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!

It is 2009 in Palau NOW… HAPPY NEW YEAR from Sam’s
Tours!
I am still waiting for some
info…from Palau but if something arrives later I share it
with you no worries. I about and hour Asia Divers has hopefully
something and for sure I share Manila with
you…
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.
Remember Safety First!
Happy New Year from the virtual office of the
Philippine–Micronesia Alliance and all the partners.
The
Divers Choice.
GD
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!

That is how they celebrate in Chuuk at the
Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center, it is 2009 in Chuuk
NOW…
HAPPY NEW
YEAR!!!
Our first report is from Chuuk due to the
time difference then Palau and of course the Philippines. 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. 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.
Remember Safety First!
Happy New Year
from the virtual office of the
Philippine–Micronesia Alliance and all the partners.
The
Divers Choice.
GD

Just
arrived direct from Chuuk or better know as Truk Lagoon
the ultimate destination in Wreck Diving.
New
Years Eve in Chuuk – Truk Lagoon
Here is a photo of our guests with
some of our staff competing with the locals for loudest group in a
flatbed truck.
Those who have spent New Year’s
Eve in Chuuk, or Truk Lagoon, all say the same thing about the
experience –
IT’S
LOUD…
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. There
is a beat, and sometimes chanting, that goes along with this
activity but one thing is consistent – IT’S
LOUD, IT’S VERY, VERY LOUD.
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. Our Guests are:
From
Germany: Werner and Carola Behrens
From
Finland:Ismo Visa
Pekka Kemppairen
Jari Nurmi
Teppo Ilmanen
Sanna Elden-Pehrsson
Harri Pehrsson
From America:Mitchell Hall
Howard Gaiser
Truk Stop Hotel & Dive Center Wins Best Float in Christmas Parade, Chuuk Micronesia
Truk Stop Hotel & Dive Center Wins Best Float in Christmas
Parade
December 20 (Saturday), 2008
The
Rotary Club of Chuuk organized a Christmas Parade with floats from
various local businesses and organizations.

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.
All the floats meet at the Tunnuk Church and drove about 3 miles to
Neauo Village in South Field. Along the way the occupants of each
float waved and threw candies to those who lined the road to watch
the parade.
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. A boom box played Christmas music as the
float moved slowly along.
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. Melba Stinnett Aisek, hotel manager, and 2 of her
children rode in the back with “Santa” and did all the
candy throwing along the parade route. Will Stinnett, attending
college in the Philippines and home for Christmas rode in the back
with other staffs and assisted in the candy throwing.
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...
Early
Christmas
Gifts
for Palau...
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.

Is this a Palau Christmas Tree?
hmm...
© Gunther Deichmann - aerial view at sunset
near the 70 islands, Palau, Micronesia
Here are the results of SCUBA DIVING
MAGAZINE
Readers' Choice Survey:
SCUBA Diving Magazine Top 100
Readers' Choice Survey Jan/Feb 2009 Issue
Pacific
& Indian Oceans
TOP
DIVE DESTINATIONS:
1.
Palau
TOP
WALL DIVING:
1.
Palau
TOP
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY:
1.
Palau
TOP
MARINE ENVIRONMENT:
2.
Palau
TOP
MARINE LIFE:
2.
Palau
TOP
VISIBILITY:
2. Palau
TOP
WRECK DIVE:
3.
Palau
TOP BIG
ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS:
4.
Palau
TOP
MACRO LIFE:
5.
Palau
Late News: Reef Check Philippines and Asia Divers/El Galleon Beach Resort in collaboration with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
You can help save Philippine
reefs!

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.
Lee Goldman, Marine
Biologist
http://reefcheck.org/involved/puerto_galera.php
Announcement: Dugong Dive Center updated website with cool Underwater Video Clips

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
Thank you for your support and if we all work together we achieve a common goal...Stop the killing of Sharks.
GD
THE
INTERNATIONAL
YEAR
OF
THE
SHARK
2009!
… was
inspired
by
the
finding
that
at
the
current
rate
of
decline,
certain
shark
species
will
be
extinct
in
10 to
15 years.
In
large
regions,
species
that
were
once
numerous
have
fallen
to
1% of
their
original
numbers.
Studies
of
open
ocean
sharks
estimate
80 to
90% of
heavily
fished
species
are
gone.
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.
HELP
SPREAD
THE
WORD:
http://www.year-of-the-shark-2009.org/
SAVE
SHARKS
FROM
E
XTINCTION
The
LET
SHARKS
LIVE
shark
protection
network
& think
tank:
http://groups.google.com.mt/group/let-sharks-live?hl=en

© Gunther Deichmann
- Save
our Sharks!
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.
Thank you for
your support and if we all work together we achieve a common
goal...Stop the killing of
Sharks.
GD
For more info and how to become involved
with the Year of the Shark go to:
http://year-of-the-shark-2009.org/home.htm

2009
L’ANNO DELLO SQUALO
L’ANNO INTERNAZIONALE DELLO
SQUALO
… e’ stato ispirato dalla
scoperta che al ritmo odierno, varie specie di squali saranno
estinte in 10-15 anni. In alcune regioni, le specie che un tempo
erano numerose sono diminuite all’1% del numero originario.
Studi di squali in mare aperto hanno dimostrato che l’80-90%
delle specie pescate sono scomparse. 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”. Dal momento
che l’oceano si e’ evoluto con gli squali
all’apice dei predatori, il loro continuo
sfruttamento e la loro scomparsa danneggeranno drasticamente
l’ecologia degli oceani.
AIUTA A DIFFONDERE IL
MESSAGGIO:
SALVA
GLI SQUALI
D
A L L ’ E S T I N Z I O N E
2009
DAS
JAHR
DES
HAI'S
DAS
INTERNATIONALE
JAHR
DES
HAI'S
... wurde
angeregt
als
bekannt
wurde,
dass
bei
dem
derzeitigen
Tempo
verschiedene
Hai-
Arten
in
den
naechsten
10 bis
15 Jahren
aussterben
werden.
In
einigen
Schluesselregionen
sind
Arten,
die
bisher
zahlreich
zu
finden
waren,
auf
bis
zu
1% ihrer
urspruenglichen
Anzahl
reduziert
worden.
Studien,
die
sich
mit
Hochseehaien
befassen,
schaetzen,
dass
80 bis
90% der
stark
gefischten
Arten
bereits
verschwunden
sind.
Dennoch
werden
diese
hochintelligenten
Tiere
-
die
so
genannten
„Woelfe
der
Meere“
-weiterhin
intensiv
gejagt,
speziell
ihrer
Flossen
wegen.
Die
Flossen
werden
den
Haien
oft
bei
lebendigem
Leibabgeschnitten
und
landen
inder
beruechtigten
"Haiflossen-Suppe".
HELFT
MIT
DIE
BOTSCHAFT
ZU
VERBREITEN:
RETTET
DIE
HAIE
VOR
DEM
AUSSTERBEN
Dive Travel: A Great Month Of Diving With Asia Divers Travel Galapagos & the Maldives
A Great Month
Of Diving With Asia Divers Travel
Galapagos Oct. 2 to 9. Maldives Oct. 19 to
28.

With any trip
Asia
Divers organize, it’s almost always a year or
two before you finally have the fun to excitement of the trip. This
month was a special month for Asia Divers and a very special month
for me, as I had the pleasure of participating in both trips.
We set off the end of September for that long hard flight from
Manila-LA-Miami, then down to Quito, Ecuador. 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. It was a brief visit to the immigration and to my
surprise; AA had in deed managed to, not loose my bags!
After a pleasant day and two memorable nights in Quito, eating
Tapas and drinking some great reds, it was off to the Galapagos
Islands. We soon arrived in San Cristobal and was quickly picked up
and sent aboard the Galapagos Aggressor 1. A truly great welcome
and orientation was given before we set off for our first checkout
dive.

The dive was excellent, with sea lions
and many sea stars littering the sea floor. 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 first day was spent diving around St Cristobal and Bultra,
great action with schools of fish, sea lions, eagle rays and a
large school of hammerheads. The trip then took us up to Wolf and
Darwin (where the big stuff is) an overnight trip that put us on
our first dive mid morning. The fun began when we dropped in and
seen our schools of Hammerheads. 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. On one dive
we had the pleasure of dolphins. The
Dolphins spent a good 10min. with us, playing and showing off in
front of us, quite a spectacle.
Darwin was of course our favorite with all the whale sharks we
seen. They say whale sharks only grow to 15m; I’m sure
whoever has said that, they have never been to Darwin! I still say
this whale shark is at least 18m, it has to be! The most memorable
dive at Darwin (this trip) for me was the first dive when this
enormous whale shark came from behind us and hovered over us for a
few minuets. This fellow was not concerned about us at
all.

The Galapagos is well known for its
wild life. The number of Hammerheads, Galapagos and black tip
sharks, Eagle rays, whale sharks, Penguins and so much more is some
times mind-boggling.
On land the sea lions, seals and marine and land iguanas are just
going about their business as if you were not there. 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.
The Landscape was something special and one or two places really
got your attention with the harshness and barren volcanic
planes.
The island landscape changed, with some islands covered with larva
and others with cactus and colorful vegetation.
It was a sad moment climbing aboard the plain to take us back to
Quito. Back in Quito was a quiet night of reflection, wine and good
friends, and then there was that terribly long flight back
home.
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. Special thanks to the Galapagos Aggressor 1 crew and to
Alison Pocket, Kenneth Svennerlind, Johan and Maria Lyrevik, Bob
Andrews, Kevin Ella, Kevin and Debbie Painter, Larry Bird, Kjell
Soderstrom, Suzi Denton, Brian King and our trusty organizer Peter
Eaton.
And then
there was the Maldives!

It was March/April
this year we did a trip to the Maldives. We had such a good time
and were looked after so well we decided on another trip. Moosa our
trusting guide and new friend suggested August to October as the
Manta Aggregation happened during these months. After checking with
Manthiri bookings office we only had one chance, October 19 to 28,
we immediately said book it, were on!
After a week to the day I arrived back from the Galapagos, I was
off to the Maldives aboard Singapore airlines best. It restored my
faith and interest in flying again after my friends from over
yonder. Arriving in Male we took a hotel for the night and headed
to the boat at 8am.
We reuniting with Moosa and the crew of the Manthiri, a quick
introduction to our new friends onboard and it was off for our
first dive, Manta Point. We had a great introduction with eight
Mantas, this is what we came for!

The first two to three days of our
nine-day trip was spent in the South Male area. The first few dives
we did were everything we could have expected. Good visibility,
Whale sharks and lots of life. Mantas occasionally, but great
colours and formations. By the third day however, the weather
started to turn and rain was upon us. We had to take shelter from
the weather on the eve of the third day before crossing from South
to North Male.
On day four we arrived in North Male, a place where the Manta
aggregation has been seen on regular occasions. Our first dive was
with nine Mantas, not as many as we had hoped for but still an
excellent dive. This dive was done in a maximum of 9 meters and we
stayed for 76min. Everyone was excited about the dives we did that
day, even if the numbers of Mantas did not reach more than 12 at
any one time.
The following days we traveled further north and visited an island
where Moosa our guide is now building a house. We were received
warmly by the people and felt a real sense of being.
The diving kept on getting better (not the weather) with some very
good pinnacle formations and of course more Mantas. There were a
couple of sites where the Mantas literally came to you. They made
it obvious they had no fear of you and in some incidences you felt
they were playing with you. What a great trip, another great time
and one I’d be happy to repeat over and over again. We had a
few days and nights at different resorts for a break from the
boat.
Back home and I have to say, I feel I’ve been a very lucky
person to do so much in just one month. Two great trips, great
friends on both trips, and so much looking forward to my next dive
holiday, who wants to come?
Direct from Palau...It's official.......Sam's Tours wins PVA's Tour Operator of the Year Award!
Congratulation to the Management and staff at Sam,’s Tours in
Palau Micronesia for achieving this outstanding
Award!

