Alliance Diving Blog

A fish tale from Palawan, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-06-21T13:08:46+08:00

We just picked up this post from http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html click the LINK and read the complete article. © Gunther Deichmann - A Lion fish on the "doorsteps" at El Rio y Mar in Palawan, Philippines El Rio y Mar Palawan, Philippines...where Loin fish come for dinner...but there is also some cool muck diving at El Rio y Mar and the Dugong Dive Center has a Dive Center right at the resort.

News from Club Paradise - El Rio y Mar & Dugong Dive Center in a 3 part series from Palawan Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-06-19T14:31:30+08:00

El Rio y Mar and Club Paradise have just been featured in a 3 part Blog series by visiting Photographer Gunther Deichmann Check out what nature has to offer at these two Palawan destinations in the Philippines and go to: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html ...Your accommodation at El Rio y Mar in Palawan, Philippines ...Club Paradise on Dimakya Island Palawan, Philippines is also the home of the Dugong Dive Center and the only place in the Philippines where you can spot or watch Dugongs right in front of the Resort in the Sea grass beds. Dimakya Island has also one of the best house reefs in the world...nature at your doorstep.

Late News: New...Dugong Dive Center Blog - Busuanga - Palawan - Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-06-11T19:28:24+08:00

Dugong Dive Center is proud to announce their long awaited Blog, read more @ http://dugongdivecenter.com/blog/blog1.php Flamboyant Cuttle Fish at the House reef. Busuanga - Palawan - Philippines

PADI Diving Society and TY Sawyer are headed for Palau in September 2010

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-06-11T19:00:01+08:00

The PADI Diving Society and TY Sawyer are headed for Palau in September 2010. ...Palau, the eighth marine wonder of the world is known for its world-class diving, including famous sites like Blue Corner, German Channel and Ulong Channel. ... In September 2009 Palau was named the world's first Shark Sanctuary so you'll see plenty of ...Pricing starts at $2250 US per person for eight nights accommodations, five days of three tank boat dives, three meals daily, free enriched air, and much more. ...If you want more information, Karin Sahm is standing-by to answer all of your travel questions.

We're taking a big break from diving here... a surface interval so to speak! This workshop is targeted at photographers...not divers.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-04-22T18:57:25+08:00

We're taking a big break from diving here ..... a surface interval so to speak! This workshop is targeted at photographers...... not divers or underwater photographers, but those photographers who wish to explore Palau's topside secrets with a master of lens and light, Gunther Deichmann. Gunther has just returned from a whirlwind of exotic travel that included Cambodia, Nepal and India where he conducted his highly acclaimed workshops. While Gunther has been to Palau and other islands of Micronesia many times...this will be the first workshop he's conducted here since launching the program more than three years ago. For more info contact Sam's Tours @ http://samstourspalau.blogspot.com/

Sam's Tours: Join PADI Diving Society for nine adventurous days and eight magcial nights in Palau

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-04-17T16:47:33+08:00

Join PADI Diving Society for nine adventurous days and eight magical nights in Palau at the Palau Royal Resort. You'll enjoy five days of three-tank boat diving with PADI Five Star Dive Center Sam's Tours. When you arrive, you'll be welcomed with traditional leis and a welcome basket from Sam's Tours. Plus, a welcome pak filled with PADI Diving Society goodies. Over the next nine days you'll be treated to some of the world's best diving, an opening night celebration complete with traditional dancers and war canoes, parties, contests, prizes, and special guests, including Sport Diver's Ty Sawyer.

LATE NEWS: Shark Savers' "Thank you to Palau" book presented to Palauan President Toribiong

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-04-17T13:18:25+08:00

You may recall that Shark Savers fielded two petitions regarding Palau. The first one opposed a bad shark fishing law and the second one thanked Palau for subsequently protecting sharks by creating the National Shark Sanctuary. We created a book consisting of your signatures and comments for presentation to President Toribiong. Today, our book was presented to the President on our behalf by our friend, Dermot Keane of the Palau Shark Sanctuary. Here is Dermot's report: Read the complete article @ Shark Savers' "Thank you to Palau" book presented to Palauan President Toribiong

Late News: Tiny Palau has warned the world ...TV report on Palau Shark Sanctuary

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-04-03T16:17:54+08:00

TV report on Palau Shark Sanctuary just in... Tiny Palau has warned the world it will protect its natural resources, but with only one patrol boat, can the shark sanctuary ever be enforced? Dateline video journalist David O’Shea takes his first ever scuba dive and plunges into the controversy over saving the ocean’s top predator. read more Click this LINK or the Image above. Watch our report and take a look at our photo gallery of behind the scenes photos and underwater pictures from David's story. In support of the Palau Shark Sanctuary & Sam's Tours

Breaking NEWS! Hammerhead Sharks and Whales at Apo Reef, report just in from Dugong Dive Center

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-02T00:26:52+08:00

Just in from Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, they spotted on the last three trips to Apo Reef Hammerhead Sharks and Whales, great news for our Diving community. They also reported a record number of Turtle nests on the Island right in front of the Guests cottages at Club Paradise. Plus they have sighted a record number of Dugongs in the last few days. ...http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/turtle_program.html Wow... now that is Nature at its best!

Palawan the last frontier, natures paradise above and below the waves.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-01T15:41:24+08:00

The Calamianes Group of Islands is to be found off the northern tip of Palawan, is home to a majestic bio-diversity where you can experience….. ...A variety of Dive Sites can be explored, there are eleven Japanese Shipwrecks from World War II found at the South west side of Busuanga and one at the North east. There is Apo Reef Natural Park, where you can dive the Walls and see a lot of pelagic such as sharks, tuna, barracudas, mackerel, and mantas. The diversity of marine life is so wide that it is a paradise of different species from micro-very small to macro-the largest fish you could ever find. ...Others are freely roaming in the wilderness such as fruit bats, white breasted sea eagles, anteaters, monitor lizards, and all kinds of tropical birds, which makes the area….

Sam's Tours Palau Micronesia at the Duesseldorf Boat Show 2010 Germany

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-27T17:46:39+08:00

We joined the Quality Divers network at the last BOOT Show and attended the Birmingham Dive Show in late Oct 2009 as our first show with QD. ... Traffic at the show was quite good with lots of interested shoppers who seemed serious about traveling and ready to buy. Sam's Tours is also participating at the Palau - Yap Booth with other Palau operators including NECO MARINE and Palau Pacific Resort. ...As always, the Stemmer Family is there in full force to support Sam's Tours with Kristina staffing the Palau Booth for Sam's Tours and mom Gisela covering the Quality Divers stand, while dad Bernd attends the BOOT representing China Airlines who offers direct service from Frankfurt to Taipei, with connecting service to Koror, Palau 4 times per week.starting at 990 EU in economy class. ...Vicktors granite sculpture of Hans and Lotti Haas will be unveiled at the show this week and then go to Vienna for display. http://www.vuam.net/

Happy New Year from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance...we look forward to your next visit. Happy Diving in 2010

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-01T21:26:51+08:00

Happy New Year from all the Alliance partners have a fantastic 2010 and some great scuba diving. Happy Holidays... have some great diving with us in 2010! A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun

Let the fun begin Kids... Sam's Tours hosting Palau Kids Sea Camp another first for Palau!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-26T20:36:32+08:00

THE PALAU KIDS SEA CAMP has started... just in from Palau; fun and education for Children another first for Palau and Sam’s Tours, locally sponsored by Continental Airlines, Palau Royal Resort and Sea Passion Hotel & of course Sam’s Tours our Partner in the Philippine Micronesia Alliance. This is another first for Palau the first one being the Shark Sanctuary...not only is Palau a Shark Sanctuary but now contributing to Childrens education... learning about our environment while having real fun. ...Please Note: all Photos in the Gallery and on this Page are © and courtesy by: Sam’s Tours, Nick Martorano, Margo and please forgive me if I have forgotten some one. ...Sam’s Tours is very pleased to have secured this much sought-after event for Palau with over twenty families attending the very first Kids Sea Camp to be held this side of the globe. ...In 2009, Margo was inducted into the prestigious Women Divers Hall of Fame, an international not-for-profit organization established to recognize the elite and outstanding women divers whose achievements have enriched the worldwide scuba diving community.

Late News: Black Pearl...New Boat launched at Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-09T12:42:35+08:00

Our latest new Boat the "Black Pearl" has been launched yesterday and is ready for all your Diving adventures. The “Black Pearl” has a capacity for 16 divers, ideal for groups and adventure excursions in Palawan. Overnight trips to the world famous Coron Wrecks & Apo Reef for 8 divers. Like our other big Boats the Tashina and Karen Claire it has high quality standards and a Compressor on board. Discover amazing Palawan with the "Black Pearl" operated by the Dugong Dive Center on Club Paradise.

Late NEWS: Dugong sightings right now at the House Reef at Club Paradise Palawan

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-30T19:05:35+08:00

Cool sightings of Dugongs at the House Reef right in front of Club Paradise the past few days. ...Dirk Fahrenbach from the Dugong Dive Center at Club Paradise... Dirk explained...our guests had the time of their life the last two days snorkeling with Dugongs at the House Reef only meters away from their Beach cottages. These Dugongs had no fear and where swimming with the Guests, even if you're not a Diver you can watch these great Creatures in Palawan.

Photo Workshop in Paradise...Palawan & beyond with Club Paradise & supported by Power Mac Center Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-27T21:14:24+08:00

You are cordially invited to a 4 nights 5 days exclusive Photo Workshop at Club Paradise Palawan with Gunther Deichmann, international multi-awarded travel photographer and Apple Pro Certified Aperture Trainer. Registration fees includes airfare and accommodation from Manila to Club Paradise Palawan, all meals (full Board) and full hands on with Aperture 2. ...Explore & Discover Coron & Culion Island plus the amazing african and endemic wildlife on Calauit Island in Northern Palawan. ...For more information and a recent Video on Club Paradise check out the links below: The Underwater Channel filmed at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. a very cool Video from this dream destination in Palawan, Philippines. http://www.theunderwaterchannel.tv/clipinfo/4003142

The Underwater Channel presents Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-23T00:20:54+08:00

The Underwater Channel presents... Check out this very cool video from the Underwater Channel filmed at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. Very cool Video from this dream destination in Palawan, Philippines. No more words needed... just watch this cool Video. http://www.theunderwaterchannel.tv/clipinfo/4003142

From around the World! Thank you, Gracias, Salamat, Danke, merci...Palau for the first Shark Sanctuary!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-30T16:39:37+08:00

Please sign the Thank You Palau in appriciation for the Worlds first Shark Sanctuary, just click on the LINK below or the image. THANK YOU from around the World! Go raibh maith agat - Gracias - 谢谢您 - Bedankt - Salamat - merci - Σε ευχαριστώ - terima kasih - Danke -Cảm ơn bạn - ขอบคุณ - ありがとうございました - 謝謝您 - Dankie - شكرا لك - tänan teid - Благодаря - धन्यवाद - grazie - dziękuję - TACK SJÄLV - благодарю - tänan teid - 감사합니다 - obrigado - تشکر از شم - Teşekkürler - א דאנק - Дзякуй - Kiitos - תוֹדָה - köszönöm! http://www.sharksavers.org/get-involved/sign-these-petitions/608-thank-you-palau.html For more information visit: www.sharksanctuary.com or www.sharksanctuary.blogspot.com

Palau Shark Sanctuary & a Hero’s Welcome for Palau President Johnson Toribiong

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-28T21:08:50+08:00

The founder of Palau Shark Sanctuary, Dermot Keane, Managing Director of Palau dive shop Sam’s Tours, was on hand to greet the President and thanked him for declaring Palau a Shark Sanctuary. ...The large welcome committee included grateful members of the Palauan community who greeted President Toribiong with flower leis and loud applause upon his arrival. Palauans are understandably proud of their President who declared Palau as a Shark Sanctuary during his recent address to the United Nations, General Assembly, on Friday, September 25, 2009. ...Despite his long journey from Washington D.C. to Palau, the President was clearly moved by the warm reception and graciously thanked everyone for showing up to welcome him. ...Palau Shark Sanctuary was founded in 2001 with a goal of securing a declaration by Palau that the waters of their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are a Shark Sanctuary.

The official Press Release from the Palau Shark Sanctuary

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-25T16:44:00+08:00

Johnson Toribiong, President of the Republic of Palau, a tiny Pacific Island nation, declared the waters of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone (230, 000 Sq. ... Kms.), as the worlds first officially recognized SHARK SANCTUARY, during a meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations, in New York. ...Through his actions, President Toribiong has placed Palau at the very forefront of worldwide efforts to protect sharks. This is a tremendous day for Palau and for worldwide efforts to protect sharks from absolute and unsustainable destruction! ...Palau Shark Sanctuary deeply commends President Toribiong for his international leadership in world efforts to protect sharks.

Environment: Sam's Tours a Pioneer in the protection of Sharks in Palau Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-25T15:30:36+08:00

Palau pioneers 'shark sanctuary' For the latest news on Palau's Shark Sanctuary, a World first, go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8272508.stm We are proud that Dermot Keane the GM from Sam's Tours is the Founder and driving force behing the Shark Sanctuary in Palau. Sam's Tours very strong supporter of Palau's environment and the protection of Sharks world wide. Sam's Tours is also a founding member of the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance www.alliancediving.com

Environmental NEWS from Palau, a world first towards the conservation and protection of Sharks

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-25T12:36:33+08:00

We have just picked up this fantastic NEWS from http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html ...Palau President Toribiong has announced only a few hours ago at the UN in New York that Palau is the first WORLD SHARK SANCTUARY ! This is a milestone in the conservation and preservation of Sharks in Palau, setting an example for the rest of the World. ...Just been advised that Palau President Johnson Toribiong will announce in 30 minutes at the UN Conference in New York that Palau is the first WORLD SHARK SANCTUARY !!!!!!!!!!! ...These creatures are being slaughtered and are perhaps at the brink of extinction unless we take positive action to protect them," said President Toribiong.

Dive the Philippines: Apo Reef is the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world, scuba diving at its best.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-07T18:16:53+08:00

Apo Reef Natural Park (check this link for more info on APO Reef)compared to that of Tubbataha National Marine Park has a unique natural phenomenon. Apo Reef has a high diversity of corals and has an island covered with terrestrial vegetation. ...The Apo Reef Natural Park, with more than 20 dive sites, will truly fascinate you with its magnificent walls and large fish species. ...Only 3 hours by banca from the Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise Apo Reef offers very dramatic drop-offs down to about 400m. ...Green and hawksbill turtles, sharks, Eagle Rays and a multitude of fish including damselfish, butterfly fish, batfish, surgeonfish, snappers, fusiliers and trevallies are common.

Exclusive from Palau Micronesia...the Magic of these islands...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-01T22:39:01+08:00

We have picked up this story from the Palautours.com Blog post and since our Partner Sam’s Tours is located in Palau we thought we share this with you. Exclusive Travel Report: Palau or better known as the Pearls of the Pacific. ...01/09/09 18:15 Filed in: Palau Articles | International Articles | Environment Natures Kaleidoscope below and above the waves. ...Read the complete story and check out the Photos from Palau in Micronesia...the place is awesome.

Where is Club Paradise? Is it in Thailand? No…it is in Palawan the last frontier in the Philippines.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-18T14:58:28+08:00

This island resort is a perfect hideaway for those who seek relaxation and like to get away from the hassle and bustle of the Cities. Club Paradise is on Dimakya Island, near Coron Island and part of the Calamian Group of Islands, situated at the Northern tip of Palawan, the Philippine’s last frontier. ...The perfect place for all your diving activities, as a matter of fact it is the only place in the Philippines where you can swim or snorkel with Dugongs. But there is so much more for our scuba divers, take for e.g. the House reef with it’s amazing and plentiful marine life right in front of your cottage, and if you into wreck diving…well look no further. Coron Bay is littered with Japanese warships from the World War II, a whole Japanese fleet was sunk here by the American forces during the War.

NEWS! Philippine-Micronesia Alliance, alliancediving.com is undergoing some major changes. Expanding more globally.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-09T18:02:40+08:00

During the next couple of month’s the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance Website and Blog is undergoing some major restructuring, more info will be available soon. If you experiencing some interruption please bear with us, we try to make these changes as smooth as possible, thank you. ...Servicing the Diving Industry through out Asia the Pacific and beyond. Please stay tuned for the latest info @ http://www.alliancediving.com/ or subscribe to our Blog @ http://www.alliancediving.com/blog/

Late Breaking NEWS: Tresure Hunters! Puerto Galera Diver is part of a new discovered Ship Wreck in Borneo containing treasures valued at over 10 million US Dollars.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-30T14:24:49+08:00

Diver from Puerto Galera, Philippines, is an old friend whom I have dived with many times, he is also is one of the crewmembers that recently discovered the “Forbes” Wreck that sank in 1806 of Borneo, Nick is all smiles now. ...We picked up this report from the German newspaper Bild.de Unfortunately the text is only in German but have a look at some of the Photos. 1.5 tons of Silver Coins, Gold jewelry, Canons, Crystal and Ming Porcelain valued at over 10 million US Dollars. ...Martin Wenzels (42) Augen leuchten, wenn er in seinem Dresdner Büro der Immobilienfirma WIP von seinem kostspieligen Hobby erzählt. ...Und hat jetzt mit seinem Partner Klaus Keppler (71, gebürtig aus Freiburg) den ganz großen Fang gemacht: Sie fanden das Wrack des Piratenschiffes „Forbes“, das 1806 vor Borneo sank.

A GPS to be reckon with...small efficient & very versatile on your iPhone by MotionX, the perfect Dive Boat Companion

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-25T18:15:32+08:00

I picked up this post from Gunther Deichmann’s Blog pages, an interesting story by Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise in Palawan, Philippines. ...Read below an article from a very happy Dive Instructor in Palawan Philippines, finding those dive sites again is a breeze now. A few months ago I introduced my good buddy Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center & Club Paradise to the iPhone and recommended at the same time some cool applications including the GPS from MotionX, with Facebook and Twitter integration. ...I am totally amazed how great this software is, the Dugong Dive Center has 3 big dive boats and I have one GPS for each boat from well-known companies. ...No need for an expensive and complicated GPS, the one from MotionX is doing just fine, the only problem is… I have 3 boats but only one iPhone…at the moment that is, ha, ha.

Our oceans are more than fish and ships...United Nations this month celebrated the first ever World Ocean Day

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-20T14:36:41+08:00

This article was published recently by the Business Daily see excerpts below... Our oceans are more than ...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 @

Latest NEWS from Palau...agreed to take in 17 Chinese Muslim separatists detained at Guantanamo Bay.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-11T19:31:31+08:00

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: ...© Gunther Deichmann - was the decision made here?

Late Breaking NEWS...Sharks basking in the limelight... one of the most spectacular wildlife sights anywhere in the world

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-09T17:45:22+08:00

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. ...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 @

Kids Sea Camp (KSC) the very first to be held in Palau, sponsors including PADI, SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE, SCUBAPRO and DAN. 2009

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-08T12:24:12+08:00

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. ...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. ...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!

Dive the best House Reef in the Philippines…just one-minute walk from your exotic cottage.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-06T19:53:41+08:00

Open for Business 24 hours a day…Dugong Dive Center provides you with your tank fill around the Clock, the only thing you have to do, walk a few meters trough the sand to the waters edge. ...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. ...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. ...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.

Sam's Tours Scuba Diving Kids are coming to Palau Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-01T16:52:13+08:00

The Kids coming to Palau Micronesia…maybe a bit older then the image below, but then it is never to early to find out about the Environment, our Marine life or Scuba Diving. ...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. ...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. ...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!

Underwater Photography: Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide visit Club Paradise & Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-24T18:09:03+08:00

© 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. ... 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!

Action at the Thailand Dive & Travel Expo in Bangkok with Fins... plus a lot more.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-21T02:31:23+08:00

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

TDEX - THAILAND DIVE & TRAVEL EXPO in Bangkok 14-17 May 2009,

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-12T12:26:51+08:00

I am leaving on Thursday for the TDEX Thailand Dive & Travel Expo, I have been invited by the Organizers to conduct some seminars on Aperture 2 the prime editing software for Photographers using Mac. ...As to align with the extensive tourism promotional campaigns announced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to highlight quality travelers to the country from new and niche market segments, as well as to create awareness in conserving natural resources especially diving spots around the South, N.C.C. ... Group – the official concessionaire of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok decided to launch its “Thailand Travel & Dive Expo” or TDEX for the very first time in 2004. ...TDEX has been a success from its debut in 2004 by not only the numbers of exhibitor locally, regionally, and now internationally, but also the numbers of visitor in which the organizer expects to welcome more than 120,000 in 2008, with overall spending around 200 million in Baht, making TDEX the most regional travel and dive expo with the greatest number of visitors in Asia. TDEX in 2009 will be held during May 14-17 from 11.00 till 20.00 at the nation first ever-built convention center – the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Klong Toei district.

Philippine - Micronesia Alliance Partners at the ADEX Show Singapore April 2009

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-29T12:04:38+08:00

We have just received some Photos from Dirk Fahrenbach who attended the ADEX Show in Singapore last week. Other Alliance Partners who attended where Asia Divers from Puerto Galera with Allan Nash and Tommy Soderstrom. ...Club Paradise in Palawan and Allan Nash from Asia Divers with ...Some of the other participants from the Philippine ...Allan Nash, Dirk Fahrenbach and Tommy Soderstrom

Philippines: Rare Megamouth Shark Caught

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-10T14:31:37+08:00

We found this very interesting article at our friends from Dive Photo Guide, amazing how little we know about our precious Oceans and how much is there to be discovered yet. The Philippine waters still hold a surprise or two, as long we take care of our Marine life... ...Fishermen based in Donsol were trawling for mackerel along the eastern coast of Burias Isle on the morning of 30 March when they caught a strange-looking shark from a depth of approximately 200 meters. WWF’s satellite tagging initiatives have already shown that pelagic filter feeders such as whale sharks and manta rays regularly prowl through the region. ...WWF Donsol Project Manager Elson Aca immediately arrived to assess the haul – and promptly identified it as a megamouth shark...

Palau's Shark City becoming a Ghost City? In support of the Year of the Shark 2009 and the Disturbing NEWS from Palau

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-07T19:38:07+08:00

There are very active negotiations underway between Palau and The Philippines at this very time to enter in to commercial fishing agreements and clearly there are elements of strong political support for the fishing companies as indicated by SB 8-44 and SB 8-50. The private industry organizations Palau Chamber of Commerce (pcoc@palaunet.com) and Belau Tourism Association (bta@palaunet.com) and the government tourism office Palau Visitors Authority (pva@visit-palau.com) are urging those around the world opposed to shark fishing, shark finning and unsustainable fishing practices to please express their concerns immediately by e-mail to all of the respective organizations. ...Just a quick update to thank all of you who have taken the time to submit your comments regarding the proposed legislations to permit commercial shark fishing and promote purse-seining in Palau's EEZ. ...All messages sent to the Belau Tourism Association bta@palaunet.com and Palau Chamber of Commerce pcoc@palaunet.com have been submitted to the Senate Committee in charge of reviewing these Bills. ...It is therefore very important that the review committee hears from as many people as possible on the potential damage to Palau's marine environment and tourism industry that passage of these proposed Bills (SB8-44 and SB8-50) may cause.

Science: Fossilized Octopuses found, a rare discovery from the Cretaceous Period rocks in Lebanon by German Paleontologist

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-06T12:40:22+08:00

Knowing and understanding Fossils this discovery really amazes me, very rare indeed since Octopuses don’t have any hard shell like Ammonites, Belemnites and other species in the this family group. ...Now scientists have found evidence of 95 million-year-old octopuses, among the rarest and unlikeliest of fossils, complete with ink and suckers. ...The result is that preservation of an octopus as a fossil is about as unlikely as finding a fossil sneeze, and none of the 200 to 300 species of octopus known today had ever been found in fossilized form, said Dirk Fuchs of the Freie University Berlin, lead author of the report. Fuchs and his colleagues now have identified three new species of octopuses (Styletoctopus annae, Keuppia hyperbolaris and Keuppia levante) based on five specimens discovered in Cretaceous Period rocks in Lebanon. ...Prior to this discovery only a single fossil species was known, and from fewer specimens than octopuses have legs, Fuchs said...

Breaking NEWS! Baby Buzz... at Dugong Dive Center... reported from last few days… more Baby Dugong sightings and Turtle hatching on this small Paradise Island in Palawan, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-28T15:03:46+08:00

It is now the Turtle nesting and hatching season at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, but not only Turtles…more sightings of Dugongs and a young calf. ...Club Paradise is certainly the place in Palawan, Philippines for nature lovers, where else can you see Dugongs during the Day with the Eco friendly staff at the Dugong Dive Center who’s conducting the Dugong watching. ...On the day the hatchlings crawl out of the sand, the staff gives them a helping hand, protecting and safeguarding these young Turtles until they reach the waters edge.. we release about 25% the same night, the remaining ones are then taken to a small pool until the shell get stronger for their release approx. 30 days later in small groups. ...The Club Paradise House Reef has a small portion with sea grass on either side and this is where the adult green turtles are residents and can be seen on almost every dive. ...© Courtesy of the Dugong Dive Center - This amazing shot was taken by Marvin Alvarez from the Dugong Dive Center, a guest ask him to take a few shots while snorkeling, he past the Camera to Marvin who then took the shot for the guest.

