Our oceans are more than
fish and ships...

The oceans are suffering.
The main source of food for two billion people, a key element in climate control and a largely untapped reserve of vital resources, they deserve to be managed better.

This is why the United Nations this month celebrated the first ever World Ocean Day, read the complete article @

http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion
%20&%20Analysis/-/539548/611562/-/u1r1yyz/-/

Just in... latest NEWS from Palau!

Palau's president says his tiny Pacific island state considered human rights - and not China's reaction - when it agreed to take in 17 Chinese Muslim separatists detained at Guantanamo Bay.
Palau President Johnson Toribiong says his country has agreed to a U.S. request to resettle the detainees out of humanitarian concerns and because their imprisonment is unlawful...
read the complete article and more NEWS LINKS at:
http://www.palautours.com/blog.html

© Gunther Deichmann - was the decision made here?
The Palau Capitol Building

Must read and see...

It has been described as one of the most spectacular wildlife sights anywhere in the world - let alone Britain.In the last week the first basking sharks of the summer have been spotted off the Cornish coast.
As part of their annual migration they are now arriving in their hundreds.But do not be fooled - actually catching more than a fleeting glimpse of these elusive creatures is far harder than you imagine.

Trying to find a basking shark is to go in search of a mystery. We know very little about them, except that at this time of year, and without fail, they come to Cornwall in their hundreds... complete story and Photos @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8090553.stm

Latest News and info on the Kids Sea Camp PALAU 2009!

Please follow the links below for the latest updates on the very first Kids Sea Camp (KSC) to be held in Palau.
Sam's Tours is the host tour operator for Kids Sea Camp Palau with accommodations provided by Palau Royal Resort. The program is limited to 50 persons on this inaugural year.
Kids Sea Camp is an award winning educational program for children and is supported by major sponsors including PADI, SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE, SCUBAPRO and DAN.

KSC is a very important and prestigious event for Palau and one that Sam's Tours should be very proud to have been selected to host. Top dive destinations go to great lengths and compete heavily to be selected as KSC destinations and it is no small feat to have been chosen as a KSC destination. Other KSC host destinations include Grand Bahama, Grand Cayman, Bonaire, Curacao, Costa Rica, Galapagos, Roatan, Fiji, and now finally PALAU!
More information is forthcoming and in the meantime, please visit the URL's below and familiarize yourself with Kids Sea Camp PALAU 2009 and start speading the word!

http://www.kidsseacamp.com/
http://kidsseacamp.com/palau/palauhomepage.html
http://kidsseacamp.com/palau/palaudivesams.html
http://kidsseacamp.com/palau/palauresort.html

Dermot Keane,
GM Sam’s Tours Palau

© Gunther Deichmann - Pink Squat Lobster

The House Reef of Dimakya Island (home of Club Paradise) has been protected for the past 20 years, an unspoiled wonder of marine life.
Besides the reef you find also a sea grass bed where Dugongs are frequent visitors, and all of this a short walk from your Cottage.
There are also eight resident Green Turtles which feed on the same sea grass bed all year around, not shy and used to Scuba Divers, perfect for Under Water Photographer to get close for the perfect shot.
The sea grass bed is also the perfect place for all your small Marine Critter, like:
Helmut Gurnard Dactyloptena orientalis (commonly know also as the Flying Gurnard), Dragonet, Emperor Shrimp,
Sea moth, Mantis Shrimp, Ghost Pipefish, Mimic Octopus, Frogfish, Stargazer, Snake eels and many different species of Nudibranchs, these are just a few critters you find on your dive on the sea grass bed.

© Gunther Deichmann - Helmut Gurnard Dactyloptena orientalis
(commonly know also as the Flying Gurnard)

The house reef slopes from approx 1 meter to 18 meters and ends in a large sandy area, here you find large numbers of Blue Spotted Stingrays.
The reef itself is home to Sweet lips, Wrasses, Mandarin fish, Cuttle fish, Butterfly, Parrot and many other fish species, another “HOT SPOT” for Underwater Photographers.

© Gunther Deichmann - many different species of Nudibranchs

© Gunther Deichmann - Ghost Pipefish

Other highlights are schools of Jacks, Fusiliers, Rabbit fish, Bat fish and if you lucky you came across a school of Hump head parrot fish.
The house reef has also some nice cleaning stations, attracting Giant Barracudas and other large marine life.
Big numbers of Giant Clams (up to 1.2 meter) you find also in the surrounding area at this truly amazing House Reef at Club Paradise.
Matt Weis from Dive Photo Guide who visited Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center last year run out of storage on his 2 Gig CF Card during one of his dives, a testimony of the amazing variety on this House Reef in Palawan.