Sam’s Tours location in Palau
Micronesia
It's official.......Sam's Tours wins PVA's
Tour Operator of the Year Award!
Sam's Tours - TOUR OPERATOR OF THE YEAR!
The
Palau Visitors Authority (PVA), Palau's official tourism board,
announced their selection of Sam's Tours as "TOUR OPERATOR OF THE
YEAR" for 2008. The announcement and award presentation took place
during the Annual Christmas Gala of the Belau Tourism Association
(BTA), Palau's private sector tourism industry association,
recently held at the Palau Pacific Resort.
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. The Palau Shark
Sanctuary received a PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association)
Environmental Education Gold Award for their work.
“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.
How
the turtle's shell evolved...
Odontochelys semitestacea was probably aquatic
The turtle only had a shell covering its underside
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.
Researchers say the breast plate may have protected it while
swimming.
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 @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7748280.stm
DivePhotoGuide: An Underwater Photographer's Guide to Puerto Galera
An Underwater
Photographer's Guide to Puerto Galera
Author:
Matt J. Weiss / November 24, 2008 12:00AM MST Category: Photo
Article Tags:
Puerto Galera, Matt Weiss, El Galleon, Gunther Deichmann, Asia
Divers, Muck Diving, South East Asia,
Author's Note-
It has been a while since the last installment, Bali, on my guide
to Southeast Asia. The story can be seen here.
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.
I’ve never had such preconceived notions about a destination
as I did the Philippines. Shrouded in
mystery…war…pirates - that kind of stuff.
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. A quick Google search for
“Manila” was no help. Things like “armpit of the
world”, “urban sprawl”, “pollution and
poverty”, were not uncommon descriptions. This misconception
would soon turn into nothing less than photographic
opportunity...read more click here
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.
This is easy now since El Galleon is part of Asia Divers.
We have just received word that their super modern and new Kitchen will take care of any hungry stomach.
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.
See below the info which has just landed on my desk…
GD

The
restaurant already has some great new items on the menu and in time
will have many more great mouthwatering suggestions.
The kitchen staffs are delighted with the many new and improved
ways they can now cook and prepare for you.
El Galleons new and long
awaited kitchen
It’s been most of 2008; El
Galleon has ducked and
weaved its way through the construction of its new kitchen. Many of
our friends have seen the kitchen evolve into what has to be said,
one of the best kitchens in the Philippines.
With the help of some very good and well-known chefs here in the
Philippines, the design and flow of the kitchen is perfect. The
Fagor equipment arrived all the way from Spain late October and was
installed by end of the first week of November.
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.
To you all, from all
of us at El Galleon, Bon
Apatite...
Breaking News: Tigers, Silvertips and Reef sharks at a new Dive site…read the first hand report.
From Shark Fins and dead Sharks to very much life ones in Chuuk, Micronesia and to be honest I like it like this much better. They have been cruising the Oceans for Million of years and still today and that is just so nice. I have just received this report from our Alliance Partner in Truk Lagoon (Chuuk) I briefly mention this a couple of weeks ago the discovery of this new Dive site in the Truk Lagoon.
From what I have read now I have to say, Wow! Fantastic! But then I am not that hot after a while diving the Wrecks anyway, this news is super cool, you certainly have the best of both worlds now.
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. The Divers Choice!
Thanks to Kelvin and Anbel for sharing this with us.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - A very
frisky Reef-shark. Could this be Truk Lagoon? This shot was taken
on a different location in Palau, but according to this report Truk
has got now some great action too.
…OK, so every scuba diver knows that Truk Lagoon is the
worlds premiere wreck diving destination. And yes, more than 60
WWII wrecks were sunk during the 1944 Operation Hailstone and all
are accessible to the scuba diver. 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.
Well, the folks at the Truk Lagoon Dive Center are changing this
mind set that Truk is only for wreck diving. They have been
exploring the reefs off the wrecks and learned these areas are BIG
FISH territory, with the bluest water imaginable and visibility
that is often 60m/200-ft.
Students of history may recall rumors that the Japanese Navy would
lay anti-submarine nets across the openings in the lagoon reef to
dissuade allied forces from sneaking inside the lagoon. The Truk
Lagoon Dive Center staff found one of these recently and it just
happened to be anchored to a most magnificent seamount.
Currently going by the imaginative name of “Seamount No.
1”, this special place is just a 35 minute boat ride from the
Truk Stop Hotel dock. Seamount No 1 is a circular plateau several
hundred feet across and rising from the bottom of the lagoon at
60m/200ft all the way up to about 6m/20ft.
While a mixture of graduated steps, steep walls, and deep fissures
make the site topographically interesting, what really makes this
site special is the sea life it attracts. We dove this site about 4
times now and we always see huge schools of surgeonfish fighting
for space with dark clouds of midnight snappers. Skipjack and large
yellow fin tuna hunt side by side while swarms of big eye trivially
engulf the passing diver.
Solitary bump head parrotfish and Napoleon wrasse graze the reef
while man-sized dogtooth tuna cruise casually by, but it’s
the sharks that keep bringing us back to this site time after time.
White tip, black tip and grey reef sharks abound in the shallow
waters while big 3m/10ft silvertip’s swim below 20m/60ft.
These are big fish, not your typical reef shark, but rather
heavyweights of the ocean and you can certainly feel their
presence.
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.
But the real thrill is the Tiger shark, huge Tiger sharks that have
been seen here on several occasions. 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
By James Morgan
Science reporter, BBC News
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 discovery of Eileanchelys waldmani, which translates as "the turtle from the island", is reported in the Royal Society journals. 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 @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7736786.stm
To You & all Divers and Underwater Photographers please support the Year of the Shark in 2009
“Let Sharks Live”
The Philippine - Micronesia Alliance. The Divers Choice...because we care!
GD
THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE SHARK
in 2009
… was inspired by the finding that
at the current rate, common shark species will be extinct in 10 to
15 years. In large regions, species that were once numerous have
fallen to 1% of their original numbers. Studies of open ocean
sharks estimate 80 to 90% of heavily fished species are gone. 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.
HELP SPREAD THE WORD:
SAVE SHARKS FROM EXTINCTION
The LET SHARKS LIVE shark protection
network & think tank:
http://groups.google.com.mt/group/let-sharks-live?hl=en
Sharkman's World Organization
(to save & protect sharks)
www.sharkmans-world.org
------------------------------------------
Sharkman's Blog
http://sharkmans-world.blogspot.com/
------------------------------------------
The Shark Group On line List Forum
http://groups.google.com/group/The_Shark_Group?hl=en
------------------------------------------
Let Sharks Live Network
http://groups.google.com.mt/group/let-sharks-live?hl=en
------------------------------------------
Year Of The Shark - 2009
http://www.year-of-the-shark-2009.org
Asia Divers New Dive Boat “Asia Explorer” now in Puerto Galera Philippines
We have just
received this info from one of our Alliance Parter Asia Divers in
Puerto Galera,Philippines
Asia Divers New Dive Boat “Asia
Explorer”
For
many years
Asia
Divers relented in the
opportunity to buy and operate outboard dive boats. Being in the
Philippines, we believed people were happy diving from traditional
outrigger boats. 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.

We are proud to
announce our new 33’ twin 115hp Mercury out board engines has
arrived. 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. This gives us great flexibility
for groups and a way to get people to dive sites not normally
available.
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.
The boat plans and construction were approved and monitored by
Philippine Marina, now certified by Marina. It’s registered
and we have a licensed captain to ensure safety and comfort is
never compromised.
We look forward to having you aboard our latest addition to the
Asia Divers fleet. Enjoy and safe diving.
Underwater Photography & Science from Puerto Galera image of an Octopus makes the science paper…
An Octopus from Puerto Galera makes it into a major
105 page science Paper.
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.
To many pages to post here.
Oceanography and Marine Biology: An
Annual Review, 2008, 46,
105-202
© R. N. Gibson, R. J. A. Atkinson, and J. D. M. Gordon,
Editors
Taylor & Francis
Biology
of the planktonic stages
of
Benthic Octopuses
ROGER VillANUEVA & MARK D. NORMAN
Institut
de Cičncies del Mar (CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la
Barceloneta 37–49, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain
Sciences, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Vic 3001,
Australia

Colour
Figure 16 (Villanueva & Norman) Adult Octopus cyanea
in camouflage display amongst
soft corals,Puerto Galera, Philippine Islands. (Photo:
Gunther Deichmann.)
A Triggerfish and Nudibranchs encounter…diving in Puerto Galera, Philippines

Check out the speed
and movement...
Once up on a
time…
cruising at the
Sinandigan wall in Puerto Galera and looking for unusual
Nudibranchs.
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..
This Guy was serious and his nest must have been around in the
area, I had stumbled into his territory unwillingly.
I moved slowly back but he kept coming at me… full speed, I
managed to get off a few shots as he kept charging me. The image
above is from this encounter and I was lucky to escape his Jaws,
but the housing had a visible scratch on the side.
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.
GD
Spotlight on: Sam’s Tours Palau, Micronesia Crown Jewel of the Pacific
Spotlight
on:
Sam’s
Tours Palau, Micronesia...Crown Jewel of the
Pacific
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. Over the past decade, my work has brought
me into very close associations with many of the partners and I
currently work directly with three of them (Club Paradise, Blue
Horizons Travel and Tours, Asia Divers). I would like, however, to
begin this series with the Alliance partner with whom it all
started for me way back in 1998:
Sam’s Tours in
Palau Micronesia. Sam’s Tours really doesn’t need a
lengthily introduction. Almost every diver in the world is familiar
with Palau and Sam’s Tours since they are often mentioned in
the same sentence. Ask any diver where they most want to go and if
Palau isn’t mentioned it’s because they have already
been there or are new to the planet Earth. 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.

Sam’s Tours Website, click on the image
and find out more
For me,
though, Sam’s greatest asset is their approach to the
diversity of tours that can be offered in Palau. 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.
Although I feel in love with the diving, it was the beauty and
excitement of exploring within the Rock Islands that kept me there.
Kayaking amongst the lush, jungle-draped limestone islands provided
a sense of tranquility mixed with the excitement of encountering
rare organisms, lost WWII wrecks, or colorful birds. 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. And with Sam’s Tours, you can do it
all.
By Lee
Goldman,Marine Biologist
Dirk Fahrenbach is on the Scuba Channel two cool Video Clips, Underwater Special and the Octopus on the Catwalk
Scuba
Channel
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
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.
GD
PS. Stay tuned for an article by Matt Weiss soon on the DPG
Website, about Puerto Galera in the Philippines.

© Gunther Deichmann - I thought it be appropriate to
use this image and Congratulate Jason and his Team.
DivePhotoGuide Wins Best
Website At Antibes
Author: Jason Heller / November 01, 2008 12:00AM MDT Category:
Photo
Antibes, Antibes 2008, Competition, Event, World Festival of
Underwater Pictures, Awards
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
From all of us at the PMA... Congratulations to Lee a member of the PMA, for becoming the Executive Director of Reef Check Philippines.
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.
SE Asia Kayak Tours and Reef Check Philippines
10/10/08 | by asiakayaktours [mail] | Categories: Announcements
Well, its official. I am now the Executive Director of Reef Check Philippines. 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 plan several tings for 2009. First, a Reef Check expedition to thoroughly survey the reefs around Puerto Galera. I have asked Allan Nash at El Galleon Resorts and Asia Divers to help us and they really went out of their way. We got a great price for a 10-day expedition and we couldn’t ask for better accommodations and service.
Oh wait, I’m supposed to talk about El Nido. Well, of course we are going to do something out there as well. 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. I am really looking forward to bringing the program to El Nido…and the dive shops there. Well, looks like I have another blog page to work with. I’ll spend more time talking about Reef Check on our website and keep the El Nido stuff here. Right now, it is very slow in El Nido. Rain has been persistent around the Philippines and although Palawan usually sees less than the other areas, it has gotten its share. I will visit there next month and will probably have lots to talk about while getting caught up on the local gossip
From the Philippines to Palau and Chuuk in Micronesia... DIVING & MARINE articles from our Marine Biologist...
Soon Marine Biology with Lee Goldman
from SE Asia Kayak Tours

©
Gunther Deichmann
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.

©
Gunther Deichmann
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...
GD

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

This
would certainly be a big welcome, if you tired of the fantastic
wrecks then why not check this new site out. I am getting a more
detailed report very soon and provide you with all the info then,
so please stay tuned for more...
In the meantime check out dive-truklagoon for information on the
Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center a member of the
Philippine-Micronesia
Alliance.
Check out the Videos/Movies
and Podcast from Chuuk and our other destinations at our
Video Gallery just click this LINK.
The Divers
Choice
http://www.dive-truklagoon.com/
See below some
excerpts from the website:
The Truk Lagoon Dive Center offers up to 4 dives a day. Our private
dock, dive lockers, rinse tanks and shower make diving with us easy
and convenient. We have Bauer Compressors and use a Haskell for
blending Nitrox and Trimix. Our expatriate PADI certified
instructors take care of the technical and recreational diver with
equal care and consideration.
The Truk Lagoon Dive Center has a comprehensive blending station
that can provide any nitrox or trimix you require. Our Haskell
booster pump ensures that there is no wastage of precious gas which
saves you money.
We are the island's only supplier of medical grade oxygen so you
can be assured of a never ending supply of quality oxygen. 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. We can also arrange to have Sodasorb and
Snofolime on hand when requested to do so.
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…
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.
GD

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.
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?

© Gunther Deichmann - Why is he hidding his face?
Unloading massive amounts of Shark Fins in the
Harbor of Bali, Indonesia
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! Now more words needed,
action is required.
GD
Picture perfect...spectacular sunsets from Asia Divers & El Galleon Beach Resort during this time of the year...
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..
We
CARE ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT.
GD
....although I spend time discussing
issues revolving around the tourism in El Nido, the following issue
takes supreme precedence as it directly affects concerns both
personally, professionally, and globally. This email was forwarded
to me by a friend who works in the tourism industry in
Donsol.
Lee
Hey Guys
Sorry to depress you with these photos... They were taken in
Donsol, Sorsogon
(whale shark habitat), just
two weeks ago by my friend Omar. The finned sharks are thresher,
hunted by the hundreds...
The pink stuff in the bucket are little pieces of shark liver (from
dog sharks) for squalene. Pictured here are of the
liver from some 1,000 + dogsharks that were caught. They live at
least 2 fathoms deep...
Please forward this article if you wish...thank
you.
This is
the way the fishermen earn in the off season. They sell it to
middle men who bring it to Taiwan and Hong Kong. I’ve seen
firsthand the hunting of dog shark and finning in
Sorsogon and even Siargao but
I am certain in happens everywhere.
What we can DO is raise awareness.
Please forward if you wish
Thanks,
Denise
www.ecorescue.org
Donsol, Sorsogon,
Philippines is known
internationally as being an area that attracts some of the largest
congregations of whale sharks in the world. Originally hunted for
their commercial value, the sharks have recently gained full
protection status throughout the Philippines. 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).
Obviously the local fisherman, whom are harshly punished if they
pursue Whale sharks, have found another animal to exploit,
Thresher
sharks. Unfortunately, this
species has the same ‘vulnerable to extinction’ status
as their cousins, the Whale shark. Just as unfortunate, they do not
have the same protection in Philippine waters. That can
change…
Local and international awareness campaigns proved their
effectiveness in protecting the whale shark. It can be done with
the Thresher sharks as well. 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). Fortunately, there is
both education and a real economic value already being recognized
in other places within the Philippines. 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. Taking a page from
Donsol, local operators developed community based awareness
programs and contribute to the community by providing jobs and much
needed infrastructure. The results have been positive for both
sharks and people. 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…
Lee Goldman
Lee Goldman, MSc
Marine Biologist
SE Asia Kayak Tours
www.asiakayaktours.com
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.
Alliance Partners in Shanghai
China Dive
and Expat Expo September 2008
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.
(Philippine Department of Tourism)
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
Island hopping at
its best...explore Palawan and beyond.
She has
arrived...and ready for some serious island hopping in Palawan
Philippines.
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.