Palau! A Report by Jem Kemp continous...Three of us were lucky enough to dive at Blue Corner and it really is as good as people say. In fact it’s better still!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-25T17:06:10+08:00

Sam’s provide a full range of day tour options including diving (of course) but also guided kayaking tours (perhaps the best and lowest impact way to visit the Rock Islands), land tours, Rock Island Tours, snorkelling trips, WW2 history tours, fishing, private sailing etc. ...The logistics for the day tours are perfectly organised for all clients – guests are collected in the morning at their hotel by Sam’s Tour staff and transferred by road or boat to Sam’s centre. ...For lovers of big stuff this is way cool – countless Grey Reef sharks, a huge school of jacks, an equally big school of barracuda in the deeper blue, Spanish mackerel cruising by and inquisitive Napoleon wrasse ducking between our fins. ...The end of the days diving brings us back to Sam’s Tours and a welcome ice cold drink (or two) at their Bottom Time Bar and Grill which overlooks the Rock islands. ...Sam’s Tours facilities include a well stocked dive shop, new equipment rental, lockers, very impressive digital photo centre, free Nitrox for certified divers, the bar and restaurant and of course the very best staff whose attention to detail make for very happy guests from around the world.

The Palau Adventure of Jem Kemp continous, part two of Jem's visit to Palau Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-24T11:33:09+08:00

Very few of the hotels actually have their own dive operator or tour centre in-house and instead the typical model is for the hotels to concentrate on accommodation and for the tours and trips to be provided by external operators. ...However, diving is the main draw and it is rightly considered to be one of the best diving destinations in the world – this means that there are also steadily increasing numbers of European. ...West Plaza hotels have basic but clean and efficient rooms, with television, a.c, tea and coffee making facilities etc and are ideal for those on a budget who wish to concentrate their resources on diving and touring. ...Our final stop of the day was at Sam’s Tours where I met old friends and some new ones (hello Adela and Russelle) for the first time. ...At day end we returned back to Palasia for a tour of the hotel and facilities (include fitness centre, pool area, bar, restaurant etc) and a very pleasant meal where we joined by Janine Wong (General Manager) and Janice Aguon (Asst Manager - Sales and Marketing).

Late NEWS! The full version of the Video "A Marine Paradise" is now available at the Dugong Dive Center Website

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-23T19:01:57+08:00

Video all 20:18 min. is now available @ http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/video-gallery.html Click the screenshot and go direct to the Video Gallery As promised the full version of this truly amazing Video from Dirk Fahrenbach at Dugong Dive Center is now available on their website in the Video Gallery. We highly recommend using a Broadband/DSL connection, the full lengths of this Video is 20:18 min. approx.

Flight time is just 2hrs and 15 minutes with Continental Airlines to Palau, Micronesia, a first hand report...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-23T14:54:41+08:00

Despite the worries of Friday evening rush hour traffic the road journey from Makati in the centre of Manila just took 30 minutes – aided by a taxi driver who seemed determined to replicate some of the best scenes from Bullitt and other movie car chase greats! Regular travellers will know that Manila International Airport (NAIA) can be a busy affair BUT the airport is quiet at this time as there are not so many evening flights and the check-in was covered in double quick time with no queuing. ...There were of course the 15 of us on the Familiarization trip organised by Continental Airlines and the Palau Visitors Authority plus a good sprinkling of Western tourists who, judging by their dry cases and Suunto Stingers are heading for the great diving in Palau and perhaps onwards and elsewhere to Micronesia and the Pacific. ...The flight lands at 01.50am in Koror which is admittedly an unfriendly hour but customs and immigration checks were speedily conducted (note that visas are made available upon arrival in Palau) and we were then met at the Arrivals Hall by representatives of the Palau Visitors Authority (PVA) who were to be our guides and hosts for the next five days. ...The road journey from the airport takes no more than 15 – 20 minutes and would probably be very attractive during the day but the night time means that we only see brief flashes of lights from homes along the route until we reach Koror.

Inhabitants of our Oceans Million of years ago, meet the Trilobite… they covered the Ocean floor on every continent but went extinct before dinosaurs even came into existence

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-22T20:57:37+08:00

They went extinct before dinosaurs even came into existence, and are one of the key signature creatures of the Paleozoic Era, the first era to exhibit a proliferation of the complex life-forms that established the foundation of life as it is today. ...Trilobites appear to have been exclusively marine organisms, since the fossilized remains of trilobites are always found in rocks containing fossils of other salt-water animals such as brachiopods, crinoids, and corals. Within the marine paleoenvironment, trilobites were found in a broad range from extremely shallow water to very deep water. Trilobites, like brachiopods, crinoids, and corals, are found on all modern continents, and occupied every ancient ocean from which Paleozoic fossils have been collected. The remnants of trilobites can range from the preserved body to pieces of the exoskeleton, which it sheds in the process known as ecdysis.

An Alien invasion, or is it from a Horror Movie? Photo of an amazing Critter below the waves at night … what is a Bobbit Worm?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-20T22:49:56+08:00

I have picked up this Blog Post from our good friend and top Underwater Photographer Tony Wu, I personally have never seen or encounter this one, if any larger it will send shiver down your spine. Now I know where Hollywood gets all those Alien Movie Ideas from, of course from our so precious and little explored oceans. You have to check this one out… on purpose I have not included the image, I like to keep you in suspense, he, he. ...Incidentally, a few nights ago on another night dive, we found and played with a couple of bobbit worms (Eunice aphroditois)… ...We stayed up most of the night, diving in dark, cold waters to observe bobbit behaviour…read more and view the Bobbit Worm @

Breaking NEWS from Palau: Sharks in peril? Repeal of Palau's Shark Protection Laws Proposed!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-19T18:22:51+08:00

A Bill is now before Palau's OEK (Congress) that if passed would eliminate Palau's strong shark protection laws and actively encourage fishing for sharks and the taking of shark fins. Senate Bill No. 8-44 seeks "to amend Title 27 of Palau's National Code to allow for the commercial fishing of sharks within Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone, to impose a tax on the export of sharks and tuna-like species, and for other related purposes." ...Under Senate Bill 8-44 it is unclear whether shark fishing and or shark-finning is or is not permitted and the ambiguity will make it virtually impossible for law enforcement to successfully prosecute potential violators. ..."A minimum monetary or in-kind fish donation that commercial fishing companies shall make to the Belau National Hospital, the Aging Program within the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, or similar governmental agency or private, non-profit organization. ...Fishing company consortiums from the city of General Santos, Philippines, are pressing hard for rights to fish in Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone and it is widely believed that introduction of this bill is no mere coincidence.

Spectacular Underwater Video from the House Reef at Club Paradise & other locations in Palawan, Philippines… courtesy of Dugong Dive Center.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-19T13:27:35+08:00

This Video has been around for sometime but the full length has never reached the Web, now we have decided to share this truly amazing Underwater Video by Dirk Fahrenbach with you in YouTube. ...More than 20 minutes of great Marine Life, “Dancing Cuttle Fish”, Turtles, Dugongs and all the Critters you can imagine captured on this truly great Video by Dirk. Unfortunately YouTube allows us only to run 10 min. the full version 20:18 min. will be uploaded shortly on the Video Gallery of Dirk’s Website ...The original Video is part of a High End DVD available at Club Paradise (order base) composed of three sequences, edited and sound by Gunther Deichmann using GarageBand, Soundtrack Pro and Royalty released tracks from Sounddogs created on a MacPro. I am sure once you have seen the Underwater World from this exotic destination you pack your dive gear and book your next trip to Club Paradise and Dive with Dirk at Dugong Dive Center.

Dugongs only days ago... an amazing encounters with Dugongs near Club Paradise Palawan, Philippines, snorkeling with these great animals

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-13T21:01:18+08:00

It is the season for my trips and as usual, many of the alliance partners have come through in helping me with flying colors. ... Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center made the trip so incredibly memorable with providing the accommodations and boat service for my guests. Of course, I know people want to just have me get to the exciting stuff so right away let’s talk about our amazing encounters with Dugongs near Club Paradise. We had a cow and calf spend 15 minutes with us in the water with an attentive male coming in and out of view. ...And for the divers, we have a couple of Robust Ghost Pipefish or the what appears to be a species of Nembrotha that I found in separate locations but both in 2 feet of water in El Nido.

Scientists have discovered a highly unusual fish with fangs made of bone. Dubbed the "Dracula" fish

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-11T16:02:13+08:00

This very interesting discovery and article has been brought to my attention by no other than Walter Ty again, thanks for sharing Walter and bringing this to my attention. ...Dubbed the "Dracula" fish, the creature is about 17mm (0.7 inches) long and has been found in only one Burmese stream. The researchers, from London's Natural History Museum (NHM), believe the fish lost its teeth over evolutionary time, but later evolved the bone fangs. Writing in the Royal Society's journal Proceedings B, they say the males use the fangs to jostle each other - but do not appear to draw blood. ...Dr Britz, who has worked with Burmese wildlife for more than a decade, named the species Danionella dracula in honour of mythology's most eminent fanged predator...read the complete article and check out the photos @

Fins online...presenting Sam's Tours & Dugong Dive Center a recent get together in Manila...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-08T17:45:50+08:00

Sam Scott & Dermot Keane from Sam’s Tours in Palau and Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center met for a few hour in Manila recently; check out Fins online Blog for more at: http://www.finsonline.com/category/blog/

Underwater Video caught thousands of sharks, dolphins and gannets feast on the sardines...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-05T13:15:16+08:00

thousands of sharks, dolphins and gannets feast on the sardines. ...A BBC crew filmed thousands of sharks and dolphins, as well as elusive Bryde's whales, feasting on shoals. The footage also revealed gannets' deft underwater hunting skills as they dived to catch sardines. Each winter, cool ocean currents drive millions of the small fish northwards along the eastern coast of South Africa. These immense shoals, squeezed into this narrow cold-water corridor, provide an incredible feeding opportunity for the predators that live in and around these waters, watch the Video and read more at:

FINS online...Congratulations to the Team and the New Look of Fins.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-03T18:21:00+08:00

Check out the latest News from the Underwater World, spiced up with Videos, Podcasts and Images from all over Asia, including Equipment reviews, Underwater Photography, tech tips, Movies and a lot more. On their most recent Blog I contributed an article on Aperture 2 using a Mac, a comprehensive introduction to Aperture 2 for our Underwater Photographers. ...Aperture is the perfect companion in the field, providing you with all the editing tools you need, so that by the time you get back home from a trip, your work is almost done. During down time between destinations or waiting for your next connection at the airport, you can add captions, input keywords, determine ratings and apply some adjustments like straightening and cropping. If you haven’t tried Aperture, here are a few highlights..read MORE and click the screen shot or the LINK above.

Science NEWS: Brightly-colored fish which bounces along the seabed has been hailed as a new species by scientists

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-28T11:51:58+08:00

A brightly-coloured fish which bounces along the seabed has been hailed as a new species by scientists - who have dubbed it "psychedelica". Research published in the US scientific journal Copeia says the fish was spotted by scuba divers off the island of Ambon in eastern Indonesia. ...It belongs to the frogfish family, but its looks are unique even among its peers, the journal reported. ...The new psychedelica frogfish is completely covered in swirling concentric stripes - white and blue on a peach background - radiating out from its aqua-coloured eyes...read more and check out the cool Photo of this new species at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7914121.stm

Late NEWS: Smiling Faces...Department of Tourism North America visited Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center with Travel Agencies and Dive Operators

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-26T14:48:13+08:00

Happy and smiling faces from North America at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, Palawan, Philippines... The Department of Tourism (DOT) North America recently visited Club Paradise with many Travel Agencies and Dive Shop Owners from the US. ...The Activities included: ocular of rooms, island hiking and of course Diving with the Dugong Dive Center. Club Paradise gave t-shirts from the island crab shop to everybody and invited the group for wine tasting in the Club Paradise's Wine Cellar with Resort manager Loida, plus Dirk and Rolf from the Dugong Dive Center. ...at the House Reef at Club Paradise.

The Sex life of a Fish... fossil fish from Australia was one of the earliest known vertebrates to reproduce sexually

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-26T12:35:51+08:00

The fertilisation of eggs by sperm outside the mother's body - external fertilisation - is thought to have evolved before sex. ..."These (fish) show some of the earliest evidence for internal reproduction," Zerina Johanson, curator of fossil fish at London's Natural History Museum (NHM), told BBC News. ..."We expected that these early fishes would show a more primitive type of reproduction, where sperm and eggs combine in the water and embryos develop outside the fish." According to Dr Johanson, the 365 million-year-old specimen shows that "the type of advanced fertilisation, taking place inside the mother, was more common among early fishes than previously thought. "This discovery is incredibly important because evidence of reproductive biology is extremely rare in the fossil record," she said…read more, watch the Video and view the images: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7909984.stm

The Dugong Dive Center just opened a new dive shop at the sister resort from Club Paradise!!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-25T10:15:40+08:00

The Dugong Dive Center just opened a new dive shop at the sister resort from Club Paradise!! El RIO Y MAR ISLAND RESORT is located at the river exit from San Jose in a beautiful and tranquil Bay (Port Caltom), Palawan Philippines. The Resort has only 18 rooms and a fantastic bar on the end of a peer, the Bar is a great place for sunsets and later at night for star gazing. ...There is also brand new equipment at the new Dive Shop for our Divers like; Sherwood, Oceanic and Scuba Pro. ...Our dive boats “TASHINA” and “KAREN CLAIR” take divers and skin diver to the famous dive sites of APO REEF NATURAL PARK, TARA ISLANDS, CORON BAY and CLUB PARADISE HOUSE REEF.

More Breaking NEWS: A new Fin called Palau...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-20T17:27:46+08:00

This has just arrived from our Alliance Partner Asia Diver in Puerto Galera thanks Tommy for passing this on, Dermot from Sam’s Tours should get in touch with you, maybe you have the right size for his new born son, see previous Blog. What I find interesting is the name of these fins.. they called Palau what a cool combination for your next vacation, dive with Asia Divers in Puerto Galera and then with your new fins take a trip to Palau. ...Walked away from both the concept of a foot fin that fits direct on your feet or open heel fins that require booties, this new fins is an open heel fins that NOT require booties. ...This is great news for anyone that renting out fins for snorkeling, instead of 10 different sizes you have only 5 size that fit XXS-XXL. The result is that you need to invest less money to set up the snorkeling rental program as you need on half the number of fins.

Breaking NEWS: Baby Boom in Palau...a New Diver was born today...plus one night in Manila

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-20T15:55:13+08:00

Sorry no Name yet, Dermot Keane the GM from Sam’s Tours is currently in Manila where he received this great news only minutes ago. Dermot and all the other Alliance Partners attended a mid annual PMA meeting yesterday in Manila at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel...more on the meeting later, now we have to celebrate the good news and new addition to the Keane Family. ...Dermot is leaving later tonight with Continental Airlines for Palau with great anticipation to meet and check out his Son, he has just run out of the office for an hour or so to buy a wetsuit, snorkel and dive gear for his newborn. ...I know your name is Keane but I am not sure if you find the right size for him, that is even difficult in Manila.

Continental Airlines: From only US$ 495.- to Palau Micronesia from Manila, Philippines until March 2009

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-14T18:42:22+08:00

Continental Airlines: Fly from only US$ 495.-to Palau Micronesia from Manila, Philippines until March 2009! Hurry... & book your flights now for an unforgettable Vacation in Paradise. Please call Continental Airlines at; 818-8701 or 032 -233-7533 in Cebu City. Or contact our Travel Agent. For information on Sam’s Tours click this LINK or the Image above.

A Kaleidoscope of Colors and Success at the TRAVEL TOUR EXPO Manila 2009, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-07T21:48:01+08:00

Travel Agencies in all shape and sizes offered their deals and bargains, like Continental Airline with the super special to Palau for US$ 495.- for 3 nights including accommodation,(see our previous blog) ...Even Lufthansa had their own Booth, not to mention all the others like Singapore Air, Thai, Gulf and local airlines like Seair, Philippine Airlines only to mention a few. ...Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center for e.g., Dirk Fahrenbach confirmed many bookings for accommodation and Diving, at the Palau booth Sam’s Tours received a lot of interest and some early bookings too. ...In short... a fantastic and very successful Travel and Tour Expo, held in the ultra modern SMX Complex, great layout and facilities, super Coffee Shops, fantastic clean Toilets and believe it or not German Bratwurst, just like at the Duesseldorf Boot Show. ...Congratulation to the Organizer for a job well done, lets do it again next year with a bit more advertising and the Philippines can be reckon with as a major event holder.

Breaking News: Super Specials from Continental Airlines at the TRAVEL TOUR EXPO 2009, Manila Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-06T17:46:01+08:00

For more information and reservation, please call Continental Airlines at; 818-8701 or 032 -233-7533 in Cebu City. ...Palau Visitors Authority participation in the 16th TravelTour Expo 2009 in Manila, held at February 6 to 8 at Halls 2, 3 & 4 of SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. ...The TravelTour Expo was conceptualized by PTAA in 1994 to showcase the products and services of its members. ...After its successful move to SMX Convention Center this year, preparations are again underway for the 16th TravelTour Expo 2009 which will take place on February 6 to 8 at Halls 2, 3 & 4 of SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. With the theme “Travel in Style” , the event features two new segments – lifestyle (which will cover travel accessories, health and wellness products and services, culinary schools, car rentals and the like) and food sellers with lounge areas.

Diving with Dugongs special accomondation from the Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, the latest from the 2009 Duesseldorf Boot Show, ONLY 400,- Euro

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-23T22:34:35+08:00

Dugong Dive Center at Club Paradise, Palawan, ...This has just arrived from the 2009 Duesseldorf Boot Show in Germany, "One Week with Dugong Dive Center at Vicky’s Guesthouse: Accommodation, Food, Boat and Non Limit Diving, “ONLY 400,- Euro !!!" ...or visit Dugong Dive Centers Web Site @ http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/ ...© Gunther Deichmann - DIVE the WRECKS of Coron Bay, Palawan © Gunther Deichmann - DIVE the WRECKS of Coron Bay, Palawan

New! Dive Planner for iPhones and iPod Touch...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-18T18:25:34+08:00

Here is an interesting tip for all our Divers using iPhones or iPod Touch, a cool application for download see below some info from the article...sorry I cant provide you a screenshot due to copyright issues but check out the link below. ...Dive Planner works well, and it’s a heck of lot easier to read and use than any dive table I’ve ever seen. Sure, dive computers are more powerful, more popular, and used by nearly everyone now. While Dive Planner won’t replace dive computers for complex plans, it works quite well—much better than dive tables—for simple dive calculations, and at $3, it’s quite the bargain. Dive Planner is compatible with any iPhone or iPod touch running the iPhone 2.0 software update and got a Mouse rating of 4.5

Lets change the subject... Tigers, Rhinos, River Dolphins and many other species require our help too including our starving children

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-17T20:54:02+08:00

In the past few days we have talked a lot about the killing of Sharks…but remember there are so many other animals out there who need out protection and some of them are even in more need of our help. It is true sharks getting slaughtered everyday but so do other species swimming in our Oceans or on Land and not to mention the destruction of our Rainforest. Even myself lost focus for a while, but I have realized that we have to think Global and not only concentrating on just one animal ...only then can we make a change. ...Maybe it is this time of the year when Television Channels like Discovery,Trade Shows and others featuring shark related stories but please remember they are not the only ones who need protection. ...We cant even take care of the events in the Middle East, Africa like Somalia and other places, how can we take care of our wildlife if we have starving children all over the world.

Dive Photo Guide announcement...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-17T16:13:33+08:00

Palau is right there on the top of my list of places I want to dive. After reading the Philippine -Micronesia Alliance blog, I was alerted to this website about the shark sanctuary, worth a visit. The park was founded in 2001, but this is the first website. Here is what was on the Alliance Blog... Click this LINK and go to DivePhotoGuide and read the complete story.

Breaking News direct from the Duesseldorf Boot Show in Germany, China Air FRANKFURT - TAIPEI - KOROR Roundtrip only EU 1,076

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-17T15:40:32+08:00

We have just received this information from the Duesseldorf Boot Show in Germany, attended by the Palau Visitors Authority PVA and other major Operators like Palau Pacific Resort, Sam’s Tours and the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance Members, like Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise and Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort ...China Air just released the following information:  ...Arrive Taipei 06:05 Non-stop ... Arrive Koror 12:05 Non-Stop (noon) ...Cannot be booked on-line at China Air (yet..not in system) 

Late Breaking News.. finally it is out the NEW Sharkweeks.com website from Sam's Tours in Palau is launched, and a recent visit by Dr.Sylvia Earle Oceanographer with Actress Daryl Hannah

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-16T16:16:05+08:00

Shark Weeks 2009 is a year long shark education and awareness program offered by Sam's Tours Palau, a PADI 5-Star National Geographic Dive Center and eco-tour operator, in conjunction with Palau Shark Sanctuary a shark conservation organization, in support of the International Year of the Shark 2009. The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is proud to have Sam’s Tours as their partner in Micronesia. Shark Weeks is a One Year Programme initiated by Sam's Tours – where every week is a shark week. ...More on Dr Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer who has just recently visited Sam’s Tours in Palau with Actress Daryl Hannah. ...of Sam’s Tours and Actress Daryl Hannah

A stop over in Manila for some Alliance partners on the way to the Boot Show 2009 in Duesseldorf, Germany

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-15T21:45:45+08:00

From the Tropics to the bitter cold, but let me assure you these Guys can handle it, veterans of the Duesseldorf Boot Show over many years and talking about Veterans, Dirk Fahrenbach from the Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise joined Sam and Dermot for a few hours here at PMA virtual office. They arrived late on Wednesday night, stopped by for a few Beers and the next day before taken the flight to Germany spend most of the morning fine tuning a big, big surprise to be announced tomorrow. ...They got their Laptops out connected to or Wi-fi and organized what still had to be organized before leaving for Germany, Sam called Palau on Skype and we fixed a few things on his MacBook Pro including getting iTunes and his iPod ready for the long Journey. ...Dirk Fahrenbach after 23 years of attending the Boot Show cant make it this time around due to some other urgent matters but he will be represented by some staff at the Philippine Booth. ...By the way Tommy from Asia Divers our other partner in Puerto Galera will be there too and I am sure they get together for some good German Beer with Bratwurst and Sauerkraut.

GREAT NEWS! NEW EXCLUSIVE AIRLINE RATES with Continental Airlines a special from our Alliance Partner Blue Horizons and Travel

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-12T13:15:03+08:00

This refelects CO's commitment to encouraging growth on this sector and an understanding that by delivering long term rates it makes it easier for those considering flying to Micronesia to do their planning. Rates are subject to change and availability and we advise early booking wherever possible but suggest that anyone interested in securing these seats contact us at any time during the next 12 months to check on schedules, rates and seat availability.

...Our travel partners Blue Horizons provide full ticketing services for these flights and are very happy to assist you with Manila hotels and transfers if you require stopover time in Manila and the Philippines. ...If you wish to visit both Palau and Truk on the same itinerary then that is no problem and promotional fares are valid when combining these two destinations

Press Release from Palau Micronesia, website for the Palau Shark Sanctuary is finally launched

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-10T20:53:55+08:00

I'm deeply indebted to my good friend, fellow environmentalist and amazing photographer Gunther Deichmann who sponsored and created the site in support of the International Year of the Shark 2009. Gunther was instrumental in helping me get the Shark Sanctuary off the ground back in 2001 and has been and ardent supporter ever since. ...Dennis Camblin of Logo Pacific, Hawaii who has supported me from day one and launched the Palau Shark Sanctuary line of logo clothing which has helped fund my efforts since 2001. ...Thanks also to Sam's Tours and Ben Franklin Department Store who are corporate sponsors of Palau Shark Sanctuary and sell Shark Sanctuary logo clothing in support of the efforts to end shark-finning in Palau and elsewhere. ...Please pay a visit to http://www.sharksanctuary.com/ and link to: http://www.sharksanctuary.blogspot.com/ for the latest news on sharks and shark conservation efforts in Palau.

Late breaking NEWS: A Shark Sanctuary in Palau Micronesia...the official website

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-10T16:09:56+08:00

Late Breaking NEWS: The Palau Shark Sanctuary is proud to announce their official website. Protect Palau 's sharks and other marine creatures. The Palau Shark Sanctuary, Palau 's first shark conservation organization, was founded in November 2001, in response to the reckless slaughter of Palau 's sharks for shark fins, by foreign vessels licensed by Palau to fish in their waters. For more information please go to: http://www.sharksanctuary.com/mission.html Some minor work is still been carried out on this newly launched site, more updates of images, text and a Blog will follow shortly so please stay tuned.

