the risk of extinction is higher than previously thought," he said.

The finding reinforces efforts to conserve the sharks' habitats and protect their current populations, which in Australia amount to no more than 400 in the wild. But more will need to be done, according to Dr Gow. To broaden the shark population's genetic diversity, sharks from distant waters will have to be introduced to those elsewhere in the hope that they breed young.

Mixing sharks from different regions should produce a more sturdy population, although there are risks to the welfare and migration behaviour of those chosen for transferring.

Source: www.sharklife.co.za

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Grey Nurse Shark species at risk of extinction, says genetic survey

Study warns of threat to sharks

Sharks could be more vulnerable to the fishing industry than was previously thought, research has revealed.

Marine scientists led by Aberdeen University have discovered that the deepest oceans of the world appear to be shark free. One possible reason, they tell a Royal Society journal, may be lack of food.

The researchers warn that the findings mean all shark populations are within reach of human fisheries and could be at greater risk than was thought.

In their paper published on Wednesday - The absence of sharks from abyssal regions of the world's oceans - the international team of researchers reports that sharks have failed to colonise at depths greater than 3,000m.

Sharks are found throughout the world's oceans and it had been hoped new species would be discovered as exploration went deeper. However, 20 years of exploration combined with analysis of records over the past 150 years, has convinced the scientists that the world's oceans are 70% shark-free.

The average depth of the oceans is 4,000m and bony fish - relatives of cod - thrive down to around 9,000m depth.

The scientists do not know why sharks are absent there but suggest one possible reason could be a lack of food resources.

Professor Monty Priede, director of Oceanlab at Aberdeen University, said: "Sharks are apparently confined to around 30% of the world's oceans. "All populations are therefore within reach of human fisheries, near the surface and at the edges of deep water.

"Sharks are already threatened worldwide by the intensity of fishing activity.

"But our finding suggests they may be more vulnerable to over-exploitation than was previously thought.

"As far as we can see, there is no hidden reserve of sharks in the deep sea. All we see is all there is - it's highly unlikely we are going to find any more."

The scientists based their conclusions on a wide range of data, which includes information gathered during a major expedition along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Iceland and the Azores in 2004.

The team also used findings built up over the last two decades when the university's Oceanlab started developing landers - remotely operated vehicles - which have been used in deep waters all over the world.

Expeditions using landers visited deep areas including the South Atlantic off the Falkland Islands.

The shark paper is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Source: www.sharktrust.org

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Study warns of threat to sharks

New Zealand: More of Great White Sharks to be tagged

An international team of marine scientists returns to the Chatham Islands next week hoping to fit satellite tags on up to 13 great white sharks. The tags will allow the scientists to track the sharks’ movements for up to nine months.

The team is led by Dr Ramón Bonfil of the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (funded by National Geographic), Dr Malcolm Francis of the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, and Clinton Duffy of the Department of Conservation.

White sharks are long-lived and slow to reproduce. They have a ferocious reputation, but their population numbers are low and have declined drastically in some parts of the world. Better information on the behaviour and distribution of white sharks will help inform management decisions about their protection.

In April last year, the same team of scientists used satellite tags on New Zealand great whites for the first time. They tagged four sharks using pop-up archival tags (PAT tags) which record information about the depth, temperature, and light levels as the animals swim through the water. The tags then detach at a pre-programmed date, float to the surface, and transmit the data via satellite. One tag detached prematurely, but the others provided unexpected results.

All three sharks travelled great distances to tropical regions. "We knew white sharks turned up in the tropics on occasions," says Dr Malcolm Francis, "but to see all of them travel there was a surprise. If anything, we thought they'd move closer to mainland New Zealand." This year, the team plans to follow the sharks for a longer period, programming their tags to stay on for up to nine months (rather than a maximum of six). They are keen to check whether other sharks make similar long distance journeys and whether any of them return to the Chathams.

The team hopes to tag eight sharks with the PAT tags, and to tag five sharks with the more sophisticated 'SPOT' (Smart Position Or Temperature Transmitting) tags. This will be the first time SPOT tags have been used on sharks in New Zealand waters.

The SPOT tags are attached to a shark's dorsal fin and have an aerial. They will transmit data to satellites whenever the shark's fin breaks the surface of the water. "During their long distance journeys, the three sharks last year spent 60-70% of their time in the top few metres of water, so we're quite hopeful that we can get almost real-time information about shark movements from the SPOT tags," says Dr Francis.

To do the tagging, the team are again working with Tim Gregory-Hunt, Chatham Islands cage diving operator and skipper of Tessa B. PAT tags can be attached using a long pole. SPOT tags are more challenging because the shark has to be caught and partly hoisted out of the water onto a 'cradle' or stretcher at the side of the vessel. Water is continuously run over the shark's gills, and a vet monitors all parts of the operation. Dr Bonfil has successfully used SPOT tags on sharks in South Africa.

To read the original press release click HERE

Source: www.sharktrust.org

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New Zealand: More of Great White Sharks to be tagged