Dugong
Dive Center Info...”The
Tashina”
As of
September one the Dugong Dive Center has the brand new Yacht
“TASHINA” (Trimaran).
The Fiberglas Yacht is 16m long and equipped with a back up
engine.
For daily dive trips the boat has a capacity of maximum 10 divers
and for overnight trips a maximum of 6 divers.
The boat is ideal for private charter. Guest that like to have a
private boat with dive guide and boat crew will have an individual
dive cruise, they never forget.


You like
to go as couple with a yacht across the Calamian Islands of
northern Palawan? This is only on sample of individual
cruising.
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”. This 12 years experience
with those dive trips will benefit the trips with our new
boat.
For more info contact: Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center
@
http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/
http://www.clubparadisepalawan.com/


Data Sheet
(“Bust and
waistline”)
200 HP Main Engine
40 HP back up Engine
Bauer Compressor
Deep/Fish Finder
GPS
Satellite Telephone
Simple Kitchen
Small Toilet with Fresh Water Shower
Open Air Shower / Fresh Water
Diving Platform
12 and 220 V
TV with DVD Player and SD Card Slot
Radio with JBL and Bose Marine Speaker
One Open Air Sitting Area with Table and Sun Roof
One Cabin Sitting Area with Table
One Double Bed
4 Single Beds.
6 Open Air Hammocks for sleeping under the Stars.
Published Rates:
120,-Euro per person per day. (min. 4 Guest)
Inclusions: Accommodation, Food, 4 Dives per day.
OR
Boat Charter
100,-Euro Boat Charter per Day
30,-Euro per hour Travelling (fuel charge)
Per Person:
50,-Euro / Day Diving per person
15,-Euro per person for 3 meals
National Geographic Traveler: Amazing Photos of Sailfish a great article not only for Underwater Photographers.
Thanks Marilyn for sharing this with us.
Gunther
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:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/video/player#/?titleID=1579853604&catID=1
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.

We have
just added some very intersting Videos to our collection, you find
them in our Podcast and
Movie section,or
Click this Link
The file size can vary from 2.5MB to
21MB




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
GD
More good NEWS from the Philippine -Micronesia Alliance...NOW with a Podcast and Movie Gallery on our Blog
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.
Video
© Dirk Fahrenbach edited and sound by © GD
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.
The video has been compressed to fit within the web standards, but
Broadband/DSL connection is recommended.
Late Breaking NEWS...finally our updated and improved website is up and running at alliancediving.com the Divers Choice
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
@
www.alliancediving.com
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
for the images and Video please go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7564126.stm
Pacific dives recover novel fish...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 bright blue damselfish is finally in the hands of science.
The researchers have a further 15 animals they think may also be new to science but require additional study. The haul comes from deep dives made across reefs in Micronesia. 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. The team concentrated its efforts on waters referred to as the "twilight zone".
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.
The twilight zone is rarely explored, being below the activity of normal scuba activity but above the operations of most submersibles.
The scientists had to use sophisticated closed-circuit rebreather gear to avoid decompression problems. 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.
The most spectacular recovery was of the bright blue damselfish found 120m down off Palau. This was described recently in the scientific literature by team-member Dr Richard Pyle, from the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii.
The fish has been named Chromis abyssus in honour of the TV series.
The story is a more complicated one, however, because Dr Pyle first saw this fish more than a decade ago. Other researchers, too, had sightings, including one from a small submersible and another from a Remotely Oerated Vehicle (ROV).
It was during the BBC filming, though, that nine specimens were finally captured, allowing for an official scientific submission this year.
Discovery of a new fish species
Pacific Abyss starts its three-part run on Sunday, 17 August, on BBC One, at 2000 BST
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7564126.stm
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.
The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is proud to be a sponsor of this project.The Divers Choice.
Stay tuned or subscribe for the LATEST NEWS and the long awaited upgrade on our MAIN WEBSITE...
We are very happy to announce our NEW DIVE and TRAVEL PACKAGES... starting from July 2008.
An Underwater Photographer's Guide to Southeast
Asia
Author:
Matt J. Weiss / August 10, 2008 12:00AM MDT
Category: Photo
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.
Therefore, this is also one of the most productive regions for
underwater photographer and video. Of course in no way is this
nearly a complete guide to Southeast Asia (that would take years!),
but rather some recommended destinations to dive and shoot.
I will be providing comprehensive trip reports on the diving and
photo opportunities in each location. I was fortunate enough to
stay at some of the top resorts in each destination, and the
articles will include some information on the resorts and their
facilities. We intend for these articles to be fairly different
from other trip reports. 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? How large were the rinse buckets on the boat?
etc. 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..
You will see that a lot of my images are macro shots, with little
coral around them. The reason for this is simple - I am very
interested in the seemingly barren benthic environments that
nurture a surprising amount of life. It is here that I found the
smaller, interesting and charismatic critters that make you scratch
your head and ask - “why?” It is my intention for each
article to be informative by answering not only what and who, but
also the how and why of the marine biology behind these
environments.
Underwater photography stargazer Lembeh Strait
Did you know that stargazers (family Uranoscopidae) are represented
by 50 species in 8 genre? This amazing animal was one of two
species I found while searching the benthic environments of the
Coral Triangle.
I will be covering the following destinations in the upcoming
weeks. Each article will have a link back to this main page, where
you can access each article as it goes live online.
Bali, Indonesia with AquaMarine
Diving-Bali
Puerto Galera, Philippines with El Galleon
Resort/Asia Diver
Palawan, Philippines with Club Paradise/Dugong Dive
Center
Lembeh Straits, Indonesia with Lembeh Resort
Manado, Indonesia with Minahasa Lagoon Resort
Sipadan/Mabul/Kapalai, Malaysia with Borneo Divers
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. I
certainly hope to bump into many of you as I return to these
destinations in the future.
Happy Diving & more from Matt Weiss @
http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/an_underwater_
Late NEWS...Disney Responds Regarding Shark Tournament Involvement in DivePhotoGuide…
http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/disney_
responds_regarding_shark_tournament_involvement
This is my response to all the fuzz re. Shark Tournament in Dive PhotoGuide.
We are in full support of DivePhotoGuide; yes it is a big fuzz... but a downright disgusting one.
Unborn Shark, it's Mother and the Baby got
Murdered!

Photo:
© Gunther Deichmann - shark embryo after Mother got
killed.
Stop
the killing it is
Disgusting!
I have
read the letter from the Walt Disney Guys…it says
nothing!
As mention in
my earlier blog this is not the way to educate our children about
our environment.
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.
“Dad…what is
that…? Son that is a shark…oh, I like to see that
one…sorry son you can only see that on MY Wall…Why?
Because there are non-left.
Dad why is that…?
OK son, lets change the topic... go out and play with your
friends.”
Do I
have to say anything else?
Editor PMA
GD
Breaking News...Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center plus Continental Airlines in Flight Media Associates Fly Away to Chuuk Sweepstakes
© Gunther Deichmann - the Wrecks of Truk Lagoon, Chuuk
Micronesia,
Dive with our Partner Truk Lagoon Dive
Center for
more info click this link.
Continental Airlines in Flight
Media Associates Fly Away to Chuuk
Sweepstakes
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
http://www.continentalflyaway.com/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 winner’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. Trip must be taken and
completed by August 31, 2009 and is subject to blackout dates,
space availability, occupancy limitations and other restrictions
may apply. This package cannot be combined with any other offer.
This travel package certificate cannot be substituted is not
transferable and must be presented upon check-in with proper
identification. Average Retail Value (ARV) is $3,000.00. Actual ARV
is dependant on available departure cities on the chosen week of
travel. 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.
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. Asia Kayak Tours. Very soon we fire up our complete and restructured Alliancediving.com website...amazing what is in store...you just have to stay tuned with The Divers Choice or subscribe to our Blog.
See below the screenshots of the Reef Check brochure soon available as a download on our updated site.
GD
Hi Gunther,
A while back I wrote about an upcoming project concerning the Philippines, the Philippine chapter of an international conservation NGO (Non-Government Organization), and two members of the Alliance.
Well, we’ve finished the details and are ready to announce our project. Reef Check-Philippines is the local chapter of Reef Check International, a non-profit organization that designs coral reef monitoring protocols and conservation action plans. Monitoring our reefs is essential to caring for them, and helps to make assessments on reef health and diversity. 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. Reef Check developed their monitoring protocols based on accepted scientific methods, yet made it easily understood by and effective for non-scientific based participants.
Our 10-day expedition will survey the reefs around Puerto Galera and the Verde Islands group. 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’. For our base of operations, we chose Alliance partner, Asia Divers and El Galleon Resort in Puerto Galera. Of course, Asia Divers and El Galleon Resort are world class operations themselves offering top quality service, expertise, and professionalism as a PADI 5-star Resort. Pairing the location with an exceptional resort and diving service made for the perfect place to conduct our surveys to gather baseline data for continual monitoring.
This won’t be the first time I thank Allan Nash, Asia Divers, and El Galleon Resort for their interest and help in bringing this expedition together. 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.
The other member of the Alliance? Me, S.E.Asia Kayak Tours. 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.
For more information, please contact Lee Goldman at lee@asiakayaktours.com
Reef Check Philippines: http://www.reefcheckphilippines.org/
And the Winner is...Layang Layang, 27 July 2008 - Congratulations to the winners of the Layang Layang Underwater Digital Photo Shootout 2008!
Layang Layang, 27
July 2008 - Congratulations to the winners of the
Layang Layang Underwater Digital Photo Shootout
2008!
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…
Letter from Fins
Magazine...
Hi Alan, Tommy, Dermot
and Bill
The Layang Layang Underwater Shootout 2008 has already finished.
The results have been announced in FiNS Blog already. The feedback
about PMA from the event was very good. Most of the participants
feel like the three prizes from you are the most attractive. 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. In
my opinion it was quite effective.
And here are the winners of your three prizes:
Puerto Galera by Asia
Divers with El Gallean Beach Resort
and Blue Horizon
Travel
Ms. Leander Maree Wiseman (Australia)
Palau with Sam's
Tours
Mr George Russel Childress (USA)
Truk Lagoon with
Truk Lagoon Dive Center
Mr Adam Daniel Butler (UK)


Press release...Soon the New and completly overhauled Philippine-Micronesia Alliance Website...amazing NEW features for all your Adventure and Dive Travel.
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. Asia Kayak Tours with packages and information. Real time weather forecast from all our destinations in the Philippines and Micronesia plus a lot more & all of this in nine languages.
When can you see all of this? Well, in approximately 10 days...but dont worry YOU be the first to know.
From the virtual office of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
The Divers Choice!
We are very happy to announce our NEW DIVE and TRAVEL PACKAGES... starting from July 2008.
Australia:Breaking NEWS...Fantastic Photo of a NEW White Whale from Down Under...
Fantastic Photo of a NEW White Whale from Down Under...
New White Whale spotted...
Courtesy By Alison Feeney-Hart
BBC News, Sydney
Migaloo has become something of a celebrity
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.
Migaloo is somewhat of a celebrity down under. Why? "Because as far as we know, he is globally unique," said Professor Peter Harrison from the Whale Research Centre, Southern Cross University.
It now seems that Migaloo, (whose Aboriginal name means "white fellow") might have competition.
Although predominantly white, the new whale does have some black markings near its head and tail. So who is the newcomer?
A white calf was spotted with a normal humpback mother in Byron Bay two years ago. Experts say the new whale could be the offspring of Migaloo but further tests need to be carried out.
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...
more and the amazing photo @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7519263.stm
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…
Discussions with Dirk and Dermot…
“Disclaimer: no person in their right mind should take anything in this column seriously.
We certainly don’t”
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:
uselessanswers@finsmagazine.com. Selected question will receive a special gift.