Science: a new discovery of a fish using a "mirror" to focus light into its eyes.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-10T16:03:08+08:00

A Pacific fish uses mirrors as well as lenses to help it see in the murky ocean depths, scientists have revealed. ...Tests confirmed the fish is the first vertebrate known to have developed mirrors to focus light into its eyes, the team reports in Current Biology. "In nearly 500 million years of vertebrate evolution, and many thousands of vertebrate species living and dead, this is the only one known to have solved the fundamental optical problem faced by all eyes - how to make an image - using a mirror," said Professor Julian Partridge, of Bristol University, who conducted the tests. The mirrors must give the fish a great advantage in the deep sea, where the ability to spot even the briefest of lights can be the difference between eating and being eaten ...Spookfish is a name often given to Barreleyes - a group of small, odd-looking deep-sea fish species, found in tropical-to-temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans... read the complete article and see the amazing image of this incredible fish @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7815540.stm

Squalane Now Made From Olives, Not Sharks...a nice and humorous feedback from our Partner Sam's Tours in Palau Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-07T20:14:41+08:00

Susan Lark is proud to announce that she is reformulating her squalane skin care line. ...It is so nice and rewarding to get sometimes a feedback from our blog posts, in this case a very nice and humorous comment from Sam Scott at Sam’s Tours in Palau Micronesia. Sam is a very staunch supporter of our Marine Environment in particular of the preservation and protection of Sharks... and not only in Palau. ...Perhaps all us older people should give the new wrinkle crème made with olive oil a try and see if we can turn back the clock;)” ...Thanks Sam for sharing this with us and once I get more wrinkles I certainly give it a try...

Squalane Now Made From Olives, Not Sharks in support of the International Year of the Shark 2009

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-06T20:21:53+08:00

Susan Lark is proud to announce that she is reformulating her squalane skin care line. The new line will contain squalane sourced from olives rather than sharks. ...Susan Lark is proud to announce that she is reformulating her squalane skin care line. ...It will contain 100 percent natural, eco-friendly squalane sourced from olives, which has the same hydrating properties as shark-derived squalane, but without the worry of the overfishing associated with shark squalane. In addition, the new formula will contain natural jojoba esters, a botanically-derived emollient that helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and improve skin firmness.

Happy New Year from Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, party time on the beach…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-01T18:17:29+08:00

Better late than never… considering that in some parts of the World it has just turned Midnight or 2009. Happy New Year from Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan Philippines, I have only received these images. I guess being on this Paradise Island things take just a bit longer to reach us. Party time on the Beach with a spectacular fireworks display is a long standing tradition at Club Paradise…NOW you might say…I wish I could have been there…well there is always next year but make sure you book early.

Happy New Year from the Philippines and Asia Divers in Puerto Galera

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-01T00:17:01+08:00

Happy New Year from Asia Divers and El Galleon in Puerto Galera Philippines The first and last for today Asia Diver has send in their images and as expected everybody is looking red eyes, hugging and kissing at the Point Bar. A very Happy New Year from Asia Divers in Puerto Galera. GD

Live!!! Well almost live from the Philippines & Sam’s Tours in Palau, party time at our DIVE & RESORT Destinations…celebrating the New Year…it is 2009 in Palau NOW!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-31T22:58:42+08:00

This Happy New Years event is brought to you direct from Manila with connection to all our partner destinations in the Philippines and Micronesia. ...Our first report was from Chuuk about an hour ago, they are ahead of us, Palau is next and of course the Philippines. The Alcohol has taken its toll… they all having a great and fantastic time at the Dive Centers and Resorts, but I try my very best to connect with them all. Please stay tuned and if you missed it tonight then check it tomorrow afternoon, I don’t think morning is a good Idea in particular for our divers, after all we should NOT go diving after a heavy night. So, sit back and have a relaxing day at the Beach, go snorkeling or sleep all day, it is after all your well deserved vacation.

Live!!! Well almost live from the Philippines, Palau and Chuuk in Micronesia, party time at our DIVE & RESORT Destinations…celebrating the New Year…it is 2009 in Chuuk NOW!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-31T21:52:59+08:00

This Happy New Years event is brought to you direct from Manila with connection to all our partner destinations in the Philippines and Micronesia. ...If for some reason we don’t get anything live from some of our partners I have only one explanation…the Alcohol has taken its toll… they all having a great and fantastic time at the Dive Centers and Resorts, but I try my very best to connect with them all. Please stay tuned and if you missed it tonight then check it tomorrow afternoon, I don’t think morning is a good Idea in particular for our divers, after all we should NOT go diving after a heavy night. ...We don’t have fire crackers or fire works but what we have thousands of young men and women walking and riding around in trucks beating and banging on anything that will make noise. ...The Truk Stop Hotel & Dive Center has 10 divers in the hotel over the Christmas Season and they were guests at the hotel Christmas Party and now have experienced New Years Eve in Chuuk.

Truk Stop Hotel & Dive Center Wins Best Float in Christmas Parade, Chuuk Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-26T16:47:44+08:00

Besides the float from Truk Stop Hotel & Dive Center, the Rotary Club, Xavier High School Alumnae Association, Health Services, a local youth group, and a missionary radio station entered floats in this Christmas Parade held on Saturday, December 20, 2008. ...There were three (3) judging stations along the parade route and when the event was over and the judges had conferred, the Truk Stop Hotel & Dive Center was chosen as the best float and awarded a $60.00 cash prize. One of the hotel flat bed trucks was the base for the Truk Stop float and decorated with palm fronds, paper & ribbons, plus a small Santa on the roof. ...Rowana, a massage therapist from the Philippines and employed at the Truk Stop dressed up as Santa and waved the whole 3 miles to Neauo Village. ...The Truk Stop Hotel is well decorated for the holiday season and its Restaurant and Hard Wreck Café’ & Bar will be open New Years Eve to ring in the new year.

Our partner destination Palau in Micronesia has received some very early Christmas Gifts...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-19T16:01:59+08:00

We are proud of our partner destination and of course our partner Sam’s Tours who was recently awarded the Tour Operator of the Year. Now Palau in Micronesia has scored big, see below the details from Scuba Diving Magazine. ...Here are the results of SCUBA DIVING MAGAZINE ...SCUBA Diving Magazine Top 100 Readers' Choice Survey Jan/Feb 2009 Issue

Late News: Reef Check Philippines and Asia Divers/El Galleon Beach Resort in collaboration with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-17T19:44:15+08:00

A while ago Gunther and I hinted at an amazing collaboration between several Philippine-Micronesia Alliance partners and Reef Check Philippines. It took several months to finalize the details but we are now ready to announce a unique and fantastic expedition for those who are interested in not only working alongside scientists,but directly contributing to the pursuit of data which aid in developing community-wide conservation initiatives and programs. ...Reef Check Philippines, Asia Divers/El Galleon Resort, SEAsia Kayak Tours & the PMA are proud to announce a Reef Check expedition to survey the magnificent reefs around Puerto Galera and Verde Island Passage. Please check the link below for further information. ...http://reefcheck.org/involved/puerto_galera.php

Announcement: Dugong Dive Center updated website with cool Underwater Video Clips

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-17T15:37:07+08:00

Our partner a from Dugong Dive Center has just updated their website...now with a new Gallery, Videos by Dirk Fahrenbach edited and sound mix by Gunther Deichmann. Other updates include some real cool images in the Photo Gallery by Omar, Dive Master from Dugong Dive Center plus all the details on the NEW Dive Boat Tashina are now available. The first videos have been uploaded but soon we show you more from Mexico, Galapagos,Micronesia and of course the Philippines check the site occasional or subscribe to our Blog for more announcements soon. Have fun and enjoy these truly amazing underwater video footage’s by Dirk or book your next trip to Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, the Philippines last Frontier. View the Videos NOW @ http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/index.html

Attention: Calling for Support in 2009 for THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE SHARK

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-16T20:08:25+08:00

The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is proud to be a sponsor and part of the Year of the Shark 2009. Since we are a multi lingual website we like to bring you some information about this project in different languages starting with Italian and German. ...The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is proud to be a sponsor and part of the Year of the Shark 2009. Since we are a multi lingual website we bring you some basic information about this project in different languages starting with Italian and German. ...Eppure questi animali intelligenti, anche chiamati “lupi del mare”, sono ancora intesamente pescati a le loro pinne usate per il piatto asiatico “la zuppa di pinne di pescecane”.

Dive Travel: A Great Month Of Diving With Asia Divers Travel Galapagos & the Maldives

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-14T14:57:19+08:00

Arriving in Quito was a pleasure, not so much as the flight was finally over, but to see a new and improved airport from the one I remember some five/six years before. ...This was a great time to put on that 7ml semi dry, hooded vest, gloves and all that you don’t use here in the Philippines, and work with getting your buoyancy right for the great dives that were to follow. ...The dives we did around Wolf all consisted of Hammerheads, Mantas, Galapagos sharks, and a school of Eagle rays that seem to be following us on every dive. ...The land tours we did were excellent, with all kinds of wild life from Blue Footed Boobies, Frigate’s to sea lions backing in the sun to iguanas lounging around with some fighting and others who obviously just did not care. ...We had a great time in the Galapagos and I’m very lucky to have made my second trip but, I can assure you, it will not be my last.

Direct from Palau...It's official.......Sam's Tours wins PVA's Tour Operator of the Year Award!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-12T14:10:13+08:00

Awarding winning is not new to Sam’s Tours which has been consistently recognized over the years not only by government and industry bodies for their commitment to development of sustainable tourism in Palau but also by their customers for consistent service excellence.  In 2007 Sam's Tours received a Top 10 Sponsor Award from PVA for "their continual support and sponsorship" and in 2006 the private sector Belau Tourism Association recognized Sam's Tours with their Outstanding Member Award for their "dedication, support and commitment over the years to Belau Tourism Association and its objectives.” The readers of a leading international dive magazine have recognized Sam’s Tours more than any other dive center in Palau or Micronesia with seven “Readers Choice Awards” since 1997 including a Gold List Award for top dive center, top staff, and top value. Sam’s Tours is the first and only dive center in Palau to receive the Palau Conservation Society “Ten Year Partner in Conservation Award” and is a Corporate Sponsor of the Palau Shark Sanctuary, a shark conservation organization founded in 2001 by Sam’s Tours General Manager, Dermot Keane, to help bring an end to the destructive practice of shark-finning by foreign fishing fleets operating in Palau’s waters. ...“Sam’s Tours has consistently demonstrated their long standing commitment to responsible tourism development, environmental preservation, and excellence in customer service and while recognition is not what drives us to excel, we sincerely appreciate the acknowledgment of our efforts by our industry peers and our valued customers alike” said Dermot Keane, General Manager, Sam’s Tours.

A newly discovered fossil from China shows the turtle's shell evolved.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-27T15:02:12+08:00

A newly discovered fossil from China has shed light on how the turtle's shell evolved. The 220 million-year-old find, described in Nature journal, shows that the turtle's breast plate developed earlier than the rest of its shell. The breast plate of this fossil was an extension of its ribs, but only hardened skin covered its back. ...The turtle fossil, found near Guangling in south-west China, is thought to be the ancestor of all modern turtles, although it differs markedly; it has teeth rather than a bony plate, the shell only covers its underside and it has a long tail. The fossil find helps to answer key questions about the evolution of turtles, Dr Xiao-Chun Wu from the Canadian Museum of Nature was one of the first to examine the fossil...read more and the complete article @

DivePhotoGuide: An Underwater Photographer's Guide to Puerto Galera

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-26T09:00:39+08:00

Puerto Galera, Matt Weiss, El Galleon, Gunther Deichmann, Asia Divers, Muck Diving, South East Asia, ...It has been a while since the last installment, Bali, on my guide to Southeast Asia. ...Many of the photos below are from our good friend Gunther Deichmann, who is a one of my favorite photographers and had too good of a library of Puerto Galera images to not include. ...Conversations with people who had visited the Philippines left me with a feeling of exotic dread, the idea that the place was somehow different, even downright eerie. ... Things like “armpit of the world”, “urban sprawl”, “pollution and poverty”, were not uncommon descriptions.

A Kitchen to be reckon with…after a good dive you need a good meal… a Gourmet special from El Galleon in Puerto Galera Philippines.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-25T20:40:40+08:00

Diving takes some energy and after a good days dive with Asia Divers in Puerto Galera you need to have a nice meal. ...So next time you in Puerto Galera check their new menu or even better book you next dive vacation with Asia Divers and stay at El Galleon I am sure you want be disappointed. ...The restaurant already has some great new items on the menu and in time will have many more great mouthwatering suggestions. ...Many of our friends have seen the kitchen evolve into what has to be said, one of the best kitchens in the Philippines. ...With Christmas approaching you can be sure our chefs will be hard at work to come up with meals you’ll find hard to believe exist in this pristine part of the world.

Breaking News: Tigers, Silvertips and Reef sharks at a new Dive site…read the first hand report.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-21T17:00:06+08:00

Please read on what Kelvin Davidson and his wife, Anabel wrote, both are employed by the Truk Stop Dive Center which is a PADI Resort plus a IANTD and TDI facility…& a member of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. ...Most people familiar with Truk Lagoon also know that we have more than 100 miles of surrounding outer reef which has gone basically untouched because the big draw in Truk Lagoon are the wrecks. ...Inquisitive by nature, silver tips will repetitively pass very close to you (making the casual diver quite nervous but thrills the underwater photographer) and are found here in unusually large numbers with the occasional leopard shark basking on a sandy ledge. ...Tiger sharks are perhaps the most graceful and magnificent of the apex predators in the ocean and move in such a relaxed manner, without a care in world and oblivious to everything that is not consider food to them – turtles are food to them and there is a lot of food around. So, if you’re in Truk Lagoon and your “lust for rust” has been quelled or you just want a mid-week break, get out and see what very few people have every seen – some of the worlds best reef and walling diving and right in the middle of Truk Lagoon.

The new turtle species is a missing link between land and water-based turtles

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-20T16:40:27+08:00

The new turtle species is a missing link between land and water-based turtles The earliest turtles known to live in water have been discovered on a Scottish island. The 164 million-year-old reptile fossils were found on a beach in southern Skye, off the UK's west coast. The new species forms a missing link between ancient terrestrial turtles and their modern, aquatic descendants. ...The turtles were found embedded in a block of rock at the bay of Cladach a'Ghlinne, on the Strathaird peninsula. It contained four well-preserved turtle skeletons, and the remnants of at least two others...check out this amazing and complete article with photos @

To You & all Divers and Underwater Photographers please support the Year of the Shark in 2009

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-19T18:57:10+08:00

I have been in touch with “The Sharkman” and like to introduce you today to The Year Of The Shark - 2009 which need help and all our support for 2009. ...… was inspired by the finding that at the current rate, common shark species will be extinct in 10 to 15 years. ... Yet these intelligent animals, also called the “Wolves of the Sea” are still fished intensively, and finned for “shark fin soup.” The oceans have evolved over hundreds of millions of years with sharks as apex predators, so their loss will destroy oceanic health. ...http://groups.google.com.mt/group/let-sharks-live?

Asia Divers New Dive Boat “Asia Explorer” now in Puerto Galera Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-19T14:18:17+08:00

We have just received this info from one of our Alliance Parter Asia Divers in Puerto Galera,Philippines ...Many of our divers still do, however with the selective people we are receiving today the needs for a faster more elegant dive boat has become the need for many of our guests. ...Modeled after a well-designed skiff, our dive boat seats sixteen fully equipped divers and fully loaded (two tanks per diver) can cruise at around 25mph. ...The boat is called Asia Explorer for the very reason, it will enable us to take you to dive sites as far away as Anilao, Maricaban or, to Verde Island drop off/ Black Fish corner, the Buko’s and more. The boat is equipped with radar for night travel, fish finder with GPS capability to find those not so easy dive sites and soon some new ones.

Underwater Photography & Science from Puerto Galera image of an Octopus makes the science paper…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-18T15:10:57+08:00

An Octopus from Puerto Galera makes it into a major ...I supplied this image for research purpose some time ago and now it is published in a major study on Octopuses. If you interested in Octopuses or if you are a Marine Biologist and like to read the complete article you find the address below. ...Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 2008, 46, 105-202 ...Colour Figure 16 (Villanueva & Norman) Adult Octopus cyanea in camouflage display amongst soft corals,Puerto Galera, Philippine Islands.

A Triggerfish and Nudibranchs encounter…diving in Puerto Galera, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-15T16:55:06+08:00

All of a sudden and out of nowhere I got confronted by this giant Triggerfish charging me, I used my Camera Housing as a shield and sure enough…clonk …he hit it right on.. ...He followed me for a while almost to the surface and my Dive Buddy kept on laughing, it must have looked very funny to him fighting of this fish with my housing and strobes attached. So if you go diving and you spot a Triggerfish watch out and circle around him you never know where his nest maybe, move back very slowly and keep an eye on him if charged. Trigger Fish can cause some serious injury with their powerful Jaws and I have talked to divers who have not been so lucky or had a camera housing to protect them. By the way, the Sinandigan Wall Dive site is a must for any Underwater Photographer looking for Sea slugs and Nudibranchs, check with your dive guide at Asia Divers for more details and make sure he keeps an Eye out for the unexpected Triggerfish at the same time.

Spotlight on: Sam’s Tours Palau, Micronesia Crown Jewel of the Pacific

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-10T16:20:15+08:00

As a member of the Philippine - Micronesian Alliance, which seeks to combine the diversity and macro-abundant seas of the Philippines with the dynamic and rich meg-faunal realm of Micronesia, I am in a fairly unique position to write about many of the alliance partners. ...Every diver dreams of the day they can wave in the currents with thousands of reef fish including dozens of sharks at the famed Blue Corner or be swept along vertical walls adorned with a multitude of colorful corals, sponges, and anemones. ...Not just diving, Sam’s Tours offers guided trips to explore the magic within the Rock Islands via kayak or boat, fishing expeditions (both reef and deep sea), and land-based tours to the large volcanic island of Babaldoab or historic Pelelui. ...It is probably why I gravitated towards the kayaking rather than the diving, and Sam’s Tours made it possible for me explore my own passions and translate them to my guests with their commitment to fostering this adventurous spirit in all of their guides and guests. Simply put, whenever I talk with divers and we find ourselves talking about Palau, I make sure to tell them to spend time on top of the water amidst the Rock Islands as well as below among the huge schools of fish.

Dirk Fahrenbach is on the Scuba Channel two cool Video Clips, Underwater Special and the Octopus on the Catwalk

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-07T22:05:13+08:00

the scuba diving web tv Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise in Palawan,Philippines has his Videos now on the Scuba Channel, or go to our Podcast and Video section right hand side to view more Videos from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. Or click this LINK The Divers Choice! Here is the LINK to the Scuba Channel

Congratulations to DivePhotoGuide for winning Best Website At Antibes

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-04T15:20:14+08:00

Congratulations from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance to DivePhotoGuide for winning Best Website At Antibes, the PMA is proud to be associated with DPG and congrats again to Jason Heller and his Team. ...Stay tuned for an article by Matt Weiss soon on the DPG Website, about Puerto Galera in the Philippines. ...We were just informed by Gyula "Jules" Somogyi, live from the award show at the 35th annual World Festival of Underwater Images in Antibes, France, that DivePhotoGuide was awarded the the prize for best "Educational Website". ...We are honored to receive this recognition from such a prestigious competition and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers from around the world as well as our exceptional team - Wendy Heller, Matt Weiss, Gyula Somogyi, Andrea & Antonella Ferrari, and Keri Wilk. You guys rock and I'm honored to have such an amazing bunch of people on our team who share an intense passion for underwater imagery and the ocean...read more @ DivePhotoGuide

Reef Check Philippines goes to Puerto Galera, at Asia Divers a member of the Philippine Micronesia Alliance in 2009

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-03T19:58:17+08:00

I have picked up this Blog Post from SE Asia Kayak Tours and our friend Lee Goldman a member of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. ...The PMA is proud to be part of the Reef Check Philippines and happy that the first Reef Check will be held at one of our Partners Asia Divers with El Galleon in Puerto Galera. ...I am very excited about it and I look forward to working with the staff and board of directors in continuing to monitor our reefs and educate about the importance of them to our daily lives. ... I have asked Allan Nash at El Galleon Resorts and Asia Divers to help us and they really went out of their way. ...I will be in touch with El Nido resorts to see if they want to help with conducting surveys on the reefs. and, of course, I will be asking for as much community involvement as I possibly can get.

From the Philippines to Palau and Chuuk in Micronesia... DIVING & MARINE articles from our Marine Biologist...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-03T19:01:16+08:00

Soon Marine Biology with Lee Goldman ...Soon we start a new series with our Marine Biologist Lee Goldman who is also a member of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance with his Eco Tours, SE Asia Kayak Tours. Lee will start the series from a Marine Biologist’s point of View on each and every destination with in the PMA. ...Conservation, Marine Bio-diversity and Reef Check, Lee is an expert on corals but has a fast knowledge about all these other critters and marine life from the Pacific, Micronesia and the Philippines. So, please stay tuned for some REAL MARINE LIFE soon...

New Dive Site in Truk Lagoon...Tiger sharks have been spotted...Dicover the unexplored...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-02T19:04:19+08:00

The past week has been hectic with visitors,Thomas Schubert from Bali, Dermot Keane the GM from Sam’s Tours in Palau and on the weekend Bill Stinnett from Chuuk or better known as Truk Lagoon. During his visit Bill mention to me that they have found a new DIVE Site which is supposed to be as good as Blue Corner and Tiger Sharks have been spotted here. ...The Truk Lagoon Dive Center has a comprehensive blending station that can provide any nitrox or trimix you require. ...And, we maintain a large supply of Helium (at least 60,000 liters/21 cu. ft.) for those who wish to minimize the effects of narcosis at deeper depths and improve decision making at any depth. The Truk Lagoon Dive Center is rebreather friendly and has a selection of rebreather cylinders available for those who do not wish to bring their own.

Guess who came for Dinner ? Visitors from Bali and Palau…Dermot Keane the GM from Sam’s Tours and a Member of the PMA & Thomas Schubert from Bali…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-29T11:51:39+08:00

Dermot Keane the GM from Sam’s Tours had a stop over in Manila on his way back to Palau, he just attended the DEMA Show in Las Vegas in the US. Thomas Schubert who I saw in Bali a week ago snowed in also on his way to Palau, his second home. We had a great and for a change quiet evening the at the Café Adriatico in Malate talking about Bali and of course DEMA, more interesting NEWS soon from Sam’s Tours in Palau, I keep you posted in the next few weeks with the latest developments at Sam’s Tours in Palau Micronesia. ...Photo: Hermes Singson, good friends at the Cafe Adriatico in Malate, Manila from left: Dermot Keane, Grace (my better half) GD and Thomas Schubert

Shark fins…caught in the act? I saw this with my own eyes…truckloads of shark fins in the Harbor of Bali, Indonesia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-24T15:42:52+08:00

I have just returned from Bali Indonesia and one morning took a stroll at the Harbor area in Bali. Fish like Tuna been unloaded for commercial consumption but when I came across this Boat (see image below) my hair stood up. Thousands of Shark fins been unloaded from this large vessel onto smaller Trucks at the Warf…this was just one Boat and I only watched for about half an hour before leaving with disgust. How many more mornings, how many more boats, how many more Trucks… HOW MANY ARE LEFT? ...If this happen in just a small Port of the world and I only watched for half an hour one Boat being unloaded then I don’t like to see the statistics for the rest of the world!

Picture perfect...spectacular sunsets from Asia Divers & El Galleon Beach Resort during this time of the year...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-30T22:21:52+08:00

If you visit Asia Divers and El Galleon this time of the year make sure you bring your Camera along, you never know when you get this amazing sunset right in front of the El Galleon Beach Resort in Puerto Galera. The image below is looking towards the Batangas area click on the image or this LINK for more images from the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance Destinations. The Divers Choice. © Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com

Environment: The very recent killing of Thresher and dogsharks for squalene, photos of the liver from some 1,000 + dogsharks that were caught. They live at least 2 fathoms deep..