© Gunther Deichmann - It is never to early...learn how to dive.

We have picked up this post from Sam’s Tours Palau, see below the details.

Monday, May 11, 2009
Late Breaking News! KIDS SEA CAMP coming to Palau!
We’re delighted to report that Sam’s Tours has been selected to host the very first KIDS SEA CAMP (KSC) in Palau slated for this November. Kids Sea Camp is an award-winning educational vacation program for families that love the ocean.
Kids Sea Camp PALAU 2009: November 21 – 28, 2009.

Kids Sea Camp is the brain child of Margo Peyton, a scuba diver since 1989. This Scuba mom with husband Tom, two kids of her own, Jen and Robbie, decided it was important for her family to spend time together doing what she loved the most, scuba diving & travel.
Kids Sea Camp is a full week's schedule of events and educational programs that promises great times and learning experiences for families with kids age 4-15. Each week includes 7 nights accommodations, diving, meals, excursions, activities for both adults and kids including, diving, snorkeling and many PADI Specialty courses.
KSC is hosted at PADI 5 Star Dive Resorts around the world which include Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Roatan, Fiji, Curacao, Galapagos and now in PALAU! Sam’s Tours and Palau Royal Resort, a Nikko Hotels International partner http://www.palau-royal-resort.com/ are teamed up to host this exciting event. Space is limited so get in touch with Sam’s Tours right away if you’d like to participate.
Families can spend a week scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, discovering underwater photography, meeting other families and making friends from all around the world. Kids Sea Camp is the perfect family vacation for those that love to scuba!
Sam’s Tours PADI Five Star National Geographic Dive Center is proud to have been selected to host Palau’s very first Kids Sea Camp and we are already in full swing planning an exciting action-packed week of fun in the sun!
For more information on Kids Sea Camp please visit http://kidsseacamp.com/ although details of the Palau Kids Sea may not be posted yet.

For bookings please contact: kids@kidsseacamp.com or e-mail Sam’s Tours Reservations Desk at: reservations@samstours.com
Kids Sea Camp PALAU 2009: November 21 – 28, 2009.

Did he run out of Air? No!
He had filled up his 2 Gig memory card...

Excerpts from a recent story on “An Underwater Photographer Guide To Palawan”
By Author: Matt J. Weiss / April 12, 2009 12:00AM CDT
Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide visited Club Paradise & Dugong Dive Center last year and filed this very interesting report...

© Gunther Deichmann - Painted Frogfish...recent rumors has it that there is quiet an invasion of Frogfish at present on the Club Paradise House Reef in Palawan, Philippines.

“When Omar signaled me over, I figured he had spotted a frogfish that he had told me about before the dive. However, he was pointing at another sea moth and started taking pictures of the rock behind it, which I thought was strange. I wondered - was he narc’ed? Nope, I was just a rookie and didn’t notice that the rock was actually a beguiling frogfish that was face to face with the sea moth. I tried to get some shots before the sea moth moved on and we headed up to the surface – not because we were cold, bored, out of air, or hitting deco time, but because I had filled up my 2 gig memory card! The first, and so far only time this has happened to me...
...read the complete story from Matt Weiss @
http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/an_underwater_photographer_2

TDEX - THAILAND DIVE & TRAVEL EXPO
BANGKOK MAY 2009

The Thailand Dive & Travel Expo finished last weekend, a great show with many exhibitors and activities.

The Crowd...

A modern look at the Canon Photo exhibition

Fins the Media representatives buzzed around recording live interviews and Tony Wu one of the top Underwater photographers in Asia and beyond conducted some cool Underwater Photography Seminars.
As for my part, I helped out where ever I could, shooting behind the scene and had my own seminars on Aperture 2, the leading Photography Software from Apple.
For more information and details on TDEX click this link.

Tony Wu during his Underwater photography Seminars




Gunther Deichmann and Aperture 2


Mean & Aye The Fins Team hard at work with interviews


Tony Wu and David Cheung from Light and Motion (Scuba Singapore)Underwater Housing and lighting equipment at the Dive Supply Booth Bangkok - www.scubacam.com.sg