As seen in the latest edition of Fins Magazine...
to read this issue go to:
http://www.finsonline.com/magazine/vol_7_3/
Dear
Dirk and Dermot,
I was reading one of your answers the other day, and realized it
made no sense. What exactly qualifies you to give advice to other
people? And are you guys a couple?
-bothered in boracay-
Dear bothered in
Boracay,
First of all, we’re not a couple. 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. Besides, I’ve
found over the years that diver banter generally makes very little
sense, so what difference does it make?
Dear bothered in boracay,
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! You should give it a try.
As for whether we’re a couple or not… Dirk only
wishes. I’m so out of his league.
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.
Both Resorts/Dive Centers are members of the
Philippines-Micronesia
Alliance.
Underwater Photography continous...Nudibranch Photography in National Geographic Magazine NOW we know how he did it...
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the
Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
© Gunther Deichmann - Nudibranch,
Nembrotha kubaryana
from Puerto Galera Philippines diving with Asia
Divers
How did he achieve this? 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? Find out @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
GD
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...
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...
Grunting fish have helped
scientists to date the origins
of vocal sounds to about 400 million years
ago.
Photo: Screenshot
Courtesy of the BBC, click on the image
or use the link below for the video and complete
article.
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...
@ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7510443.stm
Interesting story about Nudibranchs just published in National Geographic Magazine... PADI teaches us NOT to touch Marine Life...but how come...
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the
Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Picked up this interesting post from Gunther
Deichmann’s Blog...
click here.
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. Marc
is a Chief Technical Officer working at a Top Digital production
House specializing in Video FX and Jaya is the GM of Sensing
Technology Corporation. So there you have it, two very intelligent
and super nice people, our conversation started like
this…
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

Click on the Image and go direct to more of Omar’s
Photos
Above Photo: © Omar D.
Linsangan from
Dugong Dive Center, Palawan Philippines
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/
How did he achieve this? 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...
Remember our sexy Tashina? How could you forget...well she is ready to go on her maiden Voyage to Palawan shortly...
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.
Dugong watching and trips to APO REEF have just become a lot more comfortable and easier.
Stay tuned for some more updates on Tashina.
GD
The cool NEW Dive Boat
“Tashina”from the
Dugong Dive Center in Palawan.
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.
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?
There are some images from our Filipino Dive Master Omar on it, please have a look and give me your opinion. Sure…I imported the images into Aperture 2 and got a real surprise…wow these are real great…what camera is he using?
Dirk replied, Oh… one of these little small ones in some sort of Housing…
After I had a good look at the images I checked on the Metadata in Aperture 2 and found out the Camera Model, it is a Canon IXY.
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.
A big thanks to Omar
for sharing his images with us, he has a lot more cool shots, these
are only few of them.
GD
New Philippine-Micronesia TRAVEL, DIVE Packages & ADVENTURE TOURS now online... The Divers Choice!
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.
GD
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.
S.E.Asia
Kayak Tours presents a unique view into
the Philippines Nature and Biodiversity for more details go to the
new website @
http://www.asiakayaktours.com/
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 have also
updated our Photo
Gallery on this blog,
check out the destinations from all our Alliance
Partners.
Plus another
major announcement shortly... an Environmental Organisation is
joining us ...stay tuned or subscribe for the latest
NEWS
from the PMA.
GD
It is a great honor to be
associated with the Philippine-Micronesian
Alliance. 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. The unbelievably
bio-diverse region of northern Palawan is home to one of the most magnificent places on
earth; El
Nido. The scenery in El Nido
and the surrounding waters of Bacuit Bay is among the most
beautiful in the world. Towering limestone cliffs footed by white
sand beaches that slip into turquoise waters abundant with colorful
and diverse marine life. With over 800 species of fish and 400
species of coral, the shallow
reefs are truly a snorkelers’ and divers’
paradise.
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.

©
Photo Lee Goldman - exploring Palawan’s Eco system by
Kayak
Further, we tie
together our daily activities with luxury campsites on beautiful
white-sand beaches. 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. Awaken
to a tranquil morning with a pastel-colored sky and watch dozens of
species of birds begin their day.

©
Photo Lee Goldman - Palawan’s spectacular scenery
Well, not only
have we succeeded in developing this type of tour, we can deliver
it with the top quality service clients of
PMA have come to
expect! We look forward to our time with the Alliance and further
look forward to guiding clients around the remarkable area of El
Nido.
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.
Educating in schools is a good start…but not the way it is conducted at the…Disgusting Montauk Shark Tournament.
A message from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
"We Care About Our Environment" & In support of DivePhotoGuide
GD

© Gunther
Deichmann - for more environment related images go
to:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/environment.html
'Only 50 years left' for sea fish'
By
Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News
website
Natural
protection
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. Stocks have collapsed in nearly one-third
of sea fisheries, and the rate of decline is accelerating.
Writing in the journal Science, the international team of
researchers says fishery decline is closely tied to a broader loss
of marine biodiversity.
But a greater use of protected areas could safeguard existing
stocks. "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.
This
century is the last century of wild seafood
Steve Palumbi
Should fish be off the menu?
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."
Spanning
the seas
This is a vast piece of research, incorporating scientists from
many institutions in Europe and the Americas, and drawing on four
distinctly different kinds of data.
For
the complete article go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6108414.stm
Is this how we educate our Children about our declining SHARK population, Oceans and Environment? Think!
Is this the way we educate our children today?
THINK!
Breaking
NEWS!
I have just received this article from DivePhotoGuide...not very
nice...it is disgusting!
NOT
expectable... is
this how we educate our children about Sharks, Oceans and our
environment?
See below excerpts from an article by DivePhotoGuide for the
complete story and more disgusting images go
to:
http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/
GD
All photos below: Courtesy of Jason Heller and The Humane Society
of the United States.
Montauk
Shark Tournament Coverage
Author: Jason Heller / June 21, 2008 12:00AM MDT Category: Marine
Conservation
Article Tags:
Shark Tournament, Montauk, Star Island, Sharks, Fishing
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. The
authorities have been involved, and thank you for those who
expressed concern. The local papers even caught wind of the
situation. We are serious New Yorkers who are not afraid of
standing up for what we believe in.

Is
this education????
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. Montauk is located in the Hamptons (although
technically not a “Hampton” at the end of Long Island,
about a 3 hour drive from New York City. It’s actually a
quaint, laid back and beautiful beach getaway for New Yorkers that
I’ve visited for many years. 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. This is arguably the largest shark
tournament in the US, rivaled possibly only by the Oak Bluffs
tournament held in Martha’s Vineyard. In 2007 the Humane
Society successfully shut down another large American shark
tournament in Destin Florida. During the 2006 event, a mutilated
Hammerhead shark was put on display as children watched in
horror.


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. As they say,
an image is worth a thousand words, and thankfully the Destin
tournament ceased to exist. 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.
Remember the old adage “any publicity is good
publicity”? Well, apparently not for shark tournaments.
http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/
Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide an Update from Southeast Asia... including the Philippines with Dugong Dive Center and Asia Divers
http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/matt_1
Matt Weiss: An Update From Southeast Asia
Author: Jason Heller / June 19, 2008 12:00AM MDT Category: Photo
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...

From the Philippines...© Matt Weiss -
DivePhotoGuide
Regards from 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 @
http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/matt_1
S.E.Asia Kayak Tours our NEW partner in the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance has just announced their new website.
For all the details and some great photos go to:
http://www.asiakayaktours.com/
WELCOME to S.E.ASIA KAYAK TOURS
Kayaking, snorkeling and luxury-camping expeditions in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines lead by marine biologist and naturalist Lee Goldman.
The unbelievably bio-diverse region of northern Palawan is home to one of the most magnificent places on earth; El Nido. The scenery in El Nido and the surrounding waters of Bacuit Bay is among the most beautiful in the world. Towering limestone cliffs footed by white sand beaches that slip into turquoise waters abundant with colorful and diverse marine life. With over 800 species of fish and 400 species of coral, the shallow reefs are truly a snorkelers’ paradise.

Click
on the Screenshot above and go direct to the new
site.
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. Luxury camping
at it’s finest!
Finding Paradise in Northern Palawan, Philippines
Finding Paradise
By Marlies R. Bosch, M.D.
Club Paradise, Dimakya Island, Northern Palawan
Let
me share with you my story of how I unexpectedly found and lived in
paradise...
I
am a General Physician, taking a much needed break before I
re-enter the busy halls and sleepless nights in a hospital for my
specialty training. But on the morning of January 13, 2008, I read
a small post on PinoyMD, a forum for Filipino Doctors, regarding a
job as a Resort Physician. I immediately sent my CV and that
same day, I received a call asking if I could leave within the next
2 days. I've never stepped foot in Palawan and it has always been
my dream to explore it. With roughly 10 years of studying to reach
my dream of becoming a doctor, I rarely had time to tend to my
dreams of adventure and travel. So I said "Yes!"

I
arrived in Club Paradise on January 15, 2008... and it was indeed
paradise. It does give its name more than justice. It took only a
little over than 2 hours to reach the island. 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. From there, it was only a 30 minute cruise to the
island. Approaching the Club, Jessie, the Guest Services
Officer, points to the island and says, "That is Club Paradise". I
was excited. I felt a pull on each of the corners of my mouth that
created a huge smile. 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.
I
was not a guest, and I did not expect to be treated as one simply
because I was there to work. Nevertheless, I have keenly observed
the staff's indiscriminate rapport with all their guests. 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.
Club
Paradise offers a wide array of activities. They offer day trips to
Coron Island, Island hopping, sunset cruises and Safari tours in
Calauit. 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. There are
even daily activities suitable for kids and families. In short,
there is never a dull moment in Club Paradise. Food is always fresh
and sumptuous, may it be served in the Restaurant, at the beach or
poolside under a blanket of stars. You can enjoy an hour of
tranquility while treating your body to a long overdue
massage. You can unwind at the bar and make friends with
other vacationers who may have some interesting tales of their
own. And I've seen numerous guests who have grown attached to
the place, crying upon departure. And these guests always
make it a point to come back. Club Paradise is also a
well-established and well known Diving Resort. The Dugong
Dive Center has equipped itself with credible, courteous and
professional instructors and divemasters with very high safety
standards. You can enjoy diving in the house reef which is
home to a wide variety of marine life. You can relax on the
boat while it takes you on a diving trip to Apo Reef or Tara
Islands. You can have a once-in-a-lifetime experience of
swimming with the Dugongs during Dugong Watching. You can
explore the numerous ship wrecks and relive history in your
mind. Or you can go to Coron Island and dive in Barracuda
Lake where you can take pleasure from experiencing the extremes of
a thermocline. No matter which adventure you choose, it will
definitely be worth your while. And I assure you, you will
surface with elation. Being in the resort everyday, I saw guests
emerge from the water or come back from a diving trip with a big
smile on their face. I even saw how old couples enjoyed diving as a
recreational activity that they can both experience as a unit. I
viewed my friend Omar's underwater photos and got inspired to see
the life under water and swim with the fish. I watched the
underwater videos of the Dugong Dive Center at the bar every single
night. I started drawing life under water as how the divers
see it. And finally, I took the Open Water Diver Course and
eventually the Advanced Open Water Diver Course whenever I could
squeeze it into my schedule. And each time that I surfaced, I had
such a feeling of elation. I saw what they saw, I saw them all with
my own eyes. My drawings finally came to life. And nothing could
make me happier. The self-sufficient island of Dimakya is home to a
small community made up of staff and people from all over the
world. As for me, any beach is my home. But Club Paradise has
left an indellible mark in my heart with experiences that I will
forever cherish. Accepting the job in Club Paradise was well worth
it. Working as the Resort Physician gave me a chance to get
acquainted with the staff from all departments and guests as
well. Yes, I did leave my family, friends and loved ones
behind, but I gained a lot more than what I've already had. I
gained new friends, very good friends for that matter. They're not
merely acquaintances who entertained me for the time being. They
are friends who left a strong mark in my heart, friends whom I will
always remember, friends whom I am very much looking forward to
seeing again...wherever it may be. I gained experiences which I
enjoyed for the first time. I dove from sunrise to sunset. My mind
was always thinking on land, but once I entered the water, I lived
for the moment, just enjoying everything in a different world. I
forgot all my problems. And it lasted for some time even after I've
surfaced. I enjoyed the most minute things that my eyes could see.
And I was happy.
I am no longer connected with Club Paradise on a professional
degree. But I am still in touch with friends I made there,
staff and guests alike. I never wanted to leave the island. I
never wanted to leave my friends. I never wanted to leave the
simple life I had there. No pollution. No noise. No traffic. Just
beauty and serenity. I will surely miss Club Paradise and
everything in between.
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...
For
more information on Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, visit
their website at
http://clubparadisepalawan.com
Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide returned from Dugong Dive Center & Club Paradise in Palawan, Philippines...missing the Mac?
Fathers day…and as predicted Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide.com just strolled into my home.
Hi son… missing my Mac? He,he. 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.

Matt Weiss from
DivePhotoGuide...
one of the very few people I allow to use my
Mac...
Here
is what he has to say…
Hello all, back at the Mac Lab that is Gunther’s office. Just
had an extraordinary 5 days in Palawan at Club Paradise diving with
the Dugong Dive Center. I knew the diving was amazing because I had
witnessed the areas marine biodiversity in Puerto Galera and heard
nothing but the highest compliments about Palawan’s oceans.
However, neither me nor my memory card had any idea what to expect.
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! I would not
have been able to handle film days at Club Paradise. This is just
the house reef, then there is also the wrecks and world class reefs
and mangroves. 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.
That’s before even getting to the turtle releases and dugong
watch. Interested in seeing photos of all this and hearing the full
report? Stay tuned to DivePhotoGuide.com for the detailed, image
rich article about Philippines and the rest of the coral
triangle.
Matt Weiss
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
Stay tuned or subscribe to our blog for all the details and cool packages very,very soon.