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-28T17:12:24+08:00

Donsol, Sorsogon, Philippines is known internationally as being an area that attracts some of the largest congregations of whale sharks in the world. ... This was largely due to the world-wide recognition they received from WWF and the incredibly positive response from the tourism industry (both locally and internationally). ...Just a bit of education and an economic value larger than what can be provided by fishing them must be provided (the notion that protecting an animal for the sake of protecting biodiversity, especially in third world countries, is not a reality…misguided but true). ... On the small island of Malapascua, Threshers sharks have gained protection due primarily to the recognition that they 'bring-in' more money as a live attraction for SCUBA divers than as a dead animal sold as parts to the neighboring Asian countries. ... In Donsol, the attention has been on the Whale shark, now help is needed to expand the attitude of protection to other species as well…

China Dive Expo and the Expat Expo in Shanghai, the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance was represented by Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-26T17:11:55+08:00

Alliance Partners in Shanghai China Dive ...Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center attended the CDEX Dive Expo and at the Expat Show in Shanghai, from Friday 18th to 21 Sept. Juergen Warnke and Dirk Fahrenbach have just returned from the Expo with some very good results. Both events where held at the same time in Shanghai and some booking coming in already, below some images from Dirk Fahrenbach. One of the highlights was a Cocktail evening with JW and DOT.

Late News: Dugong Dive Center & the NEW and very sexy TASHINA...explore and island hopping to APO REEF NATURE PARK or CORON BAY with its Wrecks from WW II or TARA ISLANDS plus a lot more in Palawan, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-17T19:32:46+08:00

we have just gotten word that the very “SEXY TASHINA” is now at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. Dirk Fahrenbach dropped these images of yesterday, now he is on the way with Juergen Warnke from Club Paradise to the Shanghai Dive Expo. ...For daily dive trips the boat has a capacity of maximum 10 divers and for overnight trips a maximum of 6 divers. ...Guest that like to have a private boat with dive guide and boat crew will have an individual dive cruise, they never forget. ...Trips to APO REEF NATURAL PARK or CORON BAY with its Wrecks from WW II or TARA ISLANDS are the 3 main destinations we still offer with our Dive Boat “Karen Claire”.

National Geographic Traveler: Amazing Photos of Sailfish a great article not only for Underwater Photographers.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-26T14:11:49+08:00

I have just received this info from the National Geographic Traveler super cool images not only for Underwater Photographers but for everyone...you have to see these amazing images of sailfish...all the links are below. ...Hi Gunther, I thought you might like these photos of a large group of sailfish off Isla Mujeres in the Gulf of Mexico, attacking a huge bait ball of sardines. The sailfish work together to reduce the size of the baitball, and Nicklen shows them sticking their long noses into the swirling mass of sardines, then suddenly shooting up their sails and flashing wild colors to scare the bait fish: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/sailfish/nicklen-photography The video shows the sailfish in action:

DivePhotoGuide and the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance...thanks for announcing our NEW and updated Website...we have also added some more cool Underwater Videos to our Podcast and Movie section, this time from Palau and Chuuk a glimpse into the World War II History of the Pacific.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-24T16:03:48+08:00

Many thanks to our good friends at DivePhotoGuide for announcing our NEW updated website, thanks Guys. We have just added some very intersting Videos to our collection, you find them in our Podcast and Movie section,or Click this Link ...All video clips are for DSL/Broadband and we reccomend a good connection, these new clip have been produced for Sam’s Tours and Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center. View the World War II relics of Chuuk or also know as Truk Lagoon get inspirred by the History and dive the sunken Japanese fleet in the Pacific of Operation Hail Stone. © Video’s by Gunther Deichmann & Dirk Fahrenbach, edited and soundtracks by Gunther Deichmann © 2008 all right reserved

More good NEWS from the Philippine -Micronesia Alliance...NOW with a Podcast and Movie Gallery on our Blog

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-23T22:41:01+08:00

You might have also noticed that we have made some change to our Blog Pages...full access to some videos from our destinations are now available on the right hand side: PODCAST AND MOVIES There is now also a direct access to our Alliance Main Website via the New link top right hand side. We are constantly updating our Blog and website, stay tuned or subscribe for the latest NEWS , Images and Videos. ...Click on the images above and this will take you right to our NEW Podcast and Movie section. Please have some patience some of the Clips could take several minutes to download, of course this depends on your connection.

Late Breaking NEWS...finally our updated and improved website is up and running at alliancediving.com the Divers Choice

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-22T14:14:05+08:00

Finally our NEW and improved website is up and running...more info, a cool Photo Gallery,easier direct bookings with all our Partners, easy to book and choose our dive,travel and adventure packages plus a lot more and all of this in nine languages. You might have to refresh your Browser and update your cache. Please go ahead and check it out, our domain name is the same except for the facelift...www.alliancediving.com You might have to refresh your Browser and update your cache. Click on the screenshot and go direct to our updated website @

Dont miss this show on the BBC...Palau reveals new fish species... Pacific dives recover novel fish... The bright blue damselfish is finally in the hands of science, blue damselfish found 120m down off Palau

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-16T16:27:07+08:00

Marine biologists being filmed for a BBC TV series have confirmed an astonishing 13 new fish species on a single expedition in the Pacific Ocean. ...The quest to find the novel fish is detailed in the series Pacific Abyss and includes the capture of a long-sought and spectacular damselfish. ...Sited some 60m (200ft) to 150m (500ft) down, this is a transition region between depths that still receive some sunlight during the daytime and waters that are in perpetual darkness. ...Even so, for safety reasons, their dives were strictly time-limited, and each sortie saw a quick scramble to net as many different fish as possible before the required slow ascent to the surface. The newly described species include several new colourful damselfish in the Chromis genus; at least one new species of basslet (from the Plectranthias genus); an unusual hawkfish and a new species of butterflyfish.

Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide is back in the US...read his first report & the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is proud to be a sponsor of DivePhotoGuide.com and Matt...plus only few more days before we launch our very new and updated alliancediving.com website.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-14T13:21:22+08:00

Matt Weiss is back in the US and preparing all the articles now for DivePhotoGuide and others...see below his first Intro/Guide and acknowledments to all the people and Dive Centers who helped in completing his enormous task. ...After 3 months in the field, and a brief stint manning the DivePhotoGuide booth at the Malaysian Dive Expo (MIDE) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I am finally home and in the process of preparing a series of articles about South East Asia, sometimes referred to as the coral triangle and the most bio-diverse marine ecosystems in the world. ...I plan to concentrate on all aspects of my trip, including some that are often overlooked, solely from an underwater photographer’s point of view – How was the camera room set up? ... This vital information is often ignored by non photographers, so I hope to cover all the idiosyncratic requirements that are very important for underwater photographers and videographers to keep top of mind while traveling.. ...For any readers who are looking for ideas for your next dive trip, South East Asia is full of them, feel free to bookmark this page, and within the upcoming weeks, you'll find links to each of the destinations I've visited with a complete report on each.

Late NEWS...Disney Responds Regarding Shark Tournament Involvement in DivePhotoGuide…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-04T23:28:52+08:00

In the wake of our coverage of the various shark tournaments and the damage they are creating, both physically to local shark populations as well as perceptually by glorifying the killing of sharks, we identified that Disney has violated their own code of ethics by continuing their involvement in the broadcast of the Quiznos Madfin Shark Tournament on ESPN2… more @ ...Every living thing has a right to be on this planet, we humans are only infants in geological times, because we are more intelligent (are we?) doesn’t give us the right to wipe out everything…and don’t tell me this is sport…that is… make up the rest of the words. The big white Hunter…with a trophy on the wall…yes soon there is nothing left out there except on these walls of a very few. ...Son that is a shark…oh, I like to see that one…sorry son you can only see that on MY Wall…Why?

Breaking News...Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center plus Continental Airlines in Flight Media Associates Fly Away to Chuuk Sweepstakes

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-04T11:43:22+08:00

2008, at 11:23 am -"One Entry" | | SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Continental Airlines In Flight Media Associates Fly Away to Chuuk Sweepstakes", url: "http://www.freestufftimes.com/contests/01/continental-airlines-in-flight ...Prize: (1 winner) Destination Travel Package for winner and one guest to the featured destination of the month, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia. The prize includes round trip, coach air transportation on Continental Airlines for winner and Guest, (from major airport served by Continental nearest winnerâ€™s U.S. residence and the destination as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) plus hotel accommodations (one room/double occupancy) for four (4) nights at the Truk Stop Hotel. ... The bearer of this travel package certificate is responsible for any difference in price due to reserving any higher priced package, additional travelers, or a fee applied as a result of a change in the reservation, and is responsible for all airline and government departure taxes, incidentals, gratuities, optional travel insurance, personal spending and all other expenses not specifically listed. Trip winner and travel companion must have all necessary identification and/or travel documents required for travel outside the continental United States.

Breaking NEWS...Reef Check International and the Philippines...the Philippine -Micronesia Alliance is in support of this non profit organization...plus a lot more.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-30T22:02:21+08:00

I am very proud to announce that the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance is NOW affiliated and in support of the Reef Check-Philippines the local chapter of Reef Check International, a non-profit organization. please read below our very first article from Lee Goldman, Marine Biologist and a member of the Alliance with S.E. ...Ideally, the best people to monitor the reefs are the people in the community and active divers who not only have a vested interest in the health of world-wide reefs, but interact with them on a regular basis. ...Puerto Galera is known the world over for its amazing diversity and the nearby Verde Islands group continually makes the biodiversity spotlight for its potential to be the center of the center of fish biodiversity within the famed ‘Coral Triangle’. ...We hope it is a huge success, as not only will the participants gain valuable skills, have fun, and dive in world-class sites, but the people of Puerto Galera and the Philippines will benefit from this on an exponential level. ...My experience as a marine biologist and expedition leader was the perfect skill-set for the development of this expedition and I will continue to work with Reef Check Philippines on future expeditions around the islands of the Philippines.

And the Winner is...Layang Layang, 27 July 2008 - Congratulations to the winners of the Layang Layang Underwater Digital Photo Shootout 2008!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-29T12:27:16+08:00

After six days of friendly competition among 34 competitors from 10 countries, a panel of three internationally acclaimed underwater photographers (Settimio Ciprianni, Stephen Wong and Rod Klein) selected winning images from entries submitted by contest participants. Each of the participating divers undertook the challenge of creating beautiful and creative images during their dives around Layang Layang, with contest rules permitting everyone to submit up to three images in each of two categories — macro and wide-angle. Given the world-renowned, rich waters around Layang Layang, as well as the determination and skill of the contest participants, it’s no surprise that Read more… ...Some of them have just heard of Puerto Galera, Truk and Palau, but never considered to visit there. During the event, divers talked about the prizes, and talked about diving in Philippines and Micronesia a lot.

Press release...Soon the New and completly overhauled Philippine-Micronesia Alliance Website...amazing NEW features for all your Adventure and Dive Travel.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-28T18:45:42+08:00

The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance web site is undergoing some major changes...we are working in the background and advise you as soon it is up and running... We made some fantastic improvements not only for all the Alliance partners but for YOU the Customer... Easy to navigate, great Photo Gallery from all or destinations, easy direct and Package bookings with our partner Blue Horizons Travel plus our new partner S.E. ... Real time weather forecast from all our destinations in the Philippines and Micronesia plus a lot more & all of this in nine languages. ...

Australia:Breaking NEWS...Fantastic Photo of a NEW White Whale from Down Under...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-23T20:03:53+08:00

A new white humpback has been sighted off Byron Bay on the east coast of Australia. The newcomer, which was filmed by a television news helicopter, has excited marine scientists who think it may be related to Migaloo - to date, the only known all-white humpback whale. ..."Because as far as we know, he is globally unique," said Professor Peter Harrison from the Whale Research Centre, Southern Cross University. ...A record number of humpbacks have been spotted off the Australian coast this year on their annual migration north to their breeding grounds. One thing scientists do agree on is that this second white whale has never been seen in these waters before...

Lets call it double "D"…What have Sam’s Tours and Dugong Dive Center in Common? Easy…Dermot and Dirk… both are members of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance…the Divers Choice. A funny story in the recent Fins Magazine…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-23T11:46:24+08:00

If you have a question about diving, life or anything at all that you’d like addressed (but not necessarily answered) by our resident know-it-alls Dirk and Dermot, email us at: ...Dermot’s definitely not my type, and he certainly doesn’t look good in a skirt, despite what he himself might believe. Second, when you spend all your time on a sun-drenched, idyllic tropical island like I do, you develop a unique perspective on life, which I am happy to share with others. ...As an Irishman, I’m a natural born advice giver, having put in many years of intense apprenticeship at some of the world’s preeminent institutions of (senseless) advice giving…Irish pubs! ...Dermot Keane is the general manager of Sam’s Tours in Palau, and Dirk Fahrenbach is the owner of Dugong Dive Center, located on Dimakya Island in the Philippines.

Underwater Photography continous...Nudibranch Photography in National Geographic Magazine NOW we know how he did it...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-19T20:36:57+08:00

That is a very good question…you might say Photoshop…but I have heard another story…moving a complete studio underwater, tons of equipment and of course a dozen or so assistants. Wow what a budget given to him by National Geographic, however there is no way that this could have been executed without moving the Nudibranchs from their original location… As mention in my previous blog I have seen David’s other images and one can only admire him, absolutely fantastic there is no question about it… …read the feedback from Marilyn an employee of the National Geographic Magazine who has shed some light on the subject… certainly an interesting topic, worth while talking about it... how far we can or cant go in today’s Photography. Now it is up to you and form your own opinion after you have viewed the mention Video or checked out the other supported link How did he do it?

Interesting NEWS...not our usual scince article but it made me laugh... Sam's Tours is all setup for uploading these sounds on to your iPod at the Digital PhotoCenter...provided you can hear the fish grunting...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-18T16:43:54+08:00

Not quiet... but very interesting reading and I thought I share this with you... oh boy, what they all discover these days... I guess if you at Sam’s Tours in Palau with the fully equipped Digital Photo Center and have a Underwater Housing for your Soundrecorder then there is no problem to up load all of these fishy noises on to your IPod...have fun and thanks again to Walter for pointing out this interesting and amusing story... ...Toadfish and midshipman fish use a variety of different sounds to attract mates and scare off rivals. Now US researchers have found that the area of a fish's brain that drives vocalization is extremely primitive. Writing in the journal Science, they say it suggests that the ability to communicate through sound emerged very early in the evolution of vertebrates...read the complete article and watch the Video...

Interesting story about Nudibranchs just published in National Geographic Magazine... PADI teaches us NOT to touch Marine Life...but how come...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-17T22:06:49+08:00

Last night I became part of an interesting 3-hour conversation with Marc Ambat and S M Jayabalan, both are scuba divers and take underwater photos. ...I mention a recent article in DivePhotoGuide.com… National Geographic has put up an online gallery of amazing nudibranch photography from our good friend David Doubilet, from the June issue. The imagery is classicly Doubilet, putting a different perspective on these amazingly diverse and colorful subjects...read more @ http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/david_doubilet ...This published article showcased the latest work of David Doubilet…amazing images of cool looking Nudibranchs (click the link for the images) http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/nudibranchs/ ...That is a very good question…you might say Photoshop…but I have heard another story…read the complete story at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/files/category-underwater-photography.html

The sexy Tashina is ready for her maiden Voyage to Palawan, Philippines... the NEW DIVE BOAT is available for you very soon at the Dugong Dive Center...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-06T18:13:10+08:00

...This is the latest NEWS from Dirk Fahrenbach from the Dugong Dive Center at Club Paradise a few more days and then she is traveling with Dirk to Palawan. I just received (only minutes ago) these latest images from Dirk, YES this sexy lady is floating and in the water.

The things you can do with just a small Digital Camera… Underwater Photography…great Marine Images from a Dive Master at Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines…plus our NEW Dive & travel Packages.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-02T19:40:19+08:00

Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center dropped by a few days ago and gave me this CD… Dirk what I am going to do with that one? ...After importing the images I only applied a few adjustments, mainly…cropping, Auto levels and a bit of contrast…since all the images had been in JPG I had some limitations, but Omar’s shots where that good anyway that little was needed for improvements. I created a new project and after I am done can store this on my external drive in case we need Omar’s shots for some future publications, of course with his permission. Great shots with such a small Camera, this gets to show you again what can be done with limited equipment, I guess in Underwater Photography you have to be a good Diver first, and Omar has that mastered for sure. Hey, lets not underestimate these Dive Guides with perfect diving skills they can show even the most experience Photographer a trick or two…in particular in finding you this elusive critters, remember they dive these places all the time, so next time you at Dugong Dive Center have a chat with Omar or even better have a dive with him.

New Philippine-Micronesia TRAVEL, DIVE Packages & ADVENTURE TOURS now online... The Divers Choice!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-30T22:06:02+08:00

...But that’s not all... we also working very hard to give the Alliance Website a total overhaul, this is done in the background and we anticipate to implement this within in the next four weeks. Some very cool changes are taken place including the announcement of the International Environmental Organisation, you just have to stay tuned for all the up coming NEWS and updates.

S.E.Asia Kayak Tours presents a unique view into the Philippines Nature and Biodiversity for more details go to the new website...plus more great NEWS from the PMA.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-25T20:04:26+08:00

Very soon we be featuring S.E.Asia Kayak Tours on the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance web site including our NEW Dive and Travel Packages... we are working very hard to get this completed. ...We are a new business that offers Divers, Snorkelers, and Outdoor enthusiasts a unique opportunity to enjoy the majestic wonders of El Nido and the amazing reefs in the surrounding waters. ...Our goal was to develop an expedition that integrates kayaking, snorkeling, beach-combing, hiking, and sight-seeing into an interpretive, interactive, exciting and comfortable tour that exposes guests to the best of the marine and terrestrial life in Bacuit Bay, El Nido. Our tours revolve around the kayaking experience, often paddling for 3 – 5 hours per day and make many stops to snorkel among colorful coral gardens, explore tropical jungles, and relax on un-inhabited white-sand beaches where you can enjoy a freshly prepared lunch. ...Imagine a picture-perfect sunset on a secluded, private beach where you can enjoy sit-down, full service meals prepared by an internationally trained chef, have a massage after a day of fun and exploration and sleep peacefully under a sky full of stars with the sounds of water gently lapping at the shore.

Instead bringing children to some gory Shark Tournament...We should educate them that we have 'Only 50 years left' for sea fish' THINK NOW before it is to late.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-24T15:44:32+08:00

Instead showing our children the gory Shark cadavers we should remind them if we keep going like this there be nothing left in our Oceans. ...There will be virtually nothing left to fish from the seas by the middle of the century if current trends continue, according to a major scientific study. ..."The way we use the oceans is that we hope and assume there will always be another species to exploit after we've completely gone through the last one," said research leader Boris Worm, from Dalhousie University in Canada. ...Send us your comments "What we're highlighting is there is a finite number of stocks; we have gone through one-third, and we are going to get through the rest," he told the BBC News website. Steve Palumbi, from Stanford University in California, one of the other scientists on the project, added: "Unless we fundamentally change the way we manage all the ocean species together, as working ecosystems, then this century is the last century of wild seafood."

Is this how we educate our Children about our declining SHARK population, Oceans and Environment? Think!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-23T12:30:24+08:00

As most of our readers know, we have previously reported our intended coverage and call to action against the Montauk Shark Tournament and the subsequent death threats we have received. ...Montauk Shark TournamentOn June 14, 2008 we headed out to Montauk, New York to cover the 22nd annual Montauk Shark Tournament at the Star Island Yacht Club. ... I’ve known about the Montauk shark fishing tournament for years, but never understood the scale and gravity of the event prior to being contacted by the Humane Society of America. ...The board of directors of the Destin shark tournament were shamed by the negative publicity generated by the Humane Society, Star Island Yacht Clubjournalists, and other concerned citizens. ... The organizers of the Montauk shark tournament must have taken this fact to heart, and confronted all the photographers shooting the event and threatened to remove us from the event because it was in fact held on private property.

Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide an Update from Southeast Asia... including the Philippines with Dugong Dive Center and Asia Divers

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-20T13:35:02+08:00

Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide landed in Singapore...had a good connection and send out his first report read the whole article @ ...Matt Weiss, Indonesia, Philppines, Puerto Galera, Palawan, Asia Divers, Fathoms, Aqua Marine, Bali, Assignment, Southeast Asia, El Galeon, Dugong Dive Center, Cluba Paradise, Coral Triangle Note from Jason: Matt Weiss has been trotting around Southeast Asia on an extended assignment for DPG, visiting some of the most bio-diverse areas in Indonesia, Philppines and Malaysia. Internet access has been an issue but he finally as had a chance to check in from a quick stop in Singapore... ...I finally have a pretty good internet connection so here's an update on my experiences so far...go to DivePhotoGuide for the complete article @

S.E.Asia Kayak Tours our NEW partner in the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance has just announced their new website.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-19T19:10:01+08:00

S.E.Asia Kayak Tours our NEW partner in the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance has just announced their new website, soon also on the Philippine-Micronesia website stay tuned for all of this plus our exciting New Packages next week. ...The unbelievably bio-diverse region of northern Palawan is home to one of the most magnificent places on earth; El Nido. ... Towering limestone cliffs footed by white sand beaches that slip into turquoise waters abundant with colorful and diverse marine life. ...What better way to become more intimately familiar with the majestic karst limestone islands, fantastic reefs, amazing biodiversity, and stunning beaches than to kayak , snorkel and camp amongst them? Our world-class campsites are located on some of the most breath-taking beaches, where incredible sunsets, sunrises, wildlife, warm showers, large walk-in tents, private comfort rooms and 5-star, professionally-prepared meals await you.

Finding Paradise in Northern Palawan, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-17T13:33:28+08:00

I flew via Seair from Manila to Busuanga and upon landing in Busuanga, the Club Paradise jeepney took me and some guests for a 30 minute ride down the scenic road to Decalachao, where the resort's boat was docked. ... As we got nearer the island, the view was breathtaking.. with an ample expansion of the beach filled with powdery white sand, glassy waters accommodating my eyes to have a glimpse of the bottom, the glimmer of the sun's reflection on the turquoise sea and the distant view of smiles emanating from the resort's staff who were eager to welcome us. ...And I could conclude from the beginning that anyone who comes to the island will graciously get what they came for.. may it be a honeymoon rendezvous, a much needed escape from the city, a well deserved break from work and business or some quiet time to reward oneself. ...Within and around the island itself, you can go snorkeling in the house reef and surround yourself with life underwater, you can stretch your muscles and go kayaking around the island or towards a nearby island, you can hike up to Eagle's point - the highest point on Dimakya which gives you a breathtaking view of the entire island resort, the open sea and the neighboring islands, you can play tennis, badminton, table tennis and billiards. ...Club Paradise... a place where you can enjoy both the beginning and the end of the day... a different sunrise and a different sunset each day...a place full of smiles... a place full of good people with interesting stories to tell, stories that you'll never forget, stories that are unique to paradise... a place where the bats fill the wildly colored sky and migrate to the mainland at sunset... a place where deer and monitor lizards roam... a place that is home to the turtles who come to the beach to lay their eggs... a place where the baby turtles hatch and feel the sand for the first time and soon enter the sea after being taken care of for a month or so... a place full of enchantment where love blooms and families are built... the place where people dread the day they have to leave...

Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide returned from Dugong Dive Center & Club Paradise in Palawan, Philippines...missing the Mac?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-15T22:51:26+08:00

Oh no… he is missing the Philippines already the great people and the fantastic diving, I am sure he be back, I can tell by the grin on his face… Matt is back from Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan where he spend some quality time with our good friend Dirk and the amazing Rolf. ...In fact, in the house reef in less than 8 meters of water, I more than tripled my previous record by filling up my 4 gig memory card in 1 dive. The dive ended not because of air, temperature, or nitrogen issues, but because I had no room on my memory card and got the point where I refused to delete anything I had! ... The topside stuff also could not be beat-- thousands of bats flying into unbeatable sunsets, monitor lizards doing their mating dance in the mossy lagoons, rare owls above your beach front bungalows and well then you barely start to get the idea.

Breaking NEWS...NEW Travel, Tour & Diving packages soon to be published from The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance destinations…S.E.Asia Kayak Tours has joined the PMA

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-14T16:31:36+08:00

We are proud to announce our long awaited NEW Travel, Tour and Diving packages from all the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance destinations, available by the end of next week. ...I have also the pleasure in announcing our NEW partner Lee Goldman from S.E.Asia Kayak Tours... ...Welcome to Lee and Jasmine Goldman from S.E.Asia Kayak Tours with their new Eco and adventure travel tours, a great and exciting addition to the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. Next week we announce the S.E.Asia Kayak Tours new website (asiakayaktours.com) and of course within a week or so you can find it on our alliancediving.com site including their exciting Kayak and Wilderness travel tour packages. Bill Stinnett our partner from Truk Lagoon has dropped by also this weekend to say hi, a hectic week indeed with Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide.com returning tomorrow from Club Paradise too.

DivePhotoGuide update... Matt Weiss with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance...The DIVERS Choice

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-13T10:35:47+08:00

Check out DivePhotoGuide.com updates and info on Matt Weiss in the Philippines... From DivePhotoGuide.com Editor's note: Matt is on an extended 3 month assignment for us in Southeast Asia, and so far he's been to North Sulawesi, Bali and the Philippines. We just got this update from our good friend Gunther Deichmann from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance.

Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide & Dugong Dive Center...is he going to get that rare shoot of the elusive Dugong?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-11T12:03:42+08:00

I received a call from Dirk Fahrenbach at Dugong Dive Center in Palawan Philippines, Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide arrived OK. on his first day he got already some shots of Mandarin fish but I think he really is after these Dugongs, lets see what he comes back with next week and I hope to catch up with him on his way through Manila. ...I wish I could be there with him... Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, Palawan Philippines © Photos - Courtesy of Dugong Dive Center

DivePhotoGuide Matt Weiss dropped by the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance virtual office in Manila...he just returned from Puerto Galera & is on his way to Palawan now...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-10T12:26:53+08:00

Matt has just returned from Puerto Galera where he stayed with Asia Divers and El Galleon Beach Resort our partner in the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. Matt and myself chatted all night long and I thought at one point doing a Pod Cast but that would have been way to long… he walked out of here at around 3:30 AM just in time for his flight to Club Paradise in Palawan at 11:30 this morning. At least he got a few hours sleep before his next journey, he is very excited to dive with the Dugong Dive Center and hopefully get a chance to see some Dugongs. See below a few lines I have ask him to write about Puerto Galera…but don’t worry the real stories and a lot more on the DivePhotoGuide Web site soon. ...I was disappointed to leave, but I have an excellent journey ahead of me in Palawan diving with Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center.

Late NEWS...Asia Divers and Club Paradise are up and running on the DivePhotoGuide website

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-06T14:59:38+08:00

Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort and Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center are now featured on DivePhotoGuide.com, Matt Weiss the representative from Dive PhotoGuide is currently in Puerto Galera and chasing some critters. He be traveling to Club Paradise in Palawan and dive with Dirk Fahrenbach at the Dugong Dive Center after his assignment is completed in Puerto Galera. Click on the screenshots and visit these two great dive destinations in the Philippines

A new Cuttle fish discovery...more Alien then we previous thought...almost from a sci-fi horror movie Alien...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-06T12:53:12+08:00

Now here is an amazing story brought to my attention by Walter Ty and incredible discovery about our Cuttle fish or Sepia, they are even more Alien then what they look read the article below… ...- Alien afternoon in Puerto Galera Philippines, a great dive destination to see these Aliens... or venture to Club Paradise in Palawan and dive with Dugong Dive Center at their house reef you might encounter the yearly mating behavior of these amazing marine creatures. ...The young embryos must be able to see through their translucent egg case, the scientists believe, and learn which animals are worth hunting even before they have hatched. ...Embryos are known to able to pick up chemical and auditory cues - unborn gulls, for example, learn to recognise the alarm calls of their parents whilst still in the egg, while salmon and frog embryos can learn the chemical signatures of the surrounding water before they hatch. ...Once the cuttlefish embryos hatched, they were instantly moved, to ensure they could not glimpse the crabs, and were not exposed to any other prey until they were seven days old.

Club Paradise Event... last week at the German Club in Manila for the best Producers in the TRAVEL & TOURISM Industry

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-03T14:58:16+08:00

Last week Club Paradise hosted an interesting event at the German Club in Makati, Manila. Awards for the most productive travel agencies where given out including to one of our partners Blue Horizons Travel (image below) Other winners where Island Marketing, Schoener Tauchen, Orca Reisen and many more, airline representatives from Asian Spirit and Seair were also part of the evening. ...A Power Point presentation and welcome words from Juergen Warnke thanking all the producers started the evening, a special mention was given to the new airport and growing tourism in the Calamanes. A great evening and the Club Paradise Family Raffle towards the end made this a very memorable evening for all attending guests.

DIVEPHOTOGUIDE & The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance...check out the latest Banners from these great DIVE Destinations in the Philippines.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-29T14:35:03+08:00

...A joined venture between DivePhotoGuide and Alliance Partner Resorts in the Philippines, Matt Weis from DivePhotoGuide is arriving shortly to explore the marine biodiversity of Puerto Galera and Palawan. Of course Matt is staying with Asia Divers and El Galleon in Puerto Galera and in Palawan we put him up at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. We all looking forward to Matt's visit and his report once his Journey is completed, the articles will be published in the DivePhotoGuide later this year. ...Above some of our new banner Ads in DivePhotoGuide click on the banners and go direct to our Partners and DivePhotoGuide.com

DIVE SAFARI TO THE EAST CAPE OFF DAVAO...looking fo Tiger sharks...an interesting story from Alan Nash at Asia Divers

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-25T15:07:35+08:00

We have just received this interesting article from Allan Nash at Asia Divers, who has just returned from an exploration trip in the Davao area, read on below and many thanks to Allan for sharing this with us. ...It was to be roughing it as one would say, sleeping on a camp stretcher on the open deck of a Bunker and showering from a camp shower rigger from the roof, no mirror for the morning shave and little if any privacy with the exception from the bathroom toilet, Ha me hearty, those were the good old days! ...The second dive was on the east side of the cape, this time much better reef life with some soft and hard corals, schooling fish at one point, and towards the end some big fish were spotted at around 40 plus meters, but little else except a screaming current. ...Disappointed and exhausted, as we were after waiting for the sharks and wearing ourselves out fighting with currents during our three long dives, we decided we had had enough and retired back to the small bay to rethink our next move. ... If the sharks and fish had have been there, we would have with out any doubt said it could have been one of the Philippines premier dive destinations for big fish action, we certainly had the currents, that the fisherman can’t remove.

ASIA KAYAK TOURS & Wilderness travel continues, part three of a series by Lee Goldman, EXPLORING Palawan in the Philippines…Natures paradise...THE DIVERS CHOICE.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-22T13:25:29+08:00

This is the third part of a series by Lee Goldman, but before we go into details with his story, I like to thank Lee for providing us with these interesting articles. ...Many might be wondering why I am so excited about snorkeling in the Philippines and perhaps even why this is being mentioned on a website that caters to divers. The obvious is that many divers are avid snorkelers, but more importantly, this trip is designed to expose divers to areas of the Philippines, especially El Nido, that they wouldn’t normally see. ... The main part of the trip is in El Nido, and since it is not known for it’s diving, it may be overlooked by many divers coming to the Philippines. ...Not only is it recognized as one of the most beautiful tropical destinations in the world (and this is Lonely Planet and Conde Nast Traveller saying this), but as a marine biologist who spent many years guiding in the Indo-Pacific, I can tell you that the snorkeling here is world class.

DIVE TRUK LAGOON…dive-truklagoon.com soon completed new website…the best wreck diving destination in the world in more detail on the web dive the wrecks from Operation Hailstone in February of 1944

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-20T22:23:21+08:00

dive-truklagoon.com the new domain name and website is almost completed, a bit more make up, a few more photos and text and them we are running, it is actually out there now. ...In the meantime feel free and check it out, as mention a few little things need to be done still but a complete list of all the wreck site is now at your fingertips not to mention the best equipped Tec diving center on the Island of Chuuk, Nitrox, Oxygen and Helium is readily available for all your technical diving…we are also very Re-breather friendly. ...More than 60 World War II Japanese war ships and aircraft were sunk during Operation Hailstone in February of 1944 and now rest peacefully on the floor of Truk Lagoon. All of these sunken monuments are accessible to the scuba diver – most at a depth suitable for the novice or sport diver. ...Our Dive Map will show that the majority of these wrecks are highly concentrated in just 3 areas – all within a few miles of each other.

PALAWAN Philippines…Part two on the Wilderness Kayak Tours by Lee Goldman…Palawan the PHILIPPINES best kept secret & NATURES Paradise…brought to YOU by The PHILIPPINE-MICRONESIA ALLIANCE, The Divers Choice

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-19T13:15:21+08:00

Within the next few days we finish his Journey and publish part three (3), so please stay tuned or subscribed to our Blog @ http://www.alliancediving.com/blog/ ...This is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever been (and I worked in Palau, San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest, Belize…) so I have an idea what pretty is. ...Fields (and I mean fields) of staghorn coral, table corals that measure 3 meters in diameter, un-imaginable colors radiating from all types of hard and soft corals, beautiful and rare fish and all this in 1-2 meters of water! ...Our daily excursions were designed to go to places that not many other tour groups go and because we are camping out in the heart of the islands, we could easily time our visits between other operators. ...Our campsite provides large walk-in tents with mattresses, fans, lights; a dining tent with sit-down meal service; a chef (who did a fantastic job preparing 3 – 4 course breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals for us); a generator to charge batteries (and make fresh fruit shakes or margaritas); a comfort room tent and shower tent and we also had a certified masseuse there to help with folks whose muscles were in need of attention after a day of snorkeling and kayaking.

FISH Mystery solved...it gets to show you that the OCEAN still holding many secrets or surprises...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-17T15:34:18+08:00

We been notified today that the fish which has been a little mystery is now Identified by our Marine Biologist Lee Goldman, this and other interesting articles are brought to you by the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. ...Aren't they the small cryptic reef fish that often have amazingly brilliant colors? Yes, that's them and this guy is the 'blacksheep' of the family. Not only is he very cryptic in their morphology, but at up to 45cm long, they are easily the largest. Well, another new one for me and happy to say that after almost 20 years of exploring the world's oceans, I can still be so easily entertained :)! ...and YOU are so right Lee

Earth Day 2008 at Asia Divers! Puerto Galera...your Resort & DIVE destination in the Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-15T17:25:00+08:00

I have picked this up from our Alliance Partner in Puerto Galera, Philippines, no other than Asia Divers with El Galleon, well done Guys. ...Thanks so much to those who jumped in to “splash for trash” this past weekend. ... The bad was that the trash bags came back a wee bit empty; the good news was the trash bags came back a wee bit empty!! We hope this means that people are considering the environment more and throwing less into the water. ...1) Consider your actions every day to minimize your eco footprint on our ocean planet.

Can YOU identify this Fish? Wilderness travel...Snorkeling in Palawan & Whale Sharks in Donsol... by Lee Goldman

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-15T11:15:19+08:00

Hi Lee, Gunther here…of course you always welcome and we are very happy to publish your real life stories, thanks Lee please keep it up, we appreciate your input very much. ...My guests all commented on how amazing it was that they actually had to swim away from the sharks rather than having to chase them down. Needless to say, our experience with the whale sharks in Donsol was exactly as it has always been promoted; come and swim with lots of whale sharks. ... No way, that’s what I love about the Philippines; new species of fish I may know but not seen, or in my case in Donsol a new species of fish I had no idea existed. ...Our Philippine-Micronesia Alliance partner in Palawan Philippines is Club Paradise & Dugong Dive Center for all your travel arrangements and for Lee Goldman's Wilderness travel contact our partner in Manila Blue Horizons.

Great NEWS...BUSUANGA AIRPORT in PALAWAN Philippines extended... now more flights,comfort...plus several Whaleshark sightings in the Coron Island area

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-12T13:06:07+08:00

Busuanga Airport, landing point for CLUB PARADISE, EL RIO Y MAR and the DUGONG DIVE CENTER now has a 1500 meter concrete runway plus a 400 meter gravel extension. ...Whereas before only 19 seater planes were able to land, Busuanga airport is now being served by the super fast 32-seater Do 28 (needs only 35 minutes to get there from Manila) and the 50 seater Dash-7. ...Guests of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance and CLUB PARADISE, EL RIO Y MAR and DUGONG DIVE CENTER will get to their destination a lot faster and more comfortably now. This will increase their time to enjoy all the exciting dive sites to see the Turtles, Dugongs, WWII Wrecks, a whole fleet was sunk in this area and of course beautiful reefs in this area. Another great NEWS is, several Whale-sharks have been in sighted in the Coron, Palawan area, a good reason for planning your next trip to PALAWAN...the Philippines best kept secret...

Late breaking NEWS from PALAU Micronesia! Conservation issue initiated by one of the founding members from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-09T21:55:20+08:00

Just arrived on my desk posted by palautours.com blog ...Ban on live fish export becomes law in Palau Micronesia a step in the right direction to preserve Palau's natural environment and unique Bio-diversity. See below excerps from a News Paper article by the ...With a stroke of his pen, president Tommy Remengesau, Jr. has put a stop to the export of live reef fish yesterday in Bai Mengeliakl, ...President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. makes it clear, the significance of stopping the exportation of live reef fish yesterday.

PALAUTOURS.COM updated today May 7th 2008...including the FSM...Federated States of Micronesia...plus a lot more very soon.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-09T18:33:14+08:00

This blog was posted on the Palautours.com site, we like to share this with you since we are so close to each other... ...Before you make all our travel arrangements check it out...why not stop over in the Philippines for a few extra days and Dive some of the best Bio diversity in ...Micronesia section is updated see the screenshot on this blog - a Palau and Regional map has been added - ...More to come by this weekend and an incredible update is in progress for the Dive sites of Palau, we will feature most of the dive sites and not only the popular ones, a big undertaking but I am sure you enjoy it once that is done.

A NEW Website on PALAU Micronesia...bringing the Philippines and Micronesia closer? Travel News from the Pacific...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-07T12:37:46+08:00

a very interesting NEW site which promise to be a huge source of information, I guess they still sorting out some issues but from what I have seen so far WOW. If this site goes the way it looks already then what else do you need for your information on Palau and Micronesia. ...With these addition we bring you a lot closer to this amazing part of the world, You dont get any closer to Nature...above and below the waves. To some extend these islands are still unexplored in parts hence the recent discovery of some unusual inhabitants (see our last blog) the scientist are still debating who and where these small people came from. PalauTours.com is trying to keep you well informed from this part of the World, not only on leisure activities, but news on Marine life, Science projects, discoveries and of course environmental related issues.

NEW TRUK STOP HOTEL & TRUK LAGGON DIVE CENTER'S WEB SITE...Your tech diving experts...Your facility with HELIUM...TRIMIX...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-05T13:22:14+08:00

Your expert on wrecks and all technical diving in Chuuk Micronesia the only place on the island with a permanent supply of HELIUM...you just have to bring your Re-Breather we take care of the rest. ...The Truk Lagoon Dive Center offers up to 4 dives a day (wreck, reef, shark, night), and our private dock, dive lockers, rinse tanks and shower make diving with us easy and convenient. ...Our Hotel Restaurant serves international, western style and local food daily from 6:00am till 10:00pm and offers inside dining in air conditioned, smoke free comfort or outside on our patio right next to the world famous Truk Lagoon. ...The Hard Wreck Café & Bar is the favorite hangout for resident expatriates, the traveling businessman, island visitors and local residents and is the place to enjoy a friendly game of pool, your favorite beverage, karaoke with friends, or just rest up for your next dive or business meeting. Other services available through the hotel include a relaxing, stress busting massage at The Body Shop, fresh breads, cakes and desserts from our Bakery, handicrafts & souvenirs from our Gift Shop, u-drives from our Car Rental fleet, and business services at our well equipped Conference Facilities.

Did You Know...? Dinosaurs dung...& three DUGONGS spotted at the HOUSE REEF at Club Paradise last week...Dive with Dugong Dive Center

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-04T21:08:00+08:00

I have just received this report from Dirk Fahrenbach, yes three (3) DUGONGS right at the House reef at Club Paradise grazing the seaweed bed. This is the only place in the Philippines where you can observe these amazing and gentle creatures in the wild, the area is well protected by a conservation Park. Another article but not related to our Dugong sighting is that of a Auction where some fossilized Dinosaurs dung has been sold for some US$ 1000.00 very interesting reading... ...Two pieces of dinosaur dung have been sold at auction for $960 (£486) at an auction house in New York. ...The buyer is reported to be Steve Tsengas, the 71-year-old owner of a company that sells products to treat pet animal waste in Ohio.

OUR ENVIRONMENT...& Exhibition in Armenia with images by Gunther Deichmann and many other international Photographers

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-01T18:52:31+08:00

We have to take care of our PLANET and the ENVIRONMENT otherwise there be nothing left for our Children… ...Some of Gunther Deichmann's images have been recently part of an international Exhibition in Armenia...for more detailed information some links below… many other international Photographers have contributed images for the Exhibition and environmental awareness, for a complete list of all the participants and sponsors including the WWF World Wildlife Fund in Armenia go to the provided links below… I am happy and proud to have been part of this Exhibition in providing images creating awareness for our fragile environment. ...The image above was taken in Palau Micronesia it was used as the Cover ...Slide show of the images from the Exhibition by Gunther Deichmann

Late breaking NEWS…the Photos & an APPETIZER...the real thing from Palawan Philippines with Lee & WILDERNESS TRAVEL… A KAYAK JOURNEY & BEYOND…”where no man has ever gone before”…soon part of the Alliance.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-29T21:22:47+08:00

Today another lad strolled into the office & not just anybody…my good friend and soon a new Alliance Partner Lee Goldman Marine Biologist and Expedition Leader of a great new Tour in Palawan Philippines. Supported by Wilderness Travel and our partner in Manila Blue Horizons, Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise in Palawan…the last frontier in the Philippines with spectacular limestone cliffs equal to Palau and Thailand. ...A lot of exciting things are on the way…see below some of Lee’s Photos and text from his recent trip in April 2008, just completed…very cool and amazing…YOU should join him on his next trip and experience the Philippines like no other has done before…sounds familiar yes… STARTREK…but hurry bookings have to be made well in advance. ...The first PHILIPPINES Expedition for WILDERNESS TRAVEL is in the books and as I have done in previous blogs I want to thank some of the Philippine-Micronesian Alliance partners, Dirk Fahrenbach at Dugong Dive Center at Club Paradise and Blue Horizon Travel for their help in making it a successful tour. ... Of course, our 5-star chef at camp helped in areas all marine enthusiasts are familiar with: growling stomachs at the end of a full day of fun…& there be a lot more very soon… this is only an appetizer.

LATEST NEWS… YOU have to read this very interesting story, again it gets to show YOU…how little we do know about our PLANET and the OCEAN...like an ALIEN from a different WORLD.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-28T22:19:29+08:00

Like an ALIEN from a different WORLD...very cool…the image below is nothing in comparison from what this article has in store for you… Thanks to Walter Ty again. ...The landing of a colossal squid by New Zealand fishermen earlier this year offered a rare glimpse into the mysterious world deep beneath the waves. Scientist Mark Norman uses this week's Green Room to argue that it also shows how marine life is being destroyed before it is understood. ...Very little is known about colossal squid, which appear to live largely in the cold Antarctic waters and can grow up to 15 metres (50 feet) long. "They're incredibly rare - this is probably one of maybe six specimens ever brought up," said Carol Diebel, director of natural environment at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa centre.

PHOTOS & NEWS from the ADEX DIVE SHOW IN SINGAPORE...& party time at the German Club MANILA Philippines with the Jazz Band... Johnny Alegre AFFINITY

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-26T15:49:35+08:00

Welcome back Dirk Fahrenbach… the lad just strolled into the office 5 minutes ago with some photos and information from the ADEX Dive Show in Singapore. ...Now back to ADEX and Dirk; Allan Nash and Tommy from Asia Divers with El Galleon attended the show at the Philippine Department of Tourism Booth…Wow Philippines. According to Dirk the ADEX show was the very best he had attended compared to previous years, getting many requests for diving with Dugongs and on the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. Jason Heller from Dive Photo Guide strolled around and Michael AW made his presents felt with a presentation for the up coming Celebrate the Sea Festival. ...You have to forgive me today for not writing to much, I am still suffering a bit, but don’t worry more to come in the next few days including an article of some exciting new developments in Palawan…I guess you just have to stay tuned or subscribe to our Blog.

An Amazing story and a science report… NO SEX for all-girl fish species… plus some sharks have seen numbers fall by as much as 75% in 15 years… lets keep OUR PLANET GREEN & INTACT.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-24T13:41:20+08:00

There you find a cool Pod cast and a photo of this amazing little fish from the Amazon, discovery been made everyday and we are learning so much about our environment except how to take care of it…lets start now. ...Scientists believe the fish, which are still thriving in rivers in south-east Texas and north-east Mexico, are using special genetic survival "tricks" to help them stay alive. ...Dr Laurence Loewe, of the university's School of Biological Sciences, said: "What we have shown now is that this fish really has something special going on and that some special tricks exist to help this fish survive. ..."While extinction is alarming in its own right, the book demonstrates that many species can help human lives," said co-author Jeffrey McNeely, chief scientist at IUCN (formerly known as the World Conservation Union). ..."If we needed more justification for action to conserve species, it offers dozens of dramatic examples of both why and how citizens can act in ways that will conserve, rather than destroy, the species that enrich our lives."

LATE BREAKING NEWS! "The Pink Pearls of the Pacific" The annual mass spawning of corals on the PALAU archipelago in the western PACIFIC has occurred right on cue

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-22T13:30:37+08:00

Walter Ty has done it again...thanks so much...from what I have heard the spawning is over...you lucky divers who had been in Palau during this time. Maybe the visibility was not so great to see all the other marine life...but then the coral spawning is something not to be missed...natures gift to man and a reminder that we have to take care of our environment...ironically the month of April is suppose to be the green month... ...As we got into the boat for our trip to Luke's reef, I admit I was not really expecting to see the mass spawning on the exact night of the full Moon. All the visiting scientists here thought it was more likely the reproductive extravaganza would happen the next evening or the following one - based on what had happened the last two years. ...Almost as soon as the boat engine switched off, we got a sense that something might be brewing... you have to see and read the whole story...and images

GREAT NEWS! Catching corals' spectacular moment… witness one of the wonders in the world this April in Palau…catch the corals with Sam’s Tours and process your images in the only Digital Photo Center in Micronesia on Apple iMacs with Aperture.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-21T13:47:30+08:00

Again I have received this amazing and very cool information from our silent… well not so silent anymore friend Walter Ty…thanks Walter...read this amazing event just about to happen at one of our partners front door…Sam’s Tours in Palau Micronesia…catching corals…I wish I could be there…but if you get a chance to witness this amazing spectacle please let me know, tell us about your experience and if you have any photos please send us one or two, of course we give you all the credit for it. ...Book your trip with our partner Blue Horizons to witness this spectacular event...but hurry it is very soon, Blue Horizons is a specialist for all your travel in the Philippines and Micronesia. ...The scientists are here to investigate the potential of an experimental technique known as coral seeding - in other words, collecting some of the spawn from mass mating events and using it to promote the growth of new corals on reefs in need of rescue. ...Most of the eggs and larvae from a mass spawning event are eaten or die before they get an anchor hold on the sea bed, so there is plenty of spawn to share around. ...Each time they will compare the number of young corals with those on tiles from control balls which would have been settled by larvae born in the mass spawning on the reef.

Late breaking NEWS from the ADEX show in Singapore, plus...MacDive Matchmaker realizing that his beloved Suunto D9 and Mac computer were having communication issues...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-19T22:00:34+08:00

Hot of the phone... only minutes ago I talked to Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center in Palawan who is attending the ADEX show in Singapore other Alliance partners attending the show are Asia Divers from Puerto Galera with Allan Nash, according to Dirk the show is well represented with old friends like Jason Heller from Dive Photo Guide and many others...for sure I am getting some images in the next few days with a detailed report. ...Realising that his beloved Suunto D9 and Mac computer were having communication issues, Singapore-based Kiwi Nick Shore created MacDive, a free application to help the two get along. Nick says: “There wasn’t an application that had the functionality I wanted or the look and feel of a Mac application, and I thought it would be easiest to just start from scratch and make the exact app I wanted. ...Nick plans to continue developing MacDive, adding support for more dive computer brands as well as additional functionality, and he’s keen to receive user feedback on where to take the application next. At the same time, Nick is working on a project with two programmers and divers from Belgium and Canada to make it easier to develop applications for the majority of dive computers on the market.”

Rare Sea horses but this time from the Thames...London? Yes you are right... just amazing... is this because of Global warming or is our environment improving?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-19T19:04:26+08:00

You might remember one of my earlier blogs on Sea horses from Asia Divers in Puerto Galera Philippines, see below or read the whole story in our archives under: ... Asia Divers & El Galleon in Puerto Galera Philippines, you might not witness the courtship behavior of the Sea Horse during your dive...but mark my words... ...I have been diving for many years there and you have to be "blind" not to came across them in the Sebang area, do yourself a favor, next time you dive with Asia Divers ask your dive guide to bring you up close with these amazing sea creatures in Sebang Bay...you want be disappointed. ...They are usually found in shallow muddy waters, estuaries or seagrass beds and conservationists said their presence in the Thames is another good sign that the water quality of the river was improving. ...Alison Shaw, from London Zoo, said: "These amazing creatures have been found in the Thames on a number of occasions in the last 18 months during our regular wildlife monitoring work.