I
have also the pleasure in
announcing our NEW
partner Lee Goldman
from
S.E.Asia
Kayak Tours...I have mention this in my earlier
blogs but as of today it is official.

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
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?
GD

Lucky Matt...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...
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 also hope to catch up with Matt upon his return from Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in about a week.
GD

Matt Weiss and Gunther Deichmann, two
Mac addicts having fun, my son Mark-Lee took the opportunity and
recorded the "event" on his cell phone.
Regards
from Manila. I just spent a few fantastic days exploring the marine
biodiversity in Puerto Galera at El Galleon resort. The critter
life there was fantastic and the dive guides were able to show me a
few animals I had never seen before. What really amazed me was how
different the diving was from Indonesia, despite being in the same
ocean. I was disappointed to leave, but I have an excellent journey
ahead of me in Palawan diving with Club Paradise and Dugong Dive
Center. I am looking forward to what surprises lie ahead! Keep an
eye out for a full comprehensive story on each area of the
Philippines as well as the larger story covering the macro life of
the entire coral triangle. The stories will be on
DivePhotoGuide.com soon.
Matt Weiss
DivePhotoGuide

Click on the screenshots and visit Asia Divers with
El Galleon Beach Resort in the Philippines
Late NEWS...Asia Divers and Club Paradise are up and running on the DivePhotoGuide website

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...

© Gunther Deichmann
- 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.
Cuttlefish spot target prey early...
By Matt Walker
Courtesy BBC
Cuttlefish (Animal Behaviour)
Embryos exposed to crabs preferred them as prey later in life. It's
a bit like something out of the famous sci-fi horror movie
Alien.
Before they have even hatched, cuttlefish embryos can peer out of
their eggs and spot potential prey. It is the first time any animal
has been shown to learn visual images before they are born.
Ludovic Dickel and his colleagues at the University of Caen
Basse-Normandy, France, made the discovery by placing crabs
alongside cuttlefish eggs in a series of laboratory tanks.
Those embryos exposed to crabs preferred them as prey later in
life, the scientists report in the journal Animal Behaviour.
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.
"This is the first time there is evidence of visual learning by
embryos," said Dr Dickel.
Visual
cues
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.
But until now, no one has looked at whether unborn animals can also
learn visual images. Dickel and his team decided to study embryos
of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, a relatively advanced
ocean-going mollusc closely related to squid and octopus.
Cuttlefish (SPL)
Majestic but deadly: Cuttlefish are efficient killers
They harvested wild eggs, and placed them in tanks filled with sea
water. Crabs, a common prey of adult cuttlefish, were also placed
into the tanks, but enclosed in separate compartments. Crucially,
the compartment sides were made of clear glass, so the crabs were
in plain view of the eggs.
But the embryos could not smell or hear the crabs. 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.
They were then set free in a lab tank full crabs and shrimp,
another cuttlefish delicacy…read the complete story and some
photos @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7435757.stm
Club Paradise Event... last week at the German Club in Manila for the best Producers in the TRAVEL & TOURISM Industry

Click the banner and go direct to
Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise
Club Paradise Awards for the best Producers
2007
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 relaxed evening with live music, buffet and drinks surrounded by
a tropical ambience.

From left: Arnie Bayag from Blue Horizons
Travel
receiving the Award from Carmela Geisert
& Juergen Warnke

Juergen Warnke in full
swing...
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.

Juergen Warnke and the Ladies of
the evening....
DIVEPHOTOGUIDE & The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance...check out the latest Banners from these great DIVE Destinations in the Philippines.
DivePhotoGuide
&
the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
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.
Thanks to all the Alliance partners who have contributed and make
Matt's visit a enjoyable one.
Above some of our new banner Ads in DivePhotoGuide
click on the banners and go
direct to our Partners and DivePhotoGuide.com
GD
DIVE SAFARI TO THE EAST CAPE OFF DAVAO...looking fo Tiger sharks...an interesting story from Alan Nash at Asia Divers
Just
click on the banners and go direct Asia
Divers

Hi everybody, this is Allan I like to share a short story from my
resent trip to Davao.
SAFARI TO THE EAST
CAPE OFF DAVAO
It was May 19 when we boarded a plane for Davao city on our way to
explore the Cape, east of Davao bay. Some weeks before the trip I was
asked if I would join the trip as an advisor on the dive sites and
fish life found in the area. Out of curiosity and the promise of
big action, tiger sharks and strong currents I said, I’m
on.
After arriving in Davao, checking ourselves in, we met up with
Andrew Macdonald, Jane, Carlos, Peewee, Maeng and Frank the owner
of Davao Scuba. After a very good brief of what we will be looking
for (big action and tiger sharks) and how we intend to proceed, it
followed with a tour of the dive centre and the boat we would spend
the next few days on. 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!
We met the next morning at 4am and set off at around 5ish. The
weather was perfect and as the sun rose we were well on our way
heading east for the cape. Arriving at around 12:30 we were anxious
to see the dive area and what the currents were doing. As expected,
it was howling! We looked for a suitable place to jump in and take
our first look at what the conditions would be like and if in fact
the fish life was as prolific as we had been told.
After deciding on a course of action we developed a plan that
incorporated the safety needed to be diving in strong currents and
in a very remote area as it was. We entered in some howling
current, descended to about 20 meters in waters that had at least
60m visibility and drifted along the back wall of this very long
underwater extension of the cape. During the dive we seen a turtle
and some very small reef fish, but no big fish! We were surprised
to see little coral and an area that would have been half the size
of a football oval completely dynamited without any life on it at
all. Disappointment was setting in after our hopes of big fish and
shark action. We ascended and gathered for a dive debrief and to
recalculate our course of action for the following dives. 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.
After our first night of spaghetti Bolognese a couple of beers and
a very early night, it was time to go over our plan for chumming
the waters. Andrew and Jane had built this very elaborate system
consisting of a bottomless plastic bucket and a metal waste paper
bin lashed to the bottom of the plastic bucket with cable ties.
With over P5,000 of fresh finely ground fish and large fish heads
we set ourselves up to start the chumming process. We had thought
that after four hours the chum we had placed would drift to a reef
called Widows reef (70 plus meters deep and some 7k away) where it
has been said some large tiger sharks would hunt the area. We had
hoped the chum would draw these sharks to the cape, where we would
be patiently waiting to see them. After an entire day of waiting
and doing three dives we came to the conclusion, either we were not
putting enough chum, not enough patience, or there was not tigers.
In fact we had not even a small fish try and take our fish heads we
had dangling over the side for hours! It was quiet an unhappy sight
seeing this fish head dangling inches below the surface, and in my
experience, had there been any sharks or pelagic, they would have
been there for a feed.

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. We invited a local Barangay official to come
and speak with us on the boat. She told us that the dynamiting and
cyaniding had stopped some year and a half ago. However she also
told us, as did the fishermen we talked to, confirmed the Taiwanese
long liners had just finished fishing the area two week prior. With
other information on the over fishing of the area and a brief
explanation of what we thought would be appropriate action for her
Barangay, (ruling the cape) we decided that any further dives would
lead us to the same conclusion. The area needs at least three years
of no fishing to bring back the fish and corals to an acceptable
level where divers could be interested in diving the area. Shame as
it may be, the cape has all the ingredients of an exhilarating dive
area. 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.
Setting our course back to Davao we decided to do a dive off Davao,
one of the more popular dive sites called Lapot (spelling, sorry
guys) a very advanced dive with again lots of current. The time of
day we got there proved to be slack tide and we had almost no
current, however what a fantastic dive it proved to be. Fantastic
formations, sea fans and ferns with walls covered with soft corals.
We did not see that much fish life, but I’m told, if there
was current there would have been big fish! The fact is, the fish
life we did see was everything from pigmy seahorses to fire gobies
and lodes of other small reef fish, more than enough to satisfy the
keen diver.
A very big thank you to Andrew and Jane for organising a wonderful
exploration trip, even if it did not prove to be a great spot, it
was in deed adventure and fun. Thanks to Peewee and Maeng for their
company and great humour, I don’t think I have met with
happier people. And not to mention the crew who took care of us and
made sure everything worked and went well.
Allan Nash
PADI Course Director,
Asia Divers with El Galleon,
Puerto Galera, Philippines
Certificate IV workplace training
ASIA KAYAK TOURS & Wilderness travel continues, part three of a series by Lee Goldman, EXPLORING Palawan in the Philippines…Natures paradise...THE DIVERS CHOICE.
I like to introduce also two NEW banners from two of our partners soon featured on our website and at DivePhotoGuide.com

Just click on the
banners and go direct to their sites

Well,
our last stop has us at one of the Alliance partners,
Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. Again we’d like to thank them both
for a wonderful time. We stopped here for the rare opportunity to
swim with, what else, Dugongs.
While we did see one, it decided to play shy and swam away rather
than being usually curious allowing guests of the resort to swim
with them in their natural environment. The other major attraction
here is Apo
Reef, and we had one of
the best days at Apo you can imagine. At first, we were concerned
about the 3.5 hour banca ride in open ocean to the reef, but we had
smooth as glass conditions the entire way out and back. And when I
mean smooth as glass, there wasn’t so much as a ripple on the
water. Dolphins jumped for us several times on our way out and upon
reaching the reef, we were greeted by over 100 foot visibility and
great conditions for snorkeling. Although we had a brisk current,
it was just enough to allow us to see everything without the need
for swimming. We just drifted over the hundreds of reef fish,
including Pyramid butterflys and White-tail surgeon fish as they
congregated in massive schools in the currents to feed. After a
nice walk up in the lighthouse for a birds-eye view of the reef, we
snorkeled the nearly current-less north reef and were treated to
nice coral and plenty of reef fish. Turtles and sharks were spotted
throughout the day. We returned, tired but excited at our
day’s events.

Photo: © Lee Goldman - Strapweed Filefish
Overall,
our first snorkeling and kayaking expedition to the Philippines was
a huge success. 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 whale shark
portion, quite frankly, would appeal to any admirer of ocean
critters as it is one of the best big animal encounters in the
world. Thus, getting divers excited about this would not be hard.
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. I assure you though; it is one of the best the
Philippines have to offer.

Photo: © Lee Goldman - yellowtail Coris (Coris gaimard),
juvenile phase belongs to the Wrasse family
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. One doesn’t need
dive gear when everything is in less than 3 meters of water. There
is incredible diversity and abundance of coral and plenty of rare
fish in El Nido. In addition, there are juvenile fish that divers
may only see as adults in the outer reef environment.
My point? If you are planning to visit the Philippines, it is more
than worth your time to visit El Nido and camp, kayak, and snorkel
among some of the most breathtaking scenery. Even the seasoned
diver and naturalist will be amazed at the opportunities to see
unique terrestrial and marine organisms.
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
Stay tuned and please remember the NEW Domain Name
dive-truklagoon.com
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.

©
Gunther Deichmann - the wrecks of Truk
Lagoon
Truk Lagoon is recognized as the world’s
greatest wreck diving destination and for good reason. 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.

© Gunther Deichmann - the wrecks of
Truk lagoon
The
Truk Lagoon is roughly 40 miles in diameter and
encircles 14 major, populated islands. Weno Island is the Capitol
Island of Chuuk State and home to the Truk Lagoon Dive Center. 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. Travel time from the
Truk Stop Hotel’s private dock to most of these wrecks
is less than 20 minutes.
The
Truk Lagoon Dive Center offers a two tank am or morning dive then
additional one or two tank dives in the afternoon. The most
commonly visited or favorite wrecks chosen by divers
are:
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

© Gunther Deichmann - Nature at its
best...pristine Jungle in Palawan
http://www.alliancediving.com/main.html
The
main focus of the trip is the incredible area of northern Palawan;
El Nido and Bacuit Bay. 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. We spent our time here snorkeling,
kayaking, and camping.
While it is hard to say what activity is best in El Nido, for me
snorkeling ranks up there at the top. There are over 400 species of
coral in Bacuit Bay and in a recent survey lead by the world famous
ichthyologist, Dr. Gerald Allen, they recorded over 800 species of
fish, including several new species and records of fish. What make
it so special are the gigantic islands in the bay that provide
protection from potentially large ocean swells that may damage
coral. 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! On our trip we spotted hundreds of
juvenile fish with some of the guests favorites being the Humphead
grouper, Zebra lionfish, Helmut Gurnard, and Javanese Damselfish. I
am a coral guy, so to see such healthy and diverse coral gardens
was the ultimate treat for me.
While most of the bay can be accessed boat, kayaking is the only
way to see this place. Picture perfect shallow lagoons, intimate
stands of mangroves, and paddling next to a 300m vertical cliff
face that erupts from the water is a pretty amazing experience. We
conduct our kayaking with complete boat support, so we transport
the kayaks to our designated area. We had great weather; calm seas
and cloudless skies. 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.
We are also the only outfitter that provides luxury camping in
Bacuit Bay. 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. Arriving at camp in time
for the sunset was a great way to end the day. Of course, waking up
to a beautiful morning amongst the islands was a great way to start
the day as well. For those wishing to get the most they can from El
Nido, our expeditions should not be
missed!
Lee
Goldman
FISH Mystery solved...it gets to show you that the OCEAN still holding many secrets or surprises...
The
FISH Mystery is solved...