Late News from Scuba Diving Magazine...Bottom Time...announcement of Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center including Aperture 2 in Palau Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-16T17:13:40+08:00

Late News... just received this press release from Dermot Keane Sam's Tours Palau Micronesia...please read below ...Sam's Tours' all new Digital Photo Center is fully equipped to cater to digital photographers of all interest levels, from those with handy point-and-shoot cameras to the most demanding digital photographers shooting in RAW format. Their six top-of-the-line Apple iMac workstations are loaded with terabytes and terabytes of storage, archiving and secure data backup systems, lots of RAM, and completely optimized for digital imaging with Apple Aperture 2 image management software, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Bridge, Toast, and topped off with DSL Wi-Fi internet access. ...Plus, you can rent new Canon SD850 Digital Cameras and Canon ZR830 Digital Minicams with underwater housings. Other camera-friendly improvements include an expanded "dry zone" for Camera Preparation and Charging and a new Camera Drying Station complete with towels and compressed air for post-rinsing camera care.

About 40 million years ago, when the Earth looked dramatically different to how it does today...did you know?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-14T22:57:05+08:00

No... we like you to be informed about our fragile environment and the latest NEWS... as a matter of fact keeping you in touch with the latest science and new discoveries is very important to us. ..."I spent a long time looking at this piece and then I noticed something was in there hiding beneath a layer - it looked like a leg. ..."When we looked at the amber under the microscope we could see it was a harvestman," said Dr Andrew Ross, collection manager of fossil invertebrates and plants. ...Usually some of the legs will snap off as the insects try to escape the sticky resin, but this one must have got stuck fast ..."But what is really interesting is that all of its legs are still intact - usually some of the legs will snap off as the insects try to escape the sticky resin, but this one must have got stuck fast."

Sharks could protect us from severe storms and Typhoons...stop the killing of this amazing creature which has been around for million of years

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-28T17:33:48+08:00

Who can say if this could lead to sharks predicting weather fronts... but it certainly opens the way to more research, Lauren Smith. ...It was prompted by an earlier shark habitat study in Florida, which coincided with the arrival of Hurricane Gabrielle in 2001, when observations suggested that juvenile blacktop sharks moved into deeper water in association with the approaching storm. ...Miss Smith, who completed her first degree in marine biology and coastal ecology at Plymouth University, studied shark behavior in the wild at the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas. ...Work at the Bimini Shark Lab enabled her to observe shark behavior by placing data-logging tags to record pressure and temperature on juvenile lemon sharks, while also tracking them using acoustic tags and GPS technology. ...She is due to complete her PhD and prepare papers for publication later this year and will be looking for a job which will give her the chance to expand her experience of shark research.

Scuba divers get the chance to observe the wired and wonderful… amazing things happen on our planet… courtships and rock an’ roll…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-27T12:24:32+08:00

I thought Valentines day was over…I guess not, here I am getting articles from Asia Divers in Puerto Galera and now a very interesting story from our silent supporter Walter Ty, thanks Walter we all appreciate your input. The last blog has been on the mating and courtship of the sea horses…now we have some real weird ones from the Amazon river dolphin's courtship, some how all during the month of March… enjoy this cool story. ...I have to sign off now, I am listening to Wishbone Ash…not Nash… sorry folks…to cool to miss… right Allan…who is Allan… you better check out the Point Bar in Puerto Galera you might run into him…they play the coolest music on the beach. ..."They would also throw it or smash it against the surface, and it does appear that the waving around and bashing is to impress the ladies; but at the same time there's a lot of aggression between adult males, and we have to infer that's part of it." ...River dolphins are among the most threatened of all cetaceans; the baiji, a native of the Yangtze in China, may already have gone extinct in the last two years, while numbers of the Indus or blind river dolphin of South Asia are believed to be down to around the 3,000 mark.

Sea Horse Courtship...Asia Divers reports from Puerto Galera, the Divers Choice in the Philippines...scuba diving with one of the best.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-25T14:44:48+08:00

Asia Divers & El Galleon in Puerto Galera Philippines, you might not witness the courtship behavior of the Sea Horse during your dive...but mark my words... ...I have been diving for many years there and you have to be "blind" not to came across them in the Sebang area, do yourself a favor, next time you dive with Asia Divers ask your dive guide to bring you up close with these amazing sea creatures in Sebang Bay...you want be disappointed. Hey, dont forget your underwater camera...you never know you might get lucky and see the courtship of this amazing critter. ...Nose to nose they gently spiral up in to the water column and the egg is exchanged from the female to the males pouch. This has to occur at a depth at least six times their body length or the egg transfer will fail.

A Tribute to John Bennett...the Legend lives on...he was the deepest diver in the world & and Pioneer...we miss you John.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-16T17:22:18+08:00

Have a moment please...think and pay tribute to John Bennett a legend in the Dive industry, a moment of silence and our thought to his family...we all miss you very much, from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. See the letter and images below I just received from his good friend Mark Cox in Australia. Thank you so much Mark in sharing the photos and memories of this truly great man, we all appreciate this very much. ..."He was the the greatest diver that ever lived... a memorial yesterday for John Bennett who died 4 years ago 15th of March. ... We gathered yesterday for a remembrance of this great man that lead the way for divers & pioneers of today, he was a LEGEND, we love him & miss him.

Triple “D”…Dirk…Dolphins & Dugongs all have something in common…articles from the Philippines & New Zealand for divers and nature lovers.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-14T16:08:02+08:00

Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center strolled into the office yesterday telling me about all those Dugongs in the area at this time of the year; I guess the Dugong month has started. You should have been there the other day, he said… Wow…we where snorkeling with five of them and two days later another two posing for the cameras…now is the time to make a trip to Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. Dirk mention to me that the best month of the year are March, April and May, Dugongs are always around in this part of the Philippines, but during these month’s there are more sightings. I have also received some info from our supporter Walter Ty about an article on how a Dolphin rescued some stranded/beached Whales in New Zealand, this shows you only to well that we have to take care of our Oceans and Environment. ...Smith told the BBC, "but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the dolphin quite willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea."

Blue Horizons Travel...a thank you note...plus Wilderness travel in Palawan...& dive the wrecks of Coron Bay with Asia Divers...dive and explore the last frontier in the Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-12T15:49:52+08:00

Just received this letter (see below) from Lee Goldman, Marine Biologist who leading a Wilderness Travel Expedition to the Philippine Islands, find out more about his Wilderness Travel Expedition, go to our previous Blog and click the link below. ...In his letter Lee expressed his sincere thanks to Jem from Blue Horizons Travel I like also to take this opportunity and thank Jem personally for his hard work and effort in helping to put together the super package and Prize for the Layang Layang Photo Contest a lot more details on this later, thanks Jem. ...Jem Kemp from Blue Horizon Travel has been extremely helpful in arranging our flights to and from Legaspi, where we will continue on to Donsol for a couple of days snorkeling with Whale Sharks, and for all of the transfers for our guests when they arrive in Manila. ...So, when coordinating 5 days of luxury kayak camping (that’s tents, supplies, equipment, personnel and their travel arrangement, the outfitting of our new boat, coordination of the daily excursions, food procurement, and contingency plans) became almost as much as I can handle, Jem came through by taking care of the guests in Manila, thus alleviating some of the weight from my shoulders. ...Photos: © Gunther Deichmann – Images from Palawan…the last frontier in the Philippines and a heaven for nature lovers, pristine beaches, crystal clear water surrounded by majestic limestone cliffs and spectacular diving… explore and discover this incredible part of the Philippines with Lee Goldman and our other Alliance partners.

Sea cucumbers & Parkinson's desease a medical source from our ocean...Layang Layang Photo Contest in Malaysia, proudly sponsored by the Alliance

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-10T23:02:35+08:00

No this one is very different... nothing to do with cooking or your favorite chefs Salad...however this could be very important for the future...and again another medical source from our ocean, we have to be so careful, protect and stop polluting our natural resources and Oceans. ...However the participating partners are in the Philippines: Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort in Puerto Galera - in Micronesia Sam's Tours Palau and Truk Stop Dive Center and Hotel in Chuuk or better known as Truk Lagoon. Our Travel agent and partner Blue Horizons in Manila made all the arrangement and chipped in also for the winners, a lot more in details soon on the website of Fins Magazine and more on our Blog...soon, very soon we let you have all the fantastic details. ...The response of a startled sea cucumber has inspired a new material that could one day be used to build brain implants for patients with Parkinson's disease. ...The structure of the as yet un-named material mimics the skin of sea cucumbers which have collagen nanofibres embedded in a soft connective tissue.

Shark feeding...a very sad Shark encounter...a tragedy that happened in the Bahamas...lets learn some lessons from it...plus photographing Crocodiles

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-07T13:40:00+08:00

To those in opposition against shark feeding, this was a situation that solidified their platform and, in all truthfulness, gives them the good evidence they need to put a stop to this practice. ...In the article it mentions that although there seems to be more shark attacks (which the author claims is the result of an increasing exposure or encroachment of people into the sharks territory), there are comparatively fewer deaths than several decades ago. ...The bottom line is that safety was compromised by making the hospital farther away, making the time for properly trained EMT’s to arrive longer, making the time for the victim to reach proper medical facilities longer…and making the conscious decision to do this so as to provide a service, but also to earn a living. ...Perhaps there should have been a discussion like “okay, we have to go farther offshore, so we need to make it safer because we don’t have as direct access to evacuation and EMT care. ...Similar to my approach to any high risk adventure that is made available to the public (usually a less-informed public) for a price, I am not in opposition, just asking for a higher margin of safety.

Diving and voting for Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines...the seven new wonders of the world, more elections...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-05T12:53:52+08:00

More and more elections this time of the year, we have had Putin and Russia, then in the US Obama v Hillary plus all the others, I think in Iran soon, it is all over the place not to mention the Shark vote from the other day on our blog and now Tubbataha Reef has been nominated as one of the seven new Wonders of the World. ...nominated as one of the seven new Wonders of the World.  ...You can vote for Tubbataha Reef by going to this site: ... Search for the nominees and you will be asked to vote for 7 sites. ... trick is, choose Tubbataha Reef as your first choice and for the other  

Late breaking NEWS...Philippine- Micronesia Alliance proudly sponsors Layang Layang Photo Contest in Malaysia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-03T15:44:06+08:00

Late breaking NEWS... The Philippine - Micronesia Alliance proudly announces to be part of this years Layang Layang Photo Contest in Malaysia as one of the sponsors, we announce the operators and destinations very shorly on our Blog, incredible prizes for the winners of this years contest, stay tuned for more details in the coming days. GD

ФИЛИППИНЫ - МИКРОНЕЗИЯ АЛЬЯНСУ ® 2008 From Russia with Love... sounds familiar...yes, 2008 Golden Dolphin Photo and Film Festival, Moscow

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-03T13:00:24+08:00

You have to check this article... very cool indeed, from Dive Photo Guide, one of our supporters in the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. ...From Russia with Love... sounds familiar...yes, even more so once you see some of the images from the Golden Dolphin Show you have to see these Girls... ...Enjoy the article from Dive Photo Guide and have your own opinion on the photos...brrrrrrrrr but so HOT..., well the russians certainly have a very different approach, how would that be in the tropics? ...The capital of the Russian Federation serves as a huge scene to this festival - the combination of the beauty of the underwater world and the rich city results a very colorful and lively festival and exhibition. ...Наш ислючительный индивидуальный сервиc от первоклассных отелей для подводников на Филиппинах, Палау и рэк-лагун в Микронезии, а также разнообразие туристических маршрутов делает путешествия и подводное плавание в этом фантастическом месте Тихого океана еще интересней и удобней, чем прежде.

More News for our Underwater Photographers...Sam's Tours running very soon on the new Aperture 2...plus iPod magic

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-02T16:05:32+08:00

Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center is the only one of it's kind in Palau, Micronesia and in the Pacific, check out my previous blogs or go direct to Sam's Tours DPC site click this link Sam's Tours DPC. ...But we offer a lot more at Sam's, now you can upload all your holiday/vacation photos on your iPod, the staff at the DPC will be happy to assist you with all your requirements, the only thing you have to do... bring your iPod, but then who doesn't these days and once back home show your friends and family members on TV how great your last vacation has been. We take away all your hassles, you be organized back home, no more looking for hours on end where you stored these great shots... just switch on your TV and enjoy the show. We can do the same with your video footage, at Sam's Tours you connected and can concentrate on your diving, we take care of the rest, surviving for all our underwater photographers has just become a lot more realistic and fun. Now enjoy your vacation, dive the great dive sites of Palau like, Blue Corner and Blue Hole, dont feel like diving...no problem, join Sam's Tours on one of their great land tours by road or take a Kayak trip for a day or two, explore and discover Palau...

More late breaking NEWS…election time above and below the waves…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-28T13:16:29+08:00

Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice. ...More late breaking NEWS from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance…election time above and below the waves… I guess it is election time all over the world, Hillary-Obama-plus all the others in the US, Aperture software vs. Lightroom some voting going on in the Photography world and in Russia we have the Putin era at the poll. ...Check out the link below…no it is not Hillary vs Obama it is a polling station for our declining shark population.

Nicknamed "The Monster"..."sea monster" unearthed on an Arctic island... largest marine reptile known to science... big enough to pick up a small car in its jaws and...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-27T17:39:32+08:00

Lucky or unlucky for us divers and underwater photographers...can you imagine this Monster been around today...you been diving at 30 meters and all of sudden out of the blue you had to face this "Guy"...wow. Real wet-wet-suits and finning like a duck been chased by a crocodile...but what a photo opportunity, but only if you had a super wide angle lens on your camera...but then I am not sure on that either...read about this amazing find, close your eyes and start dreaming. ...A fossilized "sea monster" unearthed on an Arctic island is the largest marine reptile known to science, Norwegian scientists have announced. ...The Jurassic-era leviathan is one of 40 sea reptiles from a fossil "treasure trove" uncovered on the island. ...And during the last field expedition, scientists discovered the remains of another pliosaur which is thought to belong to the same species as The Monster - and may have been just as colossal...

Late News...Maldives with Asia Divers...change of Boat...book now for this incredible dive adventure

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-27T15:54:22+08:00

Correction and up date from the previous Blog regarding the Maldives with Asia Divers. I have just received this information from Asia Divers, please refer to my previous Blog, there is a change of Boats... it is now on the M/V Manthiri not the Aggressor, for more info please contact Allan Nash from Asia Divers @ mailto: allan@asiadivers.com or visit Asia Divers Website @ http://www.asiadivers.com/ This information is brought to you by the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance... The Divers Choice.

Dive travel with Asia Divers... plus how bad is sunscreen for our environment?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-27T12:18:07+08:00

This information just came in from Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort, thanks Allan for sharing this with us. Please read on below the info on Asia Divers travel to the Maldives, yes Asia Diver does go beyond Puerto Galera, travel and dive with one of the leading experts in Puerto Galera or choose some of their other exotic dive destinations like... ...The atolls girdle over 1190 emerald islands, most of them uninhabited, and countless reefs and shallows to form a complete echo system that acts as a magnet for a cornucopia of colorful marine life ranging from blooming corals to big pelagic…. you could be a part of this! ...Italian marine biologists have linked four UV-blocking chemicals in sunscreens to coral bleaching because they cause viral infections in the symbiotic algae that live inside reef-building coral. ... The researchers estimate that 5,000 tons of sunscreen wash off people in oceans annually, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching.

Late breaking news from Dugong Dive Center…Ghost pipefish in masses at Club Paradise House reef...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-26T15:09:07+08:00

I guess a tank full of air and camera will do just fine…Dirk is back on the island... happy to point you in the right direction, even without Dirk or his dive guides you cant get lost…you just get up in the morning and after a good breakfast at Club Paradise stroll down the beach…enter the water and you right at the house reef…the action and critters only a few feet below. ...But if you get real lucky... you might meet the sexy Tashina and join her for an unforgeteable trip to Apo reef, dive the spectacular walls and catch a glimpse of Mantas and Sharks not to mention the big schools of jacks on this reef. ...Mandarin fish used to be know only from Yap and Palau... but now they have arrived in Palawan too, watch their courtship at sunset right in front of the beach resort, our other partner destination in the Philppines, Puerto Galera has got them too, just check with Asia Divers, another member of the Philippine -Micronesia Alliance. ...So what are you waiting for, get your gear ready and plan your next weekend or dive vacation with Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, a member of the ...But here is another tip... check out some of the amazing videos from Dirk Fahrenbach at YOU TUBE, go to YOU TUBE and type his name or click the link below for one of his film clips:

Dirk has returned...a new boat...more from the Boat Show in Germany...the Maldives plus a lot more.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-24T18:11:35+08:00

Dirk attended the Düsseldorf Boat show in January in Germany, after the show he took a few days off and then went straight to the Maldives for some diving looking after a group of divers. According to Dirk, the Boat Show was a great event and he was part of the DOT Booth, Wow Philippines; see below some photos he provided me yesterday. ...Welcome back Dirk, we did miss you, Dirk also showed me some photos of his new Boat soon at Dugong Dive Center a new and very big Tri-Maran …luxury at it’s best diving at it’s ultimate… as mention in my earlier blogs diving with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is getting better and better. ...Diving with her is never going to be boring… over night Safaris with all your electrical requirements on board, including a 24hours compressor… now that is what we call island hopping, Apo reef is going to be fun from now on, the Tashina is very soon in Palawan, one of the Philippines top dive destinations. ...A lot more very soon from Dirk…Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise…and of course the sexy Tashina.

Introducing all the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance partners in Spanish...the Divers Choice in the Pacific

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-23T14:46:02+08:00

In Micronesia you dive with Sam's Tours in Palau who has the most sophisticated Digital Photo Service nowhere else to be found a underwater photographers paradise, if you like Wrecks then our Partner in Truk Lagoon the Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center is your best choice with free Wi-Fi connection for all their guests, you connected even in the most remote part of the pacific with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. ...La vasta y remota región comprendida entre las Filipinas y Micronesia, abarca las aguas tropicales más abundantes del Pacífico, y de gran renombre entre los buceadores por su rica bio-diversidad marina que incluye grandes peces pelágicos, infinitas variedades de temas para macrofotografías, más de 700 especies de corales, más de 1,300 especies de peces, y una gran colección de restos intactos de naufragios marinos. ¡ Nuestra exclusiva red de balnearios para buceo de primera clase a lo largo de las Filipinas, República de Palau y la Laguna de Truk en los Estados Federados de Micronesia, en asociación con nuestros selectos profesionales en turismo hacen que los buceadores tengan un viaje y buceo más convenientes, más cómodos y más amenos que nunca! La Alianza Filipinas-Micronesia está integrada por los mejores agentes turísticos regionales especializados en buceo cuidadosamente escogidos por la Alianza para garantizar que los buceadores tengan lo más fino en vacaciones de gran calidad y con los más altos niveles de seguridad, servicio al cliente, y trato comercial profesional en la industria. ...Entre estos están El Galleon Resort (Balneario El Galeón), en Puerto Galera; Club Paradise & Dugong Diving Center (Club Paraíso y Centro para Buceo Dugong), en Palawan; Pinjalo Diver Resort (Balneario para Buceo Pinjalo), en Boracay; y Sam's Tours (Paseos Turísticos de Sam), en Palau, Micronesia, y el Truk Lagoon Dive Center (Centro para Buceo de la Laguna Truk), en los Estados Federados de Micronesia.

Late breaking News... very large, rare, six-gill shark (most sharks have five gills) taken by researchers in a submarine 1000 meters

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-20T23:10:10+08:00

Just saw this on Fins Blog... absolutely fantastic...no more words needed...you have to check this out. Check out this video of a very large, rare, six-gill shark (most sharks have five gills) taken by researchers in a submarine 1000 meters down in Hawaiian waters. Almost as interesting as the shark is the excited chatter of the researchers. ...http://www.finsonline.com/blog/fins/20080217/rare-large-6-gill-shark.html You bet this is very cool I just watched it...

German VOX TV visits the Philippines and our Alliance Partner in Palawan, Club Paradise

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-20T19:26:06+08:00

I have just received this info from Carsten Warncke from Club Paradise and of course Dugong Dive Center in Palawan our partner in the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance. VOX TV visits Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center last month. The only place in the Philippines for Dugongs, or dive the wrecks of Coron Bay surrounded by spectacular limestone cliffs, nature at it's very best and if you feel tired after diving or exploring the whole day book yourself into our Spa and rejuvenate. All of this, plus a lot more at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, please join us on our little tropical island paradise in Palawan, island hopping with the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance is getting better and better, even international film crews choose to visit us, so why dont YOU. ...I get more of the whole story with photos on the VOX TV (Germany) visit to Palawan and the Philippines soon, once I have more information I let you know also the screening time in Germany, just stay tuned or subscribe to our Blog.

'Frog from hell' fossil unearthed & Hammerhead in need of protection...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-19T17:03:09+08:00

Over-fishing and demand for shark fins, an expensive delicacy, have pushed one of the world's iconic animals towards the brink of extinction, say experts. ...Dr Julia Baum, a marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, US, and a member of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), said excessive fishing was putting many of the ocean's "most majestic predators" at risk of extinction. Speaking at the Boston meeting, she said: "Sharks evolved 400 million years ago, and we could now lose some species in the next few decades - so that would be just a blink of an eye in evolutionary time." She said conservation concern for sharks had been mounting for several years, and it was now critical that there was effective management action in order to restore and conserve their numbers. ...They want a meaningful ban on the practice of shark finning, which involves a shark's fins being removed before the rest of the animal is thrown back into the ocean to die.

With Love from Palau... Sam's Tours timed it right for Valentines day this week...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-11T16:46:04+08:00

Headphones for all these divers who like to talk to their loved ones, what is the name of the old Bond Movie... from Russia with Love or something like that, now it is with Love from Palau and Sam's Tours. ..."Hi Mom, hi darling dont worry I am fine, the diving has been great lot's of sharks and awesome schools of fish and guess what I am sending you some photos with my next email...your..." ...The Digital Photo Center at Sam's Tours Palau, Micronesia, is getting more and more popular not only with photographers but with customers who just like to say hi to their loved ones...great timing for Valentines day. ...Yes, you can do all your own editing or let Sam's Tours staff help you with the safe keeping and storage of your images...and now also available headphones for your connection and chatting away to your loved ones via Skype... ...The Survivor Micronesia series on TV may have shown you how fantastic Palau really is, and if you have missed Survivor Micronesia you can always check out some of my images on Palau and go to Gunther Deichmann's PhotoShelter Archive or to the PhotoShelter Collection for all other special selected stock images including Micronesia and the Philippines, just click on the links...

Very soon NEW website for Truk Lagoon Dive Center, the ultimate destination for wreck divers...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-08T13:47:54+08:00

Very soon the NEW website from our partner in Chuuk, the Truk lagoon Dive Center and Truk Stop Hotel, is going to be operational and we announce the official launch date. Those who are not familiar with Chuuk or know better Truk Lagoon, well it is the world famous wreck diving location in the Pacific, a heaven for tech - wreck divers, (complete facilities for Nitrox and Helium, the only one on the island) but there is more, many wrecks are located at depths for any experience level and If you tired of wrecks the you have to check shark island, an easy dive at 18-meters, a great cleaning station where you surrounded by a good number of reef sharks. ... The Truk Stop Hotel is Wi-Fi connected now, free of charge for all their guests, so writing home to your loved ones has become easy from this remote but great diving destination in the Pacific/Micronesia. ...The Hard Wreck Cafe & Bar is the favorite hangout for resident expatriates, visitors, as well as local residents and is the place to enjoy a friendly game of pool, your favorite beverage or karaoke with friends while resting up foryour next dive. Other services available at the hotel include The Body Shop, offering massage plus facial, manicure and pedicure, our Bakery which provides fresh breads and desserts to our restaurant daily, handicrafts and souvenirs from our Gift Shop, plus Car Rentals and Conference Facilities for the business traveler.

Best Adventure Trips 2008 in Palawan and Club Paradise...plus diving the wrecks of Coron Bay

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-06T13:58:55+08:00

Diving with the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance is getting better and better in 2008, from adventure Kayaking to wreck diving or just relaxing after a day of island hopping on one of best beaches in the world. ...We are doing more than just paddling by Club Paradise in Northern Palawan; we are stopping there for 4 days to take advantage of their amazing resort and local abundance of rare and beautiful marine life. Dirk Fahrenbach from the Dugong Dive Center has offered to arrange trips to visit one of the largest continuous reef systems in the world, Apo Reef National Park. ... These rare marine mammals are residents in the local waters and, with the help of Club Paradise and local awareness, remain as one of the most protected marine mammal in the Philippines. ...We are looking forward to paddling in the local waters and landing on the beach for overnights at their award winning facility!

Asia Divers with Tech Asia, a wreck and tech diving story from the Philippines by Dave Ross

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-06T12:53:58+08:00

We have received this interesting article on Wreck and tech diving from Dave Ross, Dave is from Tech Asia/Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort located in Puerto Galera, Philippines and members of the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance. ...He became a friend of ours through communications on other ships sunk in the Philippines, and kindly came to Puerto Galera in his free time to give a presentation on Coron in July of 2007. During the evening he showed us clear photographic evidence that the oiler thought to be Taiei Maru, was in fact the Okikawa Maru, and the ship once known as “Hector”, or the Tangat Wreck is the Olympia Maru. The last vessel to have bred confusion, having been thought to be another of the many Taiei Maru’s, or another Olympia, was confirmed by Capt Heimstaedt in 2006 to be a vessel whose original name was Morazan, turned Ekkai Maru when she fell into Japanese hands in 1941. ...The Morazan/Ekkai Maru story is just a single chapter in two weeks of excellent, shallow ( it doesn’t always have to be deep and helium) technical diving that we managed to run.