© Photo Lee Goldman -
Carpet Eel
Blenny Dottyback!
Hi
Gunther,
the mystery is solved! I have identified the fish I photographed at
Donsol. A very reclusive, cryptic fish that is not seen very often.
It looks like an ell, but it's not. It looks like a blenny, but
it's not. What is it? Of course, it's the Carpet Eel Blenny
Dottyback! Dottyback? 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

© Gunther Deichmann - composite image
Global Warming & Save Our Planet.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Earth Day 2008 at Asia Divers! check this link http://asiadivers.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much to those who jumped in to “splash for
trash” this past weekend. There was good and bad news for
this year’s event. 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.
You can make a difference throughout the year by doing 2 simple
things:
1) Consider your actions every day to minimize your eco footprint
on our ocean planet.
2) Always inspire other divers to be responsible eco
tourists.
It is our
world, our water, our choice – thanks for getting
involved.
Can YOU identify this Fish? Wilderness travel...Snorkeling in Palawan & Whale Sharks in Donsol... by Lee Goldman
This is Lee…Lee Goldman that is… I thought you might like this article and read about my recent experience in the Philippines...
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.
See below the story which I have just received, thanks again to Lee Goldman, Marine Biologist, who always finds the time and supplying us with some interesting articles.
Who can
Identify this Fish? Please help...

Photo © Lee Goldman, image taken in the
Philippines
Snorkeling the
Islands of Palawan. Okay, so the title sounds like we spent the
entire time in Palawan, but our first 2 days of the expedition were
snorkeling with Whale sharks in Donsol. Come ‘on, how can I
invite guests to the Philippines and not expose them to one of the
best big animal encounters a snorkeler can have!
This entry will be a quick one because how can I describe the
experience? Amazing, exhilarating, sometimes exhausting. Because
visibility often does not exceed 12 m, when you see a whale shark,
it is an up close and personal encounter! The guides put you right
near them and as they swim by, you are sometimes only a few feet
from them. 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. We swam with no less than
eight. We also had a chance to snorkel in the area. Due to
proximity of the rivers, visibility was not optimal, but we
didn’t miss a beat. Many varieties of fish and coral exist
there and for most of my guests, new species of fish were checked
off in their fish identification books. For one guest, an avid
admirer of nudibranchs, a new species of Phyllidia was her treat
for the day. As a guide who spent many years in the Philippines and
Palau, you may think I had seen it all. 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.
Even some of the better
ichthyologists could not help me with the identification. I intend
to pursue this one and will keep everyone updated as I know more.
Anyone out there with a suggestion?
Lee
Goldman
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
NATURE is a lot closer now....
BUSUANGA AIRPORT Palawan Philippines...

CLUB PARADISE, EL RIO Y MAR
and the
DUGONG DIVE CENTER
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.
This gives a new dimension to tourism in the islands of the
Calamianes. 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.
Starting next week, May 17, 2008 the service of a 72 seater plane
from Phil Airlines will begin daily flights. This will bring the
total seat capacity per year to about 100.000 seats yearly. New
hotels, lodging houses and resorts are under construction and on
the planning board. Present room capacity of 400 rooms will be
double within an
year.

© Gunther Deichmann - the spectacular marine life in
Palawan
The Government has decided to pave the road from Coron to Busuanga
Airport to modernize the road system and create more
comfort for all travelers. 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...NATURE at its
best.

© Gunther Deichmann - the
WWII Wrecks of Palawan

© Gunther Deichmann - the WWII Wrecks
of Palawan
Late breaking NEWS from PALAU Micronesia! Conservation issue initiated by one of the founding members from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
Late breaking NEWS from PALAU Micronesia!
...brought to you by palautours.com
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
Horizon News Staff

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,
Ngarchelong. Remengesau signed into law the Senate Bill.
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.
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
the world. Plan your trip as a combination Philippines - Micronesia then you have the very best of both worlds.
Think about it.
PalauTours.com Now... Welcome to Micronesia!
The colors of the Pacific...
(FSM - The Federated States of Micronesia)

Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) - Yap - Kosrae & Pohnpei
Click the image or the link below
http://www.palautours.com/micronesia.html
As promised... we have just updated the
palautours.com site changes and NEW additions are as follow;
Micronesia section is updated see the screenshot on this blog - a Palau and Regional map has been added -
in the Photo Gallery we have now provided caption on all the images for easy identification - Getting here is
been updated - some pages have additional text - plus we have changed some photos in various categories.
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.
We try very hard to have our first listings up also by Sunday, please stay tuned or start subscribing.
Your Palau Tours Team
A NEW Website on PALAU Micronesia...bringing the Philippines and Micronesia closer? Travel News from the Pacific...
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.
The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is keeping an eye on this one and we try to link up with them sooner than later.
Have a good browse, even it is not quiet finished but it is certainly very impressive.
GD
PALAUTOURS.COM
Your Tour Guide to Palau and Micronesia

© Gunther Deichmann - Kayaks in the Rock Islands, Palau
click the image and go to our Gallery @
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
PALAUTOURS.COM is a unique and very informative site for
all Your requirements before traveling to Palau in Micronesia.
The site is fully up and running but we have to fix some minor glitches
and add some more exciting pages for you.
By this coming weekend we should have everything just about in place.
The interesting part is, not only Palau will be represented but we include
islands like Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae in due time.
Just stay tuned or subscribe to our RSS feed for the latest developments.
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. If you have any interesting stories please dont hold back, send it to us, we love to publish it.

© Gunther Deichmann - Hotel, Resorts, Restaurant and Bar
Guide/Information
on Palau...click the image and go to Palautours.com
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html

© Gunther Deichmann - Duty Free & Retail stores, Tour Operators
Government offices, Conservation & Medical services
plus a lot more...click the image and go to Palautours.com
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html

© Gunther Deichmann - the World famous Blue Hole and
Blue Corner, Palau, plus many more different dive sites in our
Dive section including Dive Centers & Dive Resorts...
click the image and go to Palautours.com
http://www.palautours.com/gallery.html
We like YOU to use Palau Tours as your Resort, Hotel, Restaurant, Dive & Tour guide... YOU be amazed how beautiful this part of the world really is.
The Editor
NEW TRUK STOP HOTEL & TRUK LAGGON DIVE CENTER'S WEB SITE...Your tech diving experts...Your facility with HELIUM...TRIMIX...
See below some excerpts from their new HOME PAGE...
GD

Part of the NEW HOME
page...click on the image and go
direct to Truk Lagoon Dive Center
http://www.dive-truklagoon.com/main.php
The Truk Stop Hotel &
Dive Center is a PADI Resort Facility offering great
accommodations plus an excellent, full service dive center for both
the recreational and technical diver.
Truk Stop Hotel inventory of rooms include 2 apartments, 4 suites,
6 deluxe ocean view rooms, and 10 standard rooms. The apartments
are air conditioned and fully furnished with kitchenette. All
suites and rooms are air conditioned, have a balcony, private bath
and furnished with a refrigerator plus TV/DVD player.
LOCAL TIME: 03:20:58 pm | May. 05, 2008
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. We have Bauer
Compressors and use a Haskel Pump for blending Nitrox and Trimix,
and our expatriate PADI certified professional dive staffs take
care of the technical and recreational diver with equal care and
consideration.
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. Enjoy our Wi-Fi
broadband internet connection in the
restaurant or on the patio – for FREE!

© Gunther Deichmann - the view
from your room Balcony at night.
http://www.dive-truklagoon.com/main.php
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
DUGONGS at
THE HOUSE REEF ...
CLUB PARADISE PALAWAN.
©
Courtesy of Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines
click the image or the link below to visit the website
@
http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/
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...
GD
Dino dung
snapped up at auction
Jurassic-era coprolite, or fossilised dinosaur dung
Two pieces of dinosaur dung have been sold at auction for $960
(Ł486) at an auction house in New York.
The fossilised dung, which resembles rock on the outside, and a
colourful mineral inside, is 130 million years old, from the
Jurassic period.
Auctioneers Bonhams of New York said it sold for twice the expected
price.
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.
Marketing
tool...
for the full story click the link
below...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7377982.stm
OUR ENVIRONMENT...& Exhibition in Armenia with images by Gunther Deichmann and many other international Photographers
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!

To go to the
Center click on the image
The Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art: ACCEA
" NPAK" in Armenian acronymis an alternative center for
avant-garde
and modern art in Yerevan, Armenia
We
have to take care of our PLANET and the ENVIRONMENT otherwise there
be nothing left for our Children…
we all need to contribute & STOP Global
Warming.
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.

Click on the image above and view the Exhibition
with images and slide shows from all
the international participants.
The image above was taken in Palau Micronesia it was used as the
Cover
for the official Exhibition Booklet, for other environmental
related images
by Gunther Deichmann click the link
below:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/environment.html

WHY BURNING MY HOME...THINK!
Slide show of the
images from the Exhibition by Gunther Deichmann
click on the link or image above.
http://www.davosstudio.com/Exhibition/Participants/Gunther%20Deichmann/
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.
from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance.

PHOTO: © Lee
Goldman - Palawan at its very best...the camp site.
I wish I could be there...
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.
Lee’s Expedition was also named as one of the
Best
Adventure Trips 2008
A Masked Ball in the Philippines
http://www.concierge.com/ideas/
There
be a lot more in the near future, you just have to stay tuned or
subscribe to our blog…
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.
Gunther
Deichmann

PHOTO: © Lee Goldman - "Alien
Lights?" No Palawan!
Exploring Palawan by Kayak & in the evening
there is fine dining... under the stars.
Hi
Gunther,
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. The highlights? How
about Whale sharks, fantastic snorkeling among fields of colorful
corals and abundant fish, Apo Reef National Park, and great
weather! The super-highlight? KAYAKING and LUXURY CAMPING in the
middle of some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet; the
limestone cliffs of El Nido, Palawan. 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.
Lee Goldman
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.
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
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.
Monster
warning to protect oceans... about twice the size of a London
Bus...& be careful when diving in NEW ZEALAND...YOU never
know.
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.
You be amazed to see this one…WOW!

© Gunther Deichmann - just like Aliens...
Squid under a Boat in Micronesia,
for more images from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
destinations click on the Image above or this
link.
http://www.alliancediving.com/blog/page2/page2.html
Colossal squid comes
out of ice…
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent
Courtesy of the
BBC
Colossal squid. Image: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa
Tongarewa
(
go to the link below and view the
image)
Dr
Kubodera examines the eye of the smaller, partial colossal squid
specimen
Technicians in New Zealand have begun to thaw a rare colossal squid
specimen.
The operation to defrost the 10-metre (34 feet) long, half-tonne
squid began on Monday afternoon in Wellington following a
postponement of 24 hours.
The animal is now sitting in a bath of salt water. Once it is
thawed, scientists will begin to dissect it.
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.
"It's certainly the one that we're being really careful about,
completely intact and in really fantastic condition."
The Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni specimen was caught in February 2007
in the Ross Sea.
Big
unknown
The colossal squid is remarkable for its size, but also for how
rarely it has been sighted.
It was identified first in 1925 from two tentacles found in a sperm
whale's stomach…
You
have to read on...more images and text @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7367774.stm
PHOTOS & NEWS from the ADEX DIVE SHOW IN SINGAPORE...& party time at the German Club MANILA Philippines with the Jazz Band... Johnny Alegre AFFINITY
Great to see Dirk again even I am fighting a hangover from my Birthday Party at the German Club last night. Some of Dirk’s photos below…Oh boy… Dirk, you missed a great evening…
with the great and ever so cool Jazz Band "Johnny Alegre - AFFINITY"

Photo: © Hermes Singson - Juergen Warnke
from Club Paradise and the President of the German Club
introduces Johnny Alegre and band.
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.

Our Philippine-Micronesia Alliance partners Dirk Fahrenbach
from
Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center
in Palawan with Allan Nash from
Asia Divers
with El Galleon Beach Resort in Puerto Galera
Philippines...
posing with the Alliance brochure at the WOW Philippines Booth in
Singapore 2008.

The WOW Philippine Booth at
ADEX DIVE SHOW Singapore 2008

Presentation on the Celebrate the
Seas Festival
soon to be held in Manila at ADEX Singapore
2008
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.
GD
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.
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
My
very special thanks go to Walter Ty for bringing this to my
attention…
Sorry no Photos today but if you go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/
edinburgh_and_east/7360770.stm
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.
GD
No
sex for all-girl fish species
Amazon Molly
(Credit: Dunja K Lamatsch)
Courtesy of
BBC
A fish species, which is all female, has survived for 70,000 years
without reproducing sexually, experts believe.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh think the Amazon Molly
may be employing special genetic survival "tricks" to avoid
becoming extinct.
The species, found in Texas and Mexico, interacts with males of
other species to trigger its reproduction process.
The offspring are clones of their mother and do not inherit any of
the male's DNA.
Typically, when creatures reproduce asexually, harmful changes
creep into their genes over many generations.
The species will eventually have problems reproducing and can often
fall victim to extinction.
Scientists at Edinburgh University have been studying complex
mathematical models on a highly powerful computing system to look
at the case of the Amazon Molly.
Researchers calculated the time to extinction for the fish based on
modelling genetic changes over many thousands of generations.
They are now able to say conclusively, for the first time, the fish
ought to have become extinct within the past 70,000 years, based on
the current simple models.
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.
One theory is that the fish may occasionally be taking some of the
DNA from the males that trigger reproduction, in order to refresh
their gene pool.
Species
tricks
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.
"Maybe there is still occasional sex with strangers that keeps the
species alive. Future research may give us some answers."
He added that their findings could also help them understand more
about how other creatures operate.
"I think one of the interesting things is that we are learning more
about how other species might use these tricks as well," he
said.
"It might have a more general importance."
The Edinburgh-led study was carried out in collaboration with Dr
Dunja Lamatsch at the University of Wuerzburg, now at the Austrian
Academy of Sciences.
The research is published in the journal BMC Evolutionary
Biology.
More
info and Photos @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/
edinburgh_and_east/7360770.stm
Species
loss 'bad for our health'
The physiology of
bears could lead to a better understanding of some diseases
A new generation of medical treatments could be lost forever unless
the current rate of biodiversity loss is reversed, conservationists
have warned.
They say species are being lost before researchers have had the
chance to examine and understand their potential health
benefits.
The findings appear in Sustaining Life, a book involving more than
100 experts.
It is being published ahead of a global summit in May that will
look at ways to stem biodiversity loss by 2010.
"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).
Societies depend on nature for treating
diseases
Achim
Steiner,
Unep executive director
"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."
Killing
the cure
One
creature whose potential benefits have been lost to science is the
southern gastric brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silus), say the
authors…more info and Photos at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7361539.stm
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
What a contrast!
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Is this what it looked like in Palau???
For some real images go to the link provided below...
this is only an artist impression.
The annual mass spawning of corals on
the Palau archipelago in the western Pacific has occurred right on
cue. With Sunday night's full moon, coral polyps let forth a huge
swathe of sperm and egg, to seed the next generation.
The event was short-lived - only about 30 minutes - but so vast in
its scale that it turned the sea water pink. Scientists from Palau,
Australia and the UK are studying the practicality of collecting
coral larvae to help restore damaged reefs elsewhere.
See what a mass spawning at Palau looks like (Reefvid.org)
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. The only person who seemed sure it would happen on cue was
Steven Victor, the Palauan director of the Palau International
Coral Reef Center. Local knowledge was spot on, as it turned
out.
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
@ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7358423.stm
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.
You could do this right from Sam’s Tours Digital Photo Center, Wi-Fi connected with all the latest software on their iMacs including Aperture; a medium resolution jpg will do just fine, thanks.
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.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - a Turtle is cruising over
the reef in Palau Micronesia
Catching corals' spectacular moment
Courtesy of
BBC
By
Andrew Luck-Baker
BBC Radio 4, Palau
Luke's reef (BBC)
Luke's reef: Reared larvae will come here once they are ready to
settle
The coral reefs in the tropical western Pacific are at the brink of
one of the most spectacular and significant nights in their annual
life cycle.
By the light of April's full moon on Sunday or, quite likely a
night or two after, corals will be mating en masse.

Click the image above and go to Sam's
Tours in Palau
Along
the length of the island archipelago that makes up the Republic of
Palau, millions of coral colonies will simultaneously release
billion upon billion of eggs and sperm into the dark waters.
An hour or so after sunset, each spawning coral will discharge
showers of sex cells, packaged in orange and pink blobs.
They will rise to the surface in such huge numbers that they may
form oily slicks metres long.
If the sea conditions are right, spawn slicks can coalesce to be
large enough to be visible from space.
Depressing
need
Once on
the surface, the packages burst open, liberating eggs and sperm for
fertilisation.
Countless free-swimming coral larvae then develop and three or four
days later, a few will have survived long enough to make it to the
sea bed.
There they attach to a suitable hard surface and develop into
single baby coral polyps. The next generation of corals on the
reefs will be launched.
A team of marine biologists from Australia, Britain and the
Philippines has come to Palau to take advantage of this wonder of
nature in the cause of coral reef restoration.
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.
The reefs around Palau are in good shape but elsewhere throughout
the tropical world, many coral ecosystems are in a parlous
state.
Plenty
spare
Pollution, over-fishing and coral
bleaching events, which are caused by marine heat waves, have
reduced the amount of coral to the point where these naturally
bio-diverse habitats are at varying degrees of degradation.
Many are nearing ecological collapse - some have gone forever,
already.
Collection
of Acropora corals (BBC)
Acropora is an important reef-builder and
is common here
However, many reefs might be salvageable if they are first
protected from pollution and overexploitation, and then are seeded
with some surplus spawn from more vibrant reefs.
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.
In the coming experiment on Palau, the scientists will not be using
coral spawn produced on the open reefs.
Partly for practical reasons, they will harvest their spawn under
more controllable conditions at the laboratory of the Palau
International Coral Reef Center.
In
the lab
On
Saturday, I joined them on a trip to collect 10 dinner-plate-sized
coral colonies from Luke's reef about 20 minutes speed-boat-ride
from the Reef Center.
James Guest, from the University of Newcastle, UK, and Maria
Vanessa Baria from the University of the Philippines dived to the
sea bed, armed with hammers and chisels.
They were after a particular species of branching coral which forms
large tables or shelves as it grows. It is this type which is one
of the most abundant and most important reef builders.
It takes a few taps at the stony stalk base of each colony to break
them free. Waiting on the boat to receive the corals was Andrew
Heyward of the Australian Institute for Marine Science - one of the
first biologists to describe the phenomenon of coral mass spawning
in the 1980s.
The colonies were put straight into tubs of sea water, and once the
tenth was on board, we headed back at a high rate of knots to the
Reef Center.
Back at the Center, the coral were transferred with speed to larger
tanks, filled with constantly refreshed seawater.
Setting
up home
Now
there's a lull before the spawn. The main event could happen Sunday
or Monday or Tuesday night (Palau time). And some species will
synchronously spawn the day after others.
When the captive corals in the lab release their eggs and sperm,
the contained spawn will be transferred to children's paddling
pools floating in the sea next to the lab.
Putting
corals in a lab tank (BBC)
The spawning for these corals will occur
in laboratory tanks
Over the following few days, the researchers will check the
developing larvae to see how many are mature enough to settle down
and become fixed baby coral polyps.
When sufficient numbers are good to go, the team will take the
batch of larvae back to the reef and pump them over areas of
potential colonisation.
The new homes for the larvae are artificial reef balls placed there
specially for the purpose. They are domes of limestone concrete
about a one metre wide and high.
Before the larva can be introduced, the reef balls will have to be
covered so the larvae don't just float away.
Big
question
So the team will dive the five metres to the sea bed and erect
two-man camping tents made of fine mesh over each artificial reef
structure.
The baby corals will travel from the boat through the zipped door
of the tent via a hose pipe. Andrew Heyward says the aim of this
experiment is to be "low tech or no tech".
He feels this approach is vital if the technique of coral seeding
is ever to be used on any scale in developing countries.
Making
up a coral nursery (BBC)
The approach has to be low-tech to
succeed, the scientists believe
Twenty-four-hours later, the team will check to see how many of
their "seeds" have settled by removing small tiles they've placed
on the reef balls. They will do that again in a few months and
after a year.
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.
Andrew Heyward points out that loading the dice in the larvae's
favour before they settle is only part of the issue over whether
coral seeding will work to restore reefs.
"If you boost the number of larval corals settling on a coral reef,
so what? Does it make any difference to the longer term compared to
an area where you did nothing?"
The
answer will emerge in the next 12 months following this week's
frenzy of mass reproduction on the reefs of
Palau.
For the
photos and the story go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7357121.stm
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...
GD
See
below the latest
NEWS from
Fins Magazine...
MacDive Matchmaker
This
information has been provided by Fins Magazine... click the link
above for more information...
Saturday,
19th April 2008, 12:48 pm by FiNS Team

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. Plus, this way I could make it free. I
worked on MacDive in my spare time after work. It’s been a
real labour of love. I know there are many divers who are also Mac
users and who, like me, have been frustrated with the lack of
options available for Macs. I hope MacDive will help make them
happy.”
While developing MacDive, a number of divers in Singapore loaned
him their Suuntos for testing. As a result, the application is
currently compatible with the D9, D6, D3, Cobra, Cobra 2, Vyper,
Vyper 2, Gekko, Vytec and Mosquito.
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.”First things first, though. I’ve got to get in
the water and do some testing of my own!”
MacDive is available for free download at:
http://thedoorisajar.org/macdive
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?
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Dont
know what I do without Walter Ty sometimes, he keep pointing me in
the right direction...a coincident? Related? I guess sort of but
then who likes to dive the waters of the Thames? The good news
is... there is life even in this part of the world underwater, read
this amazing story below.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Spiny sea
horse from
Puerto Galera Philippines
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:
Did
You Know?
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...
if you like these little critters then Asia Divers in Puerto Galera
is the place.
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.
Asia Divers is a member of the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance...
The Divers Choice.
Rare seahorses breeding in Thames
Short-snouted
seahorse
Courtesy of the
BBC
The short-snouted seahorses have been found at three
locations.
Colonies of rare seahorses are living and breeding in the River
Thames, conservationists have revealed.
The short-snouted variety are endangered and normally live around
the Canary Islands and Italy.
Experts at London Zoo said the species had been found at Dagenham
in east London and Tilbury and Southend in Essex, over the last 18
months.
The revelation coincided with new laws which came into force on
Sunday to give the creatures protected status. The seahorses, or
Hippocampus hippocampus, are now protected under the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981.
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.
Monitoring
work
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. "It
demonstrates that the Thames is becoming a sustainable bio-diverse
habitat for aquatic life. "It is not clear how endangered
short-snouted seahorses are because there is little data known,
particularly in the UK, so every scrap of information is
valuable.
"Now they are protected conservationists are more relaxed about
telling the world they are there." Both the short-snouted and
long-snouted sea-horse are kept and bred in the aquarium at London
Zoo in Regents Park. Aquarists are studying their life history and
behavior so their wild habitats and requirements can be
protected.
For
more detailed info and photos go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7333980.stm
Late News from Scuba Diving Magazine...Bottom Time...announcement of Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center including Aperture 2 in Palau Micronesia
Late
News... just received this press release from Dermot Keane Sam's
Tours Palau Micronesia...please read below
the article in the online Scuba Diving Magazine...Bottom
Time.
GD


Click on the image and go direct to
the Digital Photo Center
ALL
- NEW DIGITAL PHOTO CENTER AT SAM'S TOURS IN
PALAU
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. No other photo center in Palau comes
near!
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?
We
dont like to talk always about diving and how great our
destinations are ...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.
We do care... a lot!
A big thanks' to
Walter Ty for bringing this to my
attention.
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our
Environment!
To watch this
amazing video click the image
About
40 million years ago, when the Earth looked dramatically different
to how it does today, a tiny arachnid was crawling around in the
Baltic.
But the little bug was soon to meet a sticky demise. As it crept up
a tree trunk, it encountered a blob of tree resin and its spindly
legs rapidly became stuck-fast in the gluey trap.
Fast-forward a few thousand Millennia and the creature still sits
in the same pose, preserved in a small lump of amber.
However, its location is now rather different from the prehistoric
forest floor where it once roamed.
Terry Collingwood
I noticed something was in there hiding beneath a layer - it looked
like a leg
Terry Collingwood
It can now found within the vaults of London's Natural History
Museum - taking pride of place as the latest donation in the
museum's palaeontology collection.
"You can just spend hours and hours looking at amber," said Terry
Collingwood, who discovered the amber-encased creature.
The Rochester-based fossil collector had bought a batch of amber on
an online auction site before noticing, on closer inspection, that
one of the pieces looked a little unusual.
"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.
"So I started to work on the piece, polishing it and working to get
those layers off.
"And then I eventually saw it - I realised straightaway that it was
something special."
Stuck fast
He sent the mysterious creature off to the Natural History Museum
to be checked out.
"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.
Harvestmen belong to the arachnid class.
At first glance, with their eight legs, they look similar to
spiders. But, while spiders' heads and abdomens are segmented,
harvestmen's bodies and heads are fused together. They also lack
silk glands - making spinning webs impossible.
Amber with arachnid (NHM)
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
Dr Andrew Ross, Natural History Museum
Closer examination revealed that the specimen was rare, a species
called Dicranopalpus ramiger, which is now extinct.
"This one is quite a young spider", explained Dr Ross. "Its body is
the size of a pinhead and its legs are about 6mm long.
"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."
Dr Ross said that fossil finds like this recent donation from Mr
Collingwood were extremely important.
He said: "They are a record of something that lived millions and
millions of years ago.
"Amber is particularly special. It preserves some of the smaller
animals that you don't get preserved in rock.
"It gives us a fantastic insight into lots of prehistoric
insects."
Mr Collingwood added: "I just love insects in amber. Knowing
something is going to be at the Natural History Museum is just
wonderful."
Check out this incredible video & click this
link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7327038.stm
Sharks could protect us from severe storms and Typhoons...stop the killing of this amazing creature which has been around for million of years
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Sharks
could protect us from Typhoons and other bad storms…real
amazing stuff from a researcher…and thanks again to Walter Ty for
bringing this to my attention...
Super interesting article and one more reason why we should take
care of our sharks and environment.
GD
STOP
the killing of our Sharks,
slurping of this tasteless soup must
STOP!
"They could protect us
from disaster."

© Gunther Deichmann - a storm over the
Pacific...
...can sharks give us some
warning signs?
Sharks 'may predict the storms'
Lauren Smith
Courtesy of the BBC
Lauren Smith studied dogfish, a type of small shark
Sharks could be used to
predict storms following research by a marine biology
student.
Lauren Smith, 24, is close to completing her PhD studies into the
pressure-sensing abilities of sharks.
If her studies prove the theory, scientists in future could monitor
the behavior of sharks to anticipate severe weather fronts.
Research was partly carried out in an altitude chamber at the
National Hyperbaric Centre in Aberdeen.
Miss Smith, originally from West Bromwich, had previously
investigated the behavior of lemon sharks in the Bahamas. She then
used their near relations, the lesser spotted dogfish, for further
research at Aberdeen University's altitude chamber at the National
Hyperbaric Centre.