Celebrate the Sea Festival: 13-15 June in Manila

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-04T14:18:41+08:00

Following the success of the 2007 festival which received participation from a global audience of novice and professional competitors, children and even President Gloria Arroyo of the Republic of the Philippines, OceanNEnvironment Australia is pleased to announce in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippines Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD), to present the 7th ‘Celebrate the Sea Marine Imagery Festival Philippines 2008’. ...The 2008 festival is destined to be bigger and much bolder than ever before – the main venue for the 3 days festival from 13 to 15 June is confirmed to be stage at the brand new Manila Ocean Park, the Philippines’ first state-of-the-art Oceanarium comprising of open water marine habitat, boutique mall, and restaurants. ...The 2008 festival will comprise of imagery presentations and seminars by a panel of world renowned image makers and marine scientists such Peter Scoone, cinematographer of the BBC Blue Planet series, Dr Phil Nyutten, David Doubilet, Jennifer Hayes and Emory Kristof of National Geographic, Dr Carden Wallace, coral scientist, Fred Buyle – four times world free diving champion, Scott Tuason, author and underwater photographer and Daniel Mercier – founder World Underwater Picture Festival will be on site to officiate the festival. ...Photographers and films makers, send in your entries now to compete in Asia Pacific's most prestigious international underwater imagery competition where the premier prize is the conferred title of ‘President, Grand Award of Highest Achievement 2008’ with US$2000 as prize money. (www. ... It gets even better if you are visiting the Philippines any time from 1 March to 30 May; stay and dive with one of the participating resorts / operators and you will be eligible to enter your video or pictures in the WOW Philippines Imagery competition.

Breaking NEWS - Did You know?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-03T20:16:13+08:00

Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the squid, weighing an estimated 450kg (990lb),took two hours to land in Antarctic waters. Local news said the Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni was about 10m (33ft) long, and was the first adult colossal squid landed intact. ...Colossal squid, which are found deep in Antarctic waters, are thought to be about the same length as giant squid (Architeutis dux) but are much heavier. ...The first specimen recovered intact, a 150kg (330lb) immature female, was caught on the surface in the Ross Sea near the Antarctic coast in April 2003. For more on this truly amazing story and the images go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6385071.stm

Introducing the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance in Russian

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-03T19:19:00+08:00

We have the best dive locations in the Philippines and Micronesia with some of the best unspoiled beaches in the world. ...Огромная площадь теплых тропических вод Тихого океана между Филиппинами и Микронезией известна среди дайверов всего мира еще и своим богатым многообразием подводного мира. ...Наш ислючительный индивидуальный сервиc от первоклассных отелей для подводников на Филиппинах, Палау и рэк-лагун в Микронезии, а также разнообразие туристических маршрутов делает путешествия и подводное плавание в этом фантастическом месте Тихого океана еще интересней и удобней, чем прежде. ...Наши партнеры подобраны нами так тщательно, чтобы помочь каждому подводнику провести первоклассный отпуск на самом высоком уровне профессионализма, безопасности и наслаждений. ...На Филлипинах - Asia Divers with El Galleon Resort, Puerto Galera, Club Paradise & Dugong Diving Center, Palawan Pinjalo Diver Resort, Boracay

Alliance partners in Paris France and Duesseldorf Boat Show Germany

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-02-01T14:41:01+08:00

Received the info below from our good friend Tommy at Asia Divers and El Galleon Beach Resort in Puerto Galera, Philippines ...At the Dive show in Paris January 11-14, both Asia Divers/El Galleon Dive Resort and Calypso/Pinjalo Resort participated in DOT's very nice stand. The show had many visitors and with the Philippines being the featuring country all went very well with a lot of interest. The following weekend the 9-day long BOOT show started in Düsseldorf, Germany and we were joined by Dugong Dive Center/Club Paradise so now we had 3 Alliance members at the show. Again the Philippine DOT had the most impressive destination stands of them all, with a lot of activities around the stand, the booth created a lot of interest for the Philippines and to all the other Alliance members including our partners from Micronesia, Sam’s Tours in Palau and Truk Stop Dive Center in Chuuk, or better know as Truk Lagoon.

Best adventure Trips 2008, now in the Philippines.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-30T19:49:17+08:00

I have picked up this very interesting info from Concierge, Conde Nast Traveler about our friend and Marine Biologist Lee Goldman a strong supporter of the Philippine -Micronesia Alliance and hopefully a new member soon of the Alliance, we keep you posted. Lee is conducting some very interesting adventure and Kayak Tours now in Palawan, Philippines, I guess he might even paddle past Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. ...This April, you can spend 13 days snorkeling, paddling, and simply floating around Palawan's remote regions courtesy of Wilderness Travel. ... Trip leader and marine biologist Lee Goldman sparks regular discussions on sea life and guides expeditions to the Apo Reef National Park, which brims with 500 types of coral and 500 marine-life species. You'll divide your time between camping at secret lagoons (with air mattresses, nightlights, fans, and screened ceilings for stargazing) and wallowing at beachfront resorts with four-poster beds in Fijian cottages.

Feedback on the shark feeding story by Lee Goldman

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-30T13:46:23+08:00

The article on the shark feeding was written by Marine Biologist Lee Goldman a good friend an expert on Micronesia and the Philippines. I have received already a response to this article from Steve White the editor of Action Asia magazine, thanks Steve for your input. ...An interesting post Gunther. I like the guy's approach in not outright saying 'yay' or 'nay' to feeding. It's a true dilemma, with good points on both sides.

Shark feeding... is it right or wrong...do we have to interfere with our marine life for thrills?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-30T11:25:33+08:00

No, this is not fiction, this one is real, our dive guide (very experienced) went to a dive site where shark feeding had been carried out by some dive operator in the past (not Truk Stop Dive Center), he had not been in this area for a while and to his knowledge the feeding was not done for sometime, No he did not feed the sharks on this dive but somehow noticed the more aggressive behaviors of this normally docile animal, OK that is all I can say for now, read the story and opinion from a marine biologist view and YOU decide for your self what is right or wrong. ...I kinda agree with this, especially in situations where unless there is a bit of shark feeding / baiting, most people would not have the chance to ever see these magnificent creatures (example: Great Whites in SA and AU, and pelagics of the California coast). ...Florida has banned the practice mostly due to ease fears from potential tourists (and rightly so, with my full understanding for their actions in tact) and in response to all of the media attention in 2001 about the now misrepresented ‘summer of the shark’. ...When we think of many areas in the world that have reefs, we rarely associate sharks with them (or rarely see them while we are diving may be a better way to put it), mostly because they are either fished out, not really prevalent in the first place, or wary of humans. ... Now Yap can be lumped in with other countries promoting this experience, and for those who have been diving for many years, you know that most of these destinations may summon up ‘cattle-boat’ diving mentality as well as clearly being right ‘ON the beaten track’.

Sam's Tours Blog in German now...plus a lot more

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-29T13:21:10+08:00

Für Fan's der Unterwasserfotografie und solche, die es noch werden wollen, gibt es grosse Neuigkeiten: Sam's Tours hat einen Photoshop auf der Tauchbasis eingerichtet, der vom allerfeinsten ausgestattet ist: 7 iMacs mit WLAN/Internetzugang stehen den Tauchern zur Verfügung. 3 der digitalen Arbeitsplätze sind mit Apple Aperture und Adobe Photoshop ausgestattet (Software für Bildbearbeitung), 1 Arbeitsplatz bietet zusätzlich noch Videoschnittsoftware. ...For those of you who’ve been to Sam’s Tours Dive Center in Palau, Micronesia before or have been keeping up with our blogs you know that our facilities underwent a huge renovation and improvement ending in an October 2007 Grand Re-Opening. ...I'm talking about six top of the line Apple iMac workstations loaded with RAM and optimized for digital imaging, complete with Apple Aperture image management software, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Bridge, DSL Wi-Fi internet access, terabytes and terabytes of storage, archiving and secure data back up, and a camera rental department stocked with the latest Canon Powershot SD850 digital cameras and Canon ZR830 mini digital video cameras complete with underwater housings, big storage media and plenty of additional batteries. ...Gunther Deichmann who was instrumental in launching this project has been here all week with his team members Arnold and Hermes to set up and test everything and get us all up to speed on Apple OS, Aperture, Photoshop and of course the very important task of secure storage and back up of our guests digital images. ...And even bigger still, Gunther will be back at Sam’s Tours from April 22 – 27, 2008 along with internationally acclaimed MARINE PHOTOGRAPHER and environmentalist TONY WU, conducting a week long DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP targeted at all advanced photographers whether shooting above and below the water.

What is New at Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center... a wreck divers paradise, Chuuk Micronesia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-28T13:07:23+08:00

Everything is high-tech at some of our partners in the Philippines and Micronesia, at Sam's Tours Palau (check out the previous Blog) the state of the art Digital Photo Center incorporating a high speed wi-fi connection for the internet and at Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center in Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) Wi-Fi connection is now available for all their guests free of charge. ...A lot is happening at the Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center, Chuuk Micronesia, Chuuk or also known as Truk Lagoon is about an hour and 45 min. flying time from Guam, via Continental Airlines. ... We have just came back from there and can proudly announce that Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center is now connected free of charge for all their guests via Wi-Fi in the restaurant and on the Patio area, have a real divers breakfast or dinner and check your email. ...But that is not all, if you getting tiered of all these great wrecks take a afternoon dive at Shark Island only a 15min boat-ride from the Dive Center, watch the reef-sharks at the cleaning station in their natural environment at about 18-meters with superb visibility. ...Your partner in island-hopping, tech diving, wrecks and shark-dives in the Philippines and Micronesia, you can also book direct via our exciting packages or with our expert travel agent Blue Horizons at: http://www.alliancediving.com/horizons.html

Part two (2) of Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center, Palau Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-27T12:41:40+08:00

Installation of the RAM was easy and went through without a glitch, then we upgraded all the iMac's to Leopard since the operating system was all on Tiger, now that was fine too, however we encountered some real problems in upgrading all six(6) iMac's due to the internet connection, that took us about 3 days to finish. Then we setup all the external hard drives for a perfect back-up system, not to forgot upgrading Aperture to 1.5.6 which was a little cumbersome, the latest update does not work via the 'Software Update', due to a glitch, we had to get it direct from the Aperture site, and after hours of downloading we were finally up and running. ...All six (6) iMac's are connected in the same network via the Airport Extreme Base Station for file sharing, perfect for photo workshops, we put a lot of emphasis on the back up system, so no matter what happens to your great underwater shots they'll be safe even after you leave Palau. ...All iMac's are wi-fi connected and have dedicated access to the internet, thanks to Arnold our I.T. guy making the DPC a virtual internet Cafe as well, a Video station is soon to be implemented as well, separate printing via an Epson printer is also available plus external CD/DVD burner with labeling ability. But there is a lot more... small Canon digital cameras with underwater housings are for rent and some new video cam's are available also, there you have it, diving with Sam's Tours has just gotten a lot better, thanks to the new Digital Photo Center, now you can leave your laptop at home, you are in good hands at Sam's Tours.

Sam's Tours...Palau Micronesia… the curtain has been lifted...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-16T17:06:40+08:00

Our trained staff can assist you after the ‘dive workflow’, show your images to your friends while still on location with a impressive slide show, burn you images on CD/DVD for you to take home. ...All of this is now possible at Sam’s Tours Digital Photoshop, DSL wi-fi internet connection using Airport Extreme, but most impressive is the photo workstations, not only one but six high end iMac computers with all the software you ever going to need. ...That’s about it for now, I am very tired and need to get some rest, we follow up with part two in a couple of days, and explain in more details of this unique setup in Palau. ...Please stay tuned for more in depths details in my next blog, by the way our commercial shoot at the Palau Pacific Resort is also completed, some more training in the next few days for the staff at Sam’s Tours on the Leopard operating system and of course Aperture, we should be all sweet by the weekend before we proceed to Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) ...Gunther Deichmann is an Apple Certified Pro Trainer and has been on site with his Manila staff in Palau as a consultant, training the staff on the operating system including Aperture, Dermot Keane the GM of Sam's Tours and Gunther have been responsible for the concept and initial set up of the Digital Photoshop Center a first in Micronesia, even Photographers have a better survival rate in Micronesia now, thanks to Sam's Tours.

Survivor fever? Palau Micronesia, great News.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-11T21:48:58+08:00

A major event is just about to go down at Sam's Tours Palau... great News for... find out on the 15th of January. If you can guess what is going to happen on the 15th of January at Sam's Tours... the first email with the right answer can win... ...Sam’s Tours staff, Gunther Deichmann and Team, family members and close associates are not allowed to participate. ...Next week starting on the 13th I be reporting direct from Sam’s Tours from where we will fire up our big surprise. ... After the 15th things will be very different at Sam’s concerning … opps… I almost slipped and let the cat out of the bag, and after Palau around the 18th of this month I am leaving with my web master for Truk Lagoon to prepare for some major work for our Alliance Partner Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center.

Die Rückkehr der Dugongs - return of the Dugongs, new PADI Magazine in German soon available.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-03T21:03:58+08:00

I am leaving for Palau Micronesia and Chuuk tomorrow until the 24th of January, my blogs going to be a bit light during this time. However a major announcement will be made direct from Palau from our Alliance partner Sam's Tours, a very first in Palau and Micronesia. ...Surviving in Palau Micronesia is going to be easy, with good friends, like Sam Scott, Dermot Keane and many others. ...A new PADI magazine is soon available in German, please see below some excepts from the very first edition, reproduced with permission from Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise in Palawan, Philippines. ......viel mehr in der neuen PADI Zeitschrift in Deutschland fragen Sie auf der Messe Boot 2008 in Duesseldorf nach Dirk Fahrenbach.

Did You Know? Sea Cucumbers a New malaria weapon...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-01-01T03:20:01+08:00

Ultimately, one aim of our field is to find a way of genetically engineering mosquitoes so that the malaria parasite cannot develop inside them Professor Bob Sinden Imperial College London ...Researcher Professor Bob Sinden, from Imperial College London, said: "These results are very promising and show that genetically engineering mosquitoes in this way has a clear impact on the parasites' ability to multiply inside the mosquito host." ..."Ultimately, one aim of our field is to find a way of genetically engineering mosquitoes so that the malaria parasite cannot develop inside them." Professor Sanjeev Krishna, an expert in malaria at St George's Hospital Medical School, London, said new treatments for malaria were vital, as there was some sign that the parasites which cause the disease were developing resistance to the current artemisinin drugs. ...Dr Ron Behrens, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the technique showed promise in theory - but he warned that introducing genetically modified mosquitoes could be fraught with practical difficulties.

Surviving in Palau Micronesia...& the Philippines is easy with...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-29T19:01:27+08:00

We wish you a successful New Year, from all the Alliance partners, ...Surviving in Palau Micronesia and the Philippines is easy when diving with the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance in 2008. ...scuba-uitrustings duik - plongée de scaphandre - Tauchen mit Unterwasseratemgerät - diving dello scuba - diving do scuba - salto de la escafandra autónom Filippijnen - Philippines - Philippinen - Filippine - Filipinas - Philippines - Filipinas - Micronesië - La Micronésie - Mikronesien - La Micronesia ...A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân

Sam's Tours speaks Spanish...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-28T16:50:02+08:00

La vasta e remota regione delle Filippine e della Micronesia include le acque piu’ abbondanti e tropicali del Pacifico rinomate per i sommozzatori per le ricche bio diversita’ marine che includono pellicani, infinite varietà di soggetti per macro fotografia, più di 700 specie di coralli, più di 1300 specie di pesci ed una massiccia collezione di naufragi ancora intatti. La nostra rete esclusiva di resorts di prima classe per subacquei in tutte le Filippine, la Repubblica di Palau e la Laguna di Truk negli stati Federati della Micronesia, in associazione con i nostri selezionati e professionali agenti di viaggio, trasforma i viaggi e le immersioni in questa regione sbalorditiva del Pacifico, più convenienti, più comodi e più divertenti che mai per i subacquei! L'alleanza Filippine-Micronesia e’ formata dai piu’ importanti operatori per le immersioni subacquee, direttamente selezionati dall’Alleanza per garantire ai subacquei il meglio per vacanze di qualita’, il più alto livello di sicurezza, eccellenti servizi agli utenti e professionalita’ del settore industriale. ...I Vostri partners per vacanze di qualita’ nel campo delle immersioni, includono resorts Filippini e centri Asiatici per subacquei come il “Resort Galleon, a Puerto Galera; il “Club Paradise & Dugong Diving Center, a Palawan; il “Pinjalo Diver Resort”, a Borocay; il “Sam’s Tours” a Palau, in Micronesia e il “Truk Lagoon Dive Center, negli Stati federati della Micronesia. ...Il nostro centro per immersioni include un servizio fotografico subacqueo professionale e un negozio videofotografico, tecniche di immersione e trimix, autorizzate dal settore vendite e servizi di Scubapro e Aqualung, una lunga serie di esperienze subacquee, programmi preliminari attraverso certificazioni di istruttori, e un caffe' sul lungomare che guarda la bella isola andare verso la fine della giornata.

Calypso/Pinjalo speaks German...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-26T17:14:38+08:00

Das riesige Gebiet des Pazifiks zwischen den Philippinen und Mikronesien mit seinem warmen tropischen Wasser ist unter Tauchern weltberühmt für die enorme maritime Vielfalt an z. ...Unser exklusives Netzwerk von erstklassigen Tauchressorts auf den Philippinen, in Palau und Truk Lagoon in Mikronesien sowie ausgewählten Reiseveranstaltern macht Reisen und Tauchen in diesem fantastischen Gebiet des Pazifiks bequemer und komfortabler als je zuvor. ...Ihr Partner für ein hochwertigen Tauchurlaubt sind: Auf den Philippinen: Asia Divers with El Galleon Resort, Puerto Galera - Club Paradise & Dugong Diving Center, Palawan – Pinjalo Diver Resort, Boracay ...Wünschen Sie sich die Unterwasserwelt von Boracay zu erkunden, in der Sonne zu relaxen oder vielleicht ein paar Löcher auf dem nahe gelegenen Golfplatz zu spielen? ...Ob Sie nur einen Cocktail bei Sonnenuntergang oder die vorzügliche Küche genießen, Pinjalo Dive Resort bietet alles was Ihren Urlaub unvergesslich macht!

Asia Divers speaks italian...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-23T17:31:09+08:00

La vasta e remota regione delle Filippine e della Micronesia include le acque piu’ abbondanti e tropicali del Pacifico rinomate per i sommozzatori per le ricche bio diversita’ marine che includono pellicani, infinite varietà di soggetti per macro fotografia, più di 700 specie di coralli, più di 1300 specie di pesci ed una massiccia collezione di naufragi ancora intatti. La nostra rete esclusiva di resorts di prima classe per subacquei in tutte le Filippine, la Repubblica di Palau e la Laguna di Truk negli stati Federati della Micronesia, in associazione con i nostri selezionati e professionali agenti di viaggio, trasforma i viaggi e le immersioni in questa regione sbalorditiva del Pacifico, più convenienti, più comodi e più divertenti che mai per i subacquei! ...I Vostri partners per vacanze di qualita’ nel campo delle immersioni, includono resorts Filippini e centri Asiatici per subacquei come il “Resort Galleon, a Puerto Galera; il “Club Paradise & Dugong Diving Center, a Palawan; il “Pinjalo Diver Resort”, a Borocay; il “Sam’s Tours” a Palau, in Micronesia e il “Truk Lagoon Dive Center, negli Stati federati della Micronesia. ...Situé dans une des plus belles baies du monde, Puerto Galera , qui veut dire en espagnol, le port des galions, se compose de nombreuses plages et criques tranquilles, qui vous permettent soit de vous évader soit de vous rendre sur d'autres plages plus fréquentées pour plus de plaisir au soleil. ...N'oubliez pas de vous rendre au bar the Point, un endroit remarquable pour boire un verre au soleil couchant, cocktail, bière bien fraîche pour parler de vos activités et plongées de la journée en vous laissant glisser doucement au son de la meilleure musique de Puerto Galera, tout en rencontrant de nouveaux amis.

Chris saw a Whale-shark while participating in an Intro Dive & diving with Mantas in Palau plus Survivor Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-22T20:35:43+08:00

I have just picked up this Blog from our friends and Alliance partner Sam's Tours in Palau, Micronesia, interesting reading and the perfect place for your next vacation, if you click on the image below you see all our partner destinations in the Philippines and Micronesia and for our special dive packages please click this link. Read the story and the encounter with the Whale shark below, Dermot Keane has mention in his blog that he has not seen a whale shark himself, poor Guy, I guess he spend all his time organizing trips and making sure everybody else has a great time at Sam's Tours. Dermot is the GM and if you have a special requests check with him, or why dont you invite him for a dive, you never know he might get to see his whale shark too. ...With Survivor: China concluded, CBS announced the new season of Survivor will be called Survivor: Micronesia - Fans versus Favorites and will feature a tribe of long-time Survivor fans up against fan-favorites from previous seasons. ...A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân

Dive 2008 with The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-21T13:51:39+08:00

If you click on the image above you can view the beautiful places of the ...A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân ...Scuba diving with us in the Philippines, Micronesia and the Pacific in 2008. ...scuba-uitrustings duik - plongée de scaphandre - Tauchen mit Unterwasseratemgerät - diving dello scuba - diving do scuba - salto de la escafandra autónom ...If you had the chance recently to watch the Survivor Micronesia show then you know already one of our destinations Palau, now get to know the other ones: In the Philippines Puerto Galera, Boracay, Palawan and in Micronesia Truk Lagoon (Chuuk).

A personal small submarine or U-Boat 4U?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-19T12:50:21+08:00

This could be real cool in Palau to explore the great walls or check out the Canyons in Puerto Galera, creeping up on Dugongs in Palawan or take it for a spin in Boracay and check out the Yapak dive site, but what about Truk Lagoon now that could be something else. ...U-Boat If you’re one of those people who has every gadget known to modern diving, or if you’re looking for a really special present for someone who’s got everything, how about a personal UBoat? ... If you’re one of those people who has every gadget known to modern diving, or if you’re looking for a really special present for someone who’s got everything, how about a personal UBoat? ...U-Boat Worx, a company based in The Netherlands, has developed personal U-Boats (basically very comfortable submarines) that come in one- and two-seater models. Called C-Questers, these oh-so-cool looking submersibles can dive to 50 metres, hold a steady 1-atmosphere of pressure (meaning no decompression issues) and come packed with safety features like redundant depth control (meaning you can’t sink past 50 metres) and advanced life-support systems (four redundant O2 sensors, redundant fans and CO2 scrubber to keep the air clean). .....see the photos and read more at fins blog....

Breaking NEWS! Photo workshop in Palau...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-17T17:58:30+08:00

I have just received word and given confirmation about the final dates on the Photo Workshop in Palau Micronesia with Sam's Tours. ...Tony Wu one of Asia's best underwater photographers ( editor of Fins Magazine) and Gunther Deichmann well renown for his landscape and surface shots (also a certified Apple Pro trainer for Aperture) have organized this exciting event at Sam's Tours. More details will be announced shortly, for reservations and bookings please contact Dermot Keane from Sam's Tours at:www.samstours.com ...Plan your trip now for an exciting Photo Workshop above and below in Palau Micronesia, shoot with Tony Wu at Blue Corner and other great dive sites, journey with Gunther Deichmann to some of the best locations above in Palau and learn the digital workflow after the shoot. For our Mac/Apple friends there is a big surprise waiting for you at Sam's very, very soon this will be announced on this Blog and at : http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html

Survivor in different languages... with the PMA... no problem.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-17T16:34:50+08:00

A reminder for all of those who dont know we can communicate in many different languages, all of our partner resorts and dive centers have qualified multilingual speaking instructors and staff. OK., not all the languages listed below, but this is our way of saying Happy Holidays we are looking forward to see you in 2008 for some great diving in the Philippines, Micronesia and the Pacific. ...In Micronesia: Sam's Tours Palau, Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center in Chuuk, (Truk Lagoon) Travel Agent: Blue Horizons, Manila and Asian Spirit Airlines. All our dive centers and resorts care about the environment and if you speak Italian, French, German, Russian, Korea, Japanese or Chinese, the Philippine -Micronesia Website is in these languages, all our partners have two pages in these languages, giving you at least some idea why you should dive, explore and discover paradise with us. ...Dive with us the Pacific and Micronesia in 2008

Late breaking NEWS! Why????