© Gunther Deichmann, Shark and Photographer,
that is how it should be...
Who can say if this could lead to sharks
predicting weather fronts... but it certainly opens the way to more
research, Lauren Smith. It is thought her work is the first of its
kind to attempt to test the pressure theory.
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 said: "I've always been keen on traveling and diving and
this led me to an interest in sharks.
"I was delighted to have been able to explore this area for my PhD,
particularly as it's the first time it's really been explored
fully.
"How many other students get the chance to put a shark in a chamber
to study its behavior?
"Who can say if this could lead to sharks predicting weather
fronts, there's so much more we need to understand. But it
certainly opens the way to more research."
The chamber's changes in pressure mimic the pressure changes
experienced in and around the ocean, caused by weather fronts, and
the protocol was approved by the Home Office.
Sharks were found to head for deeper water ahead of bad
weather.
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.
It has been established that a shark senses pressure using hair
cells in its balance system.
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.
In Aberdeen, she was able to study the effects of tidal and
temperature changes on dogfish, none of which were harmed, in the
aquarium.
She also tested the pressure theory by recreating weather
conditions at the chamber at the National Hyperbaric Centre.
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.
David
Smith, of the National Hyperbaric Centre, described the student's
research as "ground-breaking".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/7311847.stm
Scuba divers get the chance to observe the wired and wonderful… amazing things happen on our planet… courtships and rock an’ roll…
The courtship of the sea horses and now the Dolphins continuous…
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. Wave some branches at your girlfriend, and you be alright… maybe.
My blog is going to be a bit thin in the next two weeks, I am off to India for Apple, it is the World Tour of Aperture 2, my part is the intro into this sure amazing software in Mumbai.
Now enjoy the story…courtship about Dolphins…this is really wired stuff…
Amazing how much we learn everyday about our precious environment…lets keep our planet in one piece and green!!!
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. The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance The Divers Choice.
GD

©
Gunther Deichmann - aerial over the Puerto Galera area
with the Point Bar, Asia Diver & El Galleon,
red
circle.
Now to our main story...Dolphin woos with wood and
grass
Courtesy by Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
The
Amazon river dolphin's unique courtship...
A South American river dolphin uses branches, weeds and lumps of
clay to woo the opposite sex and frighten off rivals, scientists
have discovered.
Researchers observed adult male botos carrying these objects while
surrounded by females, and thrashing them on the water surface
aggressively.
Writing in the journal Biology Letters, they say such behaviour has
never before been seen in any marine mammal.
The boto lives in only two rivers, and numbers are thought to be
declining.
A group of British and Brazilian researchers studied the dolphin's
unique courtship behaviour over three years in the Mamiraua
Reserve, a flooded rainforest area on the Amazon.
"You see them coming up with bits of wood or lumps of rock in a
very ritualised manner," recalled Tony Martin from the Sea Mammal
Research Unit at St Andrews University.
They may be fairly numerous now, but they're going downhill fast
and we can't see any end to it,Tony Martin.
"Quite often they'd slowly come up above the surface in a vertical
posture holding this stuff in their mouths, then sink down rotating
on their own axis.
"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."
Professor Martin's group established that rock carrying and branch
thrashing were almost exclusively the preserve of adult males, and
that they did it more when lots of adult females were
present.
Although the males were more aggressive towards each other at these
times, they were never seen to hit each other with the rocks or
plants.
Sound
theory
Three years ago, scientists found bottlenose dolphins in Australian
waters carrying pieces of sponge, either to help with foraging or
to defend against predators.
But using objects for socio-sexual display is a novel
finding.
"I naively imagined this kind of thing was seen in other mammal
species," said Professor Martin.
"But I was quite surprised when I consulted friends and colleagues,
and it turns out that only chimps do anything similar - and that's
much less sophisticated."
How and why the boto evolved the behaviour is unclear; although as
cetaceans communicate largely with sound, it appears likely that
the displays also create an impressive auditory impact on females,
rival males, or both.
Hooked
on boto
This research stemmed from a larger project, Projeto Boto, aimed at
conserving the Amazon dolphin and its habitat.
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.
Botos are increasingly turning up harpooned, their flesh used for
bait
Compared to these species, the South American dolphin is in good
health in its traditional haunts along the Amazon and Orinico
rivers. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species suggests "there are
probably tens of thousands of botos in total".
But the future does not appear secure. The Red List concludes that
the boto is threatened by dams (causing fragmentation of their
habitat) and pollution, such as from mercury used in gold
mining.
"With growing human populations in Amazonia and Orinoquia, the
conflicts between fisheries and dolphins are certain to intensify",
it notes.
Projeto Boto has found that fishermen are increasingly catching the
dolphins for use as bait to catch a fish, the piracatinga, which
usually feeds on dead flesh.
Meat from the caiman, a close relative of the alligator, is also
used for this purpose.
Projeto Boto scientists are regularly finding dead dolphins, either
harpooned or entangled in ropes.
"We lost half of the animals from our study area in just five
years," said Tony Martin.
"They may be fairly numerous now, but they're going downhill fast
and we can't see any end to it."
For more on this story and some photos go
to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7313385.stm
Sea Horse Courtship...Asia Divers reports from Puerto Galera, the Divers Choice in the Philippines...scuba diving with one of the best.
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...
if you like these little critters then Asia Divers in Puerto Galera is the place.
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.
Asia Divers is a member of the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance...
The Divers Choice.
GD

©
Gunther Deichmann - Spiny sea horse from the Sabang area,
Puerto Galera, Philippines
Sea Horse Courtship
by Anthony
May
The Sea-horse is
unique due to the fact that it is the male that gives birth to the
young.
Male sea-horses impress females with a courtship dance. This dance
involves young males pumping their specialized brooding pouches
with water. It is usually the male with the biggest pouch that wins
the girl.
Once a mate has been found the pair will meet at the same spot at
dusk and dawn every day. This allows the male to prepare his pouch
for the arrival of the female’s eggs.
When the egg is ready the pair will align themselves opposite each
other and entwine their tails. 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.

©
Gunther Deichmann - Spiny sea horse from the Sabang area,
Puerto Galera, Philippines
The
male then fertilizes the egg internally and around four weeks later
the fry are ready to be born.
The male then pumps his pouch and hundreds of tiny sea-horses are
forced out. A healthy pair will be able to repeat the process all
over again in a couple of days.
Special thanks to
Anthony May (The
Sea horse Expert)
A Tribute to John Bennett...the Legend lives on...he was the deepest diver in the world & and Pioneer...we miss you John.
GD
"He was the the greatest diver that ever lived... a memorial yesterday for John Bennett who died 4 years ago 15th of March. A very sad day not just for the dive community but his closest friends & loving family ! Gabby, Josh & Katie. 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. The deepest diver in the world John Bennett, we will never forget you,
from Mark Cox, a good friend."

© Photo: Mark Cox,
Australia

© Photo: Mark Cox,
Australia
Triple “D”…Dirk…Dolphins & Dugongs all have something in common…articles from the Philippines & New Zealand for divers and nature lovers.
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Triple “D”
Triple
“D”…Dirk…Dolphins & Dugongs all have
something in common…

© Photo courtesy of Dugong Dive
Center,
click on the image and visit the website.
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.
If a Dolphin can rescue or take care
of other species... then that is amazing…what about
us?
We need to do a lot more before it is to late!
THINK!

© Gunther Deichmann - Monkey Mia
Beach, north western Australia
For more images by GD click the image above or go
to
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/stock.html
I have
taken this image some 25 years ago in Monkey Mia north western
Australia, wild Dolphins come close to shore at this
beach…do they still do this today?
Don’t know. I guess one of these days I have to find out and
make another trip to this beach again.
GD
Here
is the article on the rescue of Whales by a
Dolphin…
NZ
dolphin rescues beached whales
Courtesy of
the BBC
Moko the dolphin
Moko is well known locally for playing with swimmers in the
bay
A dolphin has come to the rescue of two whales that had become
stranded on a beach in New Zealand.
Conservation officer Malcolm Smith told the BBC that he and a group
of other people had tried in vain for an hour and a half to get the
whales to sea.
The pygmy sperm whales had repeatedly beached, and both they and
the humans were tired and set to give up, he said.
But then the dolphin appeared, communicated with the whales, and
led them to safety.
The bottle-nose dolphin, called Moko by local residents, is well
known for playing with swimmers off Mahia beach on the east coast
of the North Island.
Malcolm Smith
Mr. Smith said he gave the dolphin a pat to say thank you
Mr. Smith said that just when his team was flagging, the dolphin
showed up and made straight for them.
"I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin," Mr. 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."
He added: "The dolphin did what we had failed to do. It was all
over in a matter of minutes."
Mr. Smith said he felt fortunate to have witnessed the
extraordinary event, and was delighted for the whales, as in the
past he has had to put down animals which have become
beached.
He said that the whales have not been seen since, but that the
dolphin had returned to its usual practice of playing with swimmers
in the bay.
"I shouldn't do this I know, we are meant to remain scientific,"
Mr. Smith said, "but I actually went into the water with the
dolphin and gave it a pat afterwards because she really did save
the day."
Read
more and check out the photos @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7291501.stm
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
http://www.alliancediving.com/blog/files/jan-2008.html
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.
Soon a new member of the Philippine-Micronesia
Alliance, Lee will be joining us with his
extraordinary and very exiting Kayak tours in Palawan and beyond,
subscribe and stay tuned for the official
announcement.
GD
His
tour has just been in the top listing of the
Concierge,
Best
Adventure Trips 2008!
http://www.concierge.com/ideas/skiadventure/tour/detail?id=1729&page=11
Hi Gunther,
A while back you blogged about my excitement and appreciation for
the significant inclusion of Club Paradise onto our new Wilderness Travel Expedition
to the Philippine Islands.
I should also mention that another one of your Micronesian-Philippine Alliance
partners has made important
contributions as well. 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.
While it may sound easy, from my point of view, it helped to keep
me from pulling even more of my hair out of my head while trying to
coordinate all of the other activities for our 12 day tour. 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.
Thanks Jem!
Lee Goldman, Marine Biologist and Tour leader
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. A pure natures
paradise.
Click
on the images above and see more photos from all our partner
destinations.
Asia Divers our partner in Puerto Galera visits
Palawan frequently for the wrecks in Coron Bay, Asia Divers with El
Galleon Beach Resort is also a major sponsor of the
Layang Layang Photo Contest,
for more info on Wreck diving with Asia
Divers check out our previous blog from David Ross at:
http://www.alliancediving.com/blog/files/category-asia-divers-articles.html
Sea cucumbers & Parkinson's desease a medical source from our ocean...Layang Layang Photo Contest in Malaysia, proudly sponsored by the Alliance
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Cucumber
Salad? 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. Read on below...
I
also like to
announce the Alliance partners who generously contributed to the
Layang Layang Photo Contest in Malaysia, we announce the very cool
prizes shortly on our Blog.
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.
YOU
have to stay tuned or just subscribe, dont miss out on this
great event.
GD

"Sea slug'
inspires brain implant"
Courtesy
of...
By Jonathan Fildes
Science and technology reporter, BBC News
Sea cucumbers
inspired the design of stimuli-responsive polymer nanocomposites
with adaptive mechanical properties (Fred Carpenter)
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 material can rapidly switch from being rigid to flexible and
vice versa.
Writing in the journal Science, US researchers describe how species
of the sea creatures "tense" when threatened.
The new material mimics this ability, and could be used to make
advanced brain electrodes which are stiff when implanted, yet
supple inside the body.
Adding water changes the state of the material.
"The water acts as a chemical switch," Dr Christoph Weder, one of
the team who developed the material, told the BBC News
website.
This is important as the brain is around 75% water.
Chemical change
The material consists of naturally occurring nanofibres, or
"whiskers", carefully embedded in a polymer.
The cellulose fibres, each just 25 nanometres (billionths of a
metre) in diameter, are harvested from a different sessile sea
creature known as a tunicate or sea squirt.
The nanofibres are taken from filter-feeding tunicates
"There are many sources of nanofibres such as cotton or wood [which
could be substituted]," said Dr Weder.
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.
"These creatures can reversibly and quickly change the stiffness of
their skin," explained Dr Jeffrey Capadona, another member of the
team.
"Normally it is very soft; but for example in response to a threat,
the animal can activate its 'body armour' by hardening its
dermis."
Changes to the stiffness of the sea cucumber's skin are thought to
be triggered by chemicals secreted by the animal's nervous system
that rearrange the collagen threads.
"Our architecture is the same, but the chemistry is different,"
explained Dr Weder.
In the absence of water, the nanofibres are held together by
chemical links known as hydrogen bonds. This gives the material its
rigidity.
There is a mechanical mismatch - the electrode is rigid but the
brain is more like jello
Christoph Weder
When exposed to water, the water molecules "competitively bond"
with the fibres. "The water also likes to stick to the cellulose,"
said Dr Weder.
This has an effect of "ungluing" the fibre-to-fibre bonds, and the
material becomes about 1,000 times softer, with the consistency of
rubber.
When the water evaporates, a network of cross-linked whiskers
reforms, stiffening the material.
Brain aid...
read the whole article and view the images @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7279088.stm