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-14T21:18:03+08:00

I have just received from our partner Allan Nash, Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort in Puerto Galera, Philippines this disturbing info/news see below the link, it is really worthwhile reading. All our partners from the Philippine –Micronesia Alliance care about these issues and our environment. ...From: Michelle Masters ...I am sending you this link because the cause is very important and the man behind it just happens to be my step-father. ... If you feel strongly about animal rights and preventing such despicable cruelty to animals, then let others know.

The new Year is approaching...Diving into 2008

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-14T11:03:57+08:00

Wishing you all the best for the New Year… from the Philippines; Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort, Puerto Galera – Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, Palawan, Calypso/Pinjalo Dive Resort, Boracay – from Mirconesia; Sam’s Tours Palau – Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) from our travel expert Blue Horizons Travel, Manila and Asian Spirit Airlines. Join us in the New Year for some exciting island hopping – inselhuepfen – discover and explore the Pacific Ocean and Micronesia and if you not a diver yet, dive education is our business, from PADI 5 star to PADI National Geographic Dive Centers, top Nitrox facilities and re-breathers including tech diving, we get you certified in no time. ...Happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år - manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï ...felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân - yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun

There is still time to join...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-12T15:40:03+08:00

A reminder that you can still join us for this little quest, see below. ...Send us an email (gunther@gdeichmann.com) or go to the feedback button on this Blog, upper right hand side, with what you think are the most endangered marine animals in the world today, the right answers will receive (we guarantee this) a Book on the Dive Sites and environs of Puerto Galera and Palau Micronesia (only 5 copies in total can be won) we also have 5 sets of Postcards to give away, they come in a sets of eight. Just name 5 of the most endangered marine animals. ...All partners, family members and staff of the Philippine -Micronesia Alliance are are not allowed to participate. ...just name the most endangered marine species in the world today.

Endangered marine animals-Trivia.. win Books &...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-08T15:33:56+08:00

Learn how to dive, snorkel and appreciate our underwater world, let’s leave the Shells where they came from, so our future generations can enjoy them in their natural environment. If you see them washed a shore on the beach, yes, you can take them home, however check with the various countries first, some have very strict rules on the exportation of different items including artifacts. ...Send us an email (gunther@gdeichmann.com) or go to the feedback button on this Blog, upper right hand side, with what you think are the most endangered marine animals in the world today, the right answers will receive (we guarantee this) a Book on the Dive Sites and environs of Puerto Galera and Palau Micronesia (only 5 copies in total can be won) we also have 5 sets of Postcards to give away, they come in a sets of eight. ...On this time-scale, where a human lifetime is but the blink of an eye, solid rocks flow like liquid, entire continents move across the face of the earth and mountains grow from flat plains. ...Most other planets have very little water, and on those that do the water exists only as perpetually frozen ice or as vapor in the atmosphere.

Boracay... the things you find in Google

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-06T13:01:09+08:00

Millions of articles on the best beaches in the world... but some how and rightly so, Boracay is always on the first page, read just some of the things I have picked up recently. Why not choose Boracay's Pinjalo/Calypso Dive Resort as your next stop for your hard earned vacation, a member of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance located on one of the best beaches in the world. read on below articles from an Individual and the Citibank World Privileges/Travellers Guide. ...With 7,107 islands strung like pearls across 1,840 kilometers of the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, and a coastline longer than the USA, the Philippines is home to literally thousands of palm fringed beaches, with warm waters, thriving coral reefs and hundreds of idyllic resorts. ...White Beach on Boracay Island, off Panay, has been called the best beach in the world. It has four kilometers of fine, bright, coral sand, which is always cool underfoot, shallow azure waters, and a beachfront boasting a huge variety of restaurants and bars offering cosmopolitan cuisine and good entertainment.

A Manta at the House reef...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-05T13:45:31+08:00

I just received a call from our friend and partner Dirk Fahrenbach, they have a Manta hanging around at the house reef at Club Paradise in Palawan, that is great, now these big guys show up in the shallow right in front of this great resort and dive center, I am waiting for Dirk to give me some more info and as soon it is available I let everybody know, no need to go to the Maldives, Mantas have been around for quiet some time in the waters of the Philippines and of course Micronesia. But having them now at the Club Paradise house reef, well it doesn't get any better, check out the direct link to Club Paradise and the Dugong Dive Center in Palawan. GD Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center Not only Dugongs, but now Mantas as well, right in front of the resort.

Fast train to Polynesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-12-03T15:29:05+08:00

Some have always thought that humans moved out rapidly from South East Asia, through Melanesia, with very little mixing between the different colonist groups. ...To try to settle the argument, Christopher Austin, an evolutionary biologist, has studied the mitochondrial DNA of the Lipinia noctua lizard, which lives alongside humans on Pacific islands ranging from Hawaii in the northeast to Easter and Pitcairn island in the southeast. ...Austin, from the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, says his analysis supports the fast hypothesis - humans and lizards caught the "Polynesian express train". "The extreme genetic similarity between the different colonies indicates rapid colonisation from a single source, which I take as support of the express-train hypothesis," Austin says in the science journal Nature. ...In a separate study, Dr Lisa Matisoo-Smith, at the University of Auckland, used the mitochondrial-DNA technique on rats to show that the Southern Cook and Society Islands formed the focus from which migration to other islands began.

The Boys are back in town... from London

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-29T13:41:17+08:00

Alex and Jem from Blue Horizons attended the World Travel Market show this month, Jem send me yesterday a short report from the show, Alex and Jem are back in Manila, so if you need any travel arrangements just give them a call at Blue Horizons I am sure they are only to happy and work out some nice packages from the Alliance partners for your next island-hopping adventure or explore the deep, you never know what you might find, a sunken Galleon or even the lost city of Atlantis. ...The WTM in London was attended by over 30,000 global representatives (from over 200 countries) of the travel industry and the Philippines Dept of Toursism stand attracted a great deal of attention over the four days of the event. ...They report an impressive interest in diving opportunities and many visitors were particularly interested in the concept of two centre holidays combining Boracay, Busuanga or Club Paradise and Palau or Truk. ...As well as existing travel partners Alex and Jem report that there are exciting new possibilities with tour operators and agents from the UK in particular but also Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Russia etc. ...The last day of the event saw the raffle and the first prize was a combined Boracay and Puerto Galera package with accommodation and diving for two people at Calypso Diving and Pinjalo Resort Villas (Boracay) and Asia Divers and El Galleon Beach Resort (Puerto Galera) with Manila Hotel accommodation included.

Did you know? Asia Divers & a water scorpion

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-28T16:34:20+08:00

Oh boy, more monsters from the past... but I have to admit this is very interesting stuff and I hope we are not boring you with all these amazing stories, it is nice to go back in time and besides, it shows us how our ocean have been occupied in the past. So when you go for your next dive and you spot a weird looking creature dont stop breathing... it is likely a relative from some of the bigger ones but I am sure they wont swallow you. If you ever get the chance and dive ( actually it is a must) with our partner Asia Divers in Puerto Galera, Philippines, the chances are you see more unusual critters than anywhere else. ..."I knew it was a trackway as soon as I saw it - my main work is on dinosaur footprints - but it wasn't immediately obvious to me what sort of trackway it was," the Sheffield University researcher said. ...The creature did not have the big pincers or carry its tail in the air like the land scorpions we know today, and it did not have a sting, either; but these animal groups are nonetheless distantly related, scientists believe.

Who Will Outwit, Outplay, Outlast Whom?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-25T21:59:31+08:00

As you may know, Palau has been waging an ongoing war against illegal shark fishing and shark finning in its’ waters by foreign fishing fleets. And now I am just recently informed of yet another equally devastating threat to our marine environment, this time in the island atoll of Kayangel, Palau's most northerly island. Apparently, Kayangel State is engaged in a LIVE REEF FISH agreement with an offshore fishing company based in Hong Kong or Taiwan to supply fresh grouper for export. ... Nearby Indonesia is already suffering the devastating effects of this absolutely unsustainable practice which has apparently destroyed formerly healthy fish populations that for generations have sustained local populations.... I guess out of sight is out of mind, and the remote and sparsely populated atoll of Kayangel is a perfect place to engage in this type of behavior.read the whole story @

The Irish have been invaded by jellyfish & millions of sea creatures wash up...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-25T17:45:32+08:00

If you Irish, well you better watch out when you choose your next dive destination, this very interesting article was brought again to my attention by no other than Walter Ty, thanks for keeping us in the loop. ... As a matter of fact you can swim (snorkeling only) with our more friendly Jellyfish in Palau, yes they are non stinging and a real experience cruising amongst these amazing creatures. ...It could take at least two years for the firm to recover "The sea was red with these jellyfish and there was nothing we could do about, it, absolutely nothing," he said. ...There was a major invasion in 1981 and in 2004 they turned up in Dorset, south Devon, and the south coast of Cornwall and right up to Islay in the west of Scotland. Their short tentacles catch very small fish and large plankton and they themselves are eaten by the Violet Sea Snails, which are seldom seen in Britain... read more and view the photos @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/6164389.stm

Diving with Sea Monsters? Dont worry it is a thing of the past, but scary if they where still around.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-21T14:02:38+08:00

You can relax, they not around anymore but they used to be, read this very interesting article which was brought to my attention by no other then our good old Walter Ty, thanks Walter. Apologies from The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance for not been able to show you these guys, but we can show you just about everything else in the Pacific and Micronesia, try one of our specialties and come along for some great island hopping or as they say in German Inselhuepfen, remember our site is in nine languages, see you soon with your mask, fins and snorkel. ..."The biggest scorpion today is nearly 30cm so that shows you how big this creature was," said Dr Simon Braddy from the University of Bristol, UK. ...And it was those elevated levels, some palaeo-scientists believe, that may have helped drive the super-sized bodies of many of the invertebrates that existed at that time - monster millipedes, huge cockroaches, and jumbo dragonflies. ..."The fact that you are big means you are more likely to be seen and to be taken for a tastier morsel," he told BBC News.

Micronesia exposed in Fins Magazine, Nov. 2007

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-20T16:18:21+08:00

The current issue of Fins Magazine is featuring a nice 12 page article on Micronesia, please see below some excerpts from this current issue, you can download the whole article direct from their website at: http://www.finsonline.com/magazine/vol_6_6/ or go to our site in a few days and you find the pdf file under Alliance& the Media at: ...Dive or plan your next vacation with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance in Micronesia or the Pacific, we offer you the very best in marine bio-diversity, wreck diving, wall or real shark dives, explore and have your next adventure with us at any of our partner resorts or dive centers. We like to express our sincere thanks to Fins Magazine for this great and comprehensive article on Micronesia, our partners in Micronesia are Sam's Tours in Palau and Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center in Chuuk or better known as Truk Lagoon. ...Stretching from the Marshall Islands just west of Hawaii to theCaroline Islands east of the Philippines, and from the Marianas Islands to the north and Gilbert Islands to the south, Micronesia has less combined land area than the smallest state in the United States, yet more ocean area than the entire mainland USA. ...Although the island has now reverted to using its more traditional name of Chuuk, it’s known to many scuba divers as Truk, a destination world-renowned for its a vast collection of intact WWII Japanese shipwrecks, sunk during Operation Hailstone by aerial attacks launched from US Fast Carrier Attack Groups in 1944..............

Congratulations to the Palau Pacfic Resort

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-17T22:29:19+08:00

This image is taken only a few weeks ago at the Palau Pacific Resort the very best spot for the most dramatic sunsets in Palau right at the sandy ...Congratulations to the Palau Pacific Resort or better know as PPR on their recent selection as Asia's Leading Diving Resort in the World Travel Awards, when YOU as a guest travel with us or book with the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance the chances are you be staying at the PPR, you might wonder why, easy answer Sam's Tours is our partner in Palau Micronesia. Again our Congratulations to all the management and staff at the Palau Pacific Resort, Palau is one of the Alliance premier dive destination and has now Asia's leading Dive Resort in cooperation with Sam's Tours. Check out the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance website represented in 9 languages

The show goes on...World Travel Market and more improvement on our site, find the articles easy now

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-13T17:22:35+08:00

World Travel market is still on going with Jeremy and Alex from Blue Horizons Travel, poor guys freezing most likely in London, we have introduced some of our Partners the other day and bring you now some more Alliance partners from the Philippines and Micronesia, check with the boys at the WTM in London for all our packages and make sure you part of their Raffle, for more info check the previous blog. ...We have also made some more improvement to our web site, you find it easy now to go direct to certain articles and read all about Did You Know? ...If you have never tried or checked it before click on our build in Photo Gallery in our Blogs, marked with a red circle, once you click here you see the amazing Photos from all our partner destinations, images from above and below, Island hopping, Palau Micronesia, Marine Bio-diversity, the amazing wrecks from Truk Lagoon, or check the location of our beaches. ...left Image; find articles easy now. - right : check out our Photo Gallery You find all of this on the right hand side of our blog!

Introducing the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance partners at the World Travel Market in London

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-10T14:41:11+08:00

Get to know the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance and their representatives at this years World Travel Market in London, meet Jeremy and Alex from Blue Horizons. On todays blog we introduce to you Asia Divers with El Galleon from Puerto Galera which has one of the best Marine Bio-Diversity in the world, a sheer heaven for underwater photographers, and there is Club Paradise with Dugong Dive Center with a spectacular house reef and the only place in the Philippines where you can spot Dugongs, it is a real natures paradise. Tomorrow we bring you our other partners from Boracay in the Philippines and Palau Micronesia so please stay tuned, check with Alex and Jeremy for all you dive vacation and island hopping needs at the WTM. ...Asia Divers, Puerto Galera Philippines, Calypso/Pinjalo Dive Resort, Boracay, Philippines, Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines, ...I keep it a bit of a secret now, you just visit Alex and Jeremy at the Show and find out, hope to see you all there.

Diving- vacation and travel surprises at the World Travel Market in London, 2007

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-08T14:39:46+08:00

As promised here it is: "The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance" at the World Travel Market with our representatives from Blue Horizons ...We will be giving away several prizes during the WTM.... and all travel agents who visit us during the WTM and leave their calling card with us (Blue Horizons) will be included in the draw. So if you ready for your next dive vacation or holiday, or just go island hopping from one island to another, check out our great white sandy beaches after your dive... and there is so much more we can arrange for you, just talk to Alex and Jeremy for all the details at the WTM. ...You can win minor prizes - such as stuffed toys - every day (Monday 12th November - Thursday 15th November), and we will be giving away one or two 'major' prizes on the afternoon of Wednesday 14th November. ...I keep it a bit of a secret now, you just visit Alex and Jeremy at the Show and find out, hope to see you all there.

Did You Know? Cool story about Parrotfish...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-06T16:24:20+08:00

Thanks again to Walter Ty for bringing this story about the Parrotfish to my attention, within the next day or so we have a major announcement coming your way, real cool news, so please stay tuned or subscribe to our Alliance Blog. A reminder for those folks who read our Blogs in Europe, if you travel to the World Travel Market Show in London, check out our Alliance Team from Blue Horizons, Jeremy and Alex will be around, real cool Guys who can answer all your questions regarding diving in the tropics in the Philippines and Micronesia, they understand island hopping and can help you to choose your ultimate dive vacation. ...You can push a reef so far and then it becomes extremely difficult for a reef to recover Professor Peter Mumby, a marine ecologist from Exeter University ...The seaweed growth is boosted by human activity, such as fertilizers washing off from agricultural land into the coastal waters, and over-fishing, Professor Mumby explained. "Then to compound these problems you have the climate stresses that are more and more inevitable now, which cause major problems with warming waters and hurricanes," he added......

More on the World Travel Market Show in London

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-04T15:24:06+08:00

WTM provides a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry. ...Check with Jeremy and Alex about our special dive packages, our exotic destinations, island hopping, your next dive vacation in the Philippines, the Pacific, China Sea and Micronesia, ...You can find Jeremy and Alex at the Philippine Department of Tourism Booth (DOT), just ask for the Guys from Blue Horizons. The Philippines will again be putting its best foot forward during this year’s World Travel Market, to be held at London’s ExCel exhibition center at the Docklands, ...It provides a unique opportunity for people and companies in the travel trade and tourism industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in this global business.

Excitement in Palau Micronesia and World Travel Market in London, UK.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-11-01T14:59:28+08:00

I just arrived back from Palau Micronesia, and so many things happen during my visit, Sam's Tours Grand Opening and 17th Anniversary, all new facilities are fully operational now, read the blog post from Dermot Keane the General Manager below for all the details. The Survivor TV show shooting their latest episode as we speak, of course they are very secret about everything, then the Discovery Channel shooting at the same time a new story on the Bone Detectives and to top it all an international Canoe Race competition "The Micronesia Cup" was held at the same time, participants from Guam, Singapore, Palau, Australia, Patagonia and many others competing in this race, talking about a buzzing Palau. ...We've already received very positive comments from the many repeat guests with us this week including Matt Zimmerman of ISLAND DIVERS in Honolulu who leads several trips a year to Palau and Wayne Daniels of Kauai, who extended his stay to join the party! ...In addition to celebrating the Grand Re-Opening of Sam's Tours, we also celebrated Sam's daughter Cyndis' 17th Birthday, Sam's Tours 17th Anniversary and the mid-season success of "Sam's Sharks" our staff basketball team who are now 7 and 1 and 3rd place in the league. ...While he was here in Palau, Gunther took the time to do a complete new photo shoot of our new facilities and even managed to jump in a helicopter with Matt from Palau Helicopters and shot the dive center every which way from the air.

Explore the sea and treasure hunters

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-24T12:53:37+08:00

I am leaving this evening for Palau to be part of the big celebration at Sam's Tours New Grand Opening, please see my previous Blog "Congratulations to Sam's Tours" I give you a full report upon my return next week, hopefully with some fun images from the event, so just stay tuned, please read on below our latest story on Did You know... about Galleons, shipwrecks.... ...The interception of the treasure-hunt ship off the coast of Gibraltar is the latest broadside in a tense battle between a US-based salvage company and the Kingdom of Spain over an unidentified shipwreck and the ownership of its rich haul of gold and silver coins. ...The battle over the Black Swan treasure is now jeopardising another more lucrative project: the salvage of a British warship that Odyssey believes it has discovered in the western Mediterranean. ...The company's first major salvage venture was in 2003 when it discovered the SS Republic, a Civil War side-wheel steamer that sank off the Florida coast in 1865 and some $75m (£37m) worth of coins. ..."Here you have a situation in which a US company is apparently systematically working in the Mediterranean, the English Channel and off the coast of Spain, taking cultural heritage without authorisation and then whisking it to the US and steadfastly refusing to reveal to the concerned governments what it has been doing," he said.

Congratulations to Sam’s Tours Palau, Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-22T22:12:36+08:00

Congratulations to Sam’s Tours in Palau, Micronesia, they have finally completed their major renovation and the Grand Opening is on the 26th of October 2007. http://www.samstours.com Sam’s Tours a founding member of the Philippine Micronesia Alliance, your experts for island hopping, underwater photography, tech diving, wall diving, shark dives and wreck expedition. Explore and Dive with us the Pacific, the China Sea, the Philippine Sea and the amazing walls of Micronesia, plus a lot more, for direct bookings and all our special packages please go to: ...Welcome to Sam’s Tours and the Alliance your partners in quality diving holidays!,

Books, Underwater photography and a lot more

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-19T16:09:49+08:00

New guidebooks on Palau Micronesia and Puerto Galera in the Philippines have been given some nice write ups in the i-mag Photography Magazine, a paradise pair, Palau and Puerto Galera two of the best dive destinations in the Asia pacific region. ...They have also published in the same issue a nice article on the recent GD PhotoWorkshop in Cambodia with the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging or PCCI. ...Dive in paradise - yes, you can have the time of your life with the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance partner resorts and dive centers throughout the ...Dive the famous wrecks of Truk Lagoon, experience high voltage shark dives in Palau, or explore the ultimate in marine bio- diversity in the Philippines from Palawan, Puerto Galera and to Boracay with its famous white sandy beach. All the Alliance partner resort and dive center offer you very special island hopping tours and safaris, join us to explore the sea and its marine life.

Did You Know? Survivors in our Ocean?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-18T11:58:10+08:00

Shark fins are highly prized for use in shark fin soup, a high status dish that can sell for £65 a bowl, especially in Asian countries where growing wealth has increased demand. ...Using DNA, it is now possible to identify shark species from their fins, a development which may be significant in monitoring the impact of this trade. ...This trend may be indicative of the fact that so many other fish species are declining and that people have been encouraged to eat fish as a healthy alternative to meat. ...There may, however, be other benefits in maintaining shark bio-diversity, for example, shark cartilage has also been used in the development of a synthetic skin for burn victims. ...Sharks are at the top of the food chain so they are likely to have a higher concentration of the toxins that build up in the body fat of their prey.

THE HEAT IS ON

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-13T23:50:22+08:00

In an interview with BBC News, the head of the Canadian Coast Guard, George Da Pont, said: "Our view is that it's our territorial waters and that we govern it accordingly. ..."I assume at some point in time they'll get settled but we're pretty confident that they're Canadian territorial waters and that we should be regulating and asserting our control over them as we would over any other part of our territorial water. ...Equipped with a remotely operated robot submarine and a sonar system, the ship will undertake a detailed survey of the sea-bed - essential if the waterway is to become more open to commercial shipping. ...Researchers on board also hope to study the changing patterns of the ice - not only the ice that grows and retreats with the seasons but also the far thicker multi-year ice which drifts with the Arctic currents and poses the most serious threat to any vessels. A British team on board will study the sediment on the sea-bed to hunt for a chemical record of changes in the ice stretching back for the past thousand years - a vital task to help understand the likely rate of change in the future.

Million of years later...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-10T14:28:36+08:00

Here is a very interesting article from our good friend and supporter Tony Wu (Fins Magazine), I guess you going to wonder what these fossils have to do with the digital age, actually NOTHING but this is the general idea, we like to bring you all sorts of different information now and then, of course some how marine related. Today for our underwater photographers cool info from Tony, please read on below and check out the link for the whole story, for information on the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance please click here: http://www.alliancediving.com The Divers Choice ...Immediate feedback, being able to shoot more than 36 frames at a time, being able to make duplicate/ back-up copies immediately, and having the ability to edit work on-the-spot rank at the top of my list. ...If there’s been one major drawback of going digital for me, it has to be the fact that in addition to being a good photographer, you’ve got to become a software and image-processing expert too. ...Over the past few years, with the switch to digital format, I’ve had to experiment with all sorts of software…some good, some bad…and I think I’ve finally begun to reach the point where I have a workflow that I’m comfortable with.

Did you know? Sea Monsters from the past...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-09T17:54:55+08:00

We dont like to talk always how good our dive operation and resorts are, we try to keep you also up to date with some interesting stories and the latest news. Things which happen million of years ago and still effect us today, environment and conservation issues not only from our partner destinations but from around the world. ... We have started recently with stories about fossils - "living fossils" and we will continue with the sea's past, millions of years ago, please read on below and check out the links about this huge Turtle from our past. ...It would never be alone, as its huge size attracted a squadron of hangers-on such as juvenile fish as well as barnacles and parasites. Archelon couldn't withdraw its head or flippers inside its bony shell for protection so, despite its size, it was an easy target for large predators.

Albino Whale Shark

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-04T16:46:32+08:00

I have just came across this incredible article from Wetpixels, you need to see the images to believe it, very cool, here is the direct link: http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/albino-whale-shark-photographed-in-ecuador/ This information has been brought to you by the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. ...Now in 9 languages: English, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian, French , Spanish and soon in Polish. Covering the Pacific, China Sea, Philippine Sea and Micronesia.

Palau, Asia Divers and Rene Buob

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2007-10-01T13:13:02+08:00

I guess we all like to check out these live aboard at one time, however if you don’t like to dive from boats then our partner in Palau Sam’s Tours can take care of all your requirements, take you to the same dive sites and show you other parts of Palau, take you to the local villages, the spectacular waterfall or visit the mysterious monolith early in the morning for sunrise. ...It was over a year in the planning but finally Pete Eaton (me) and eight of Dubai’s finest departed Manila aboard an Asian Spirit another partner from the Philippine –Micronesia Alliance, flight bound for Cebu and finally on to Koror in Palau to begin five days of sensational diving aboard the Palau Aggressor. ...Both these sites where my favorite as they combine great wall diving where sharks are always on the viewing list, then somewhere towards the middle of the dive a chance to hook off on the edge of the wall and watch the wildlife bask in the current, Grey reef, Silver tips, Eagle Rays, Marble Rays, schooling Jacks, Barracudas and of course the obligatory White Tips and Turtles. ...Second dive would be the likes of New Drop off where towards the end of one dive we had a fantastic encounter with a solitary Eagle Ray that just glided around us for twenty minutes before we had to ascend. ...If I had to list all the good things, like the totally cool skiff that has its own hydraulic platform to lift it and its cargo of divers in and out of the water then I would have to write a book!