Island hopping, dive tours and travel adventure, explore the sea with us.

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

I have just received this info from the National Geographic Traveler super cool images not only for Underwater Photographers but for everyone...you have to see these amazing images of sailfish...all the links are below.
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.

Many thanks to our good friends at DivePhotoGuide for announcing our NEW updated website, thanks Guys.

DivePhotoGuide

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

Intro to ChuukChuuk Shark Dives

Chuuk History and PresentSam's Tours and Palau


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

You might have also noticed that we have made some change to our Blog Pages...full access to some videos from our destinations are now available on the right hand side: PODCAST AND MOVIES
There is now also a direct access to our Alliance Main Website via the New link top right hand side.
We are constantly updating our Blog and website, stay tuned or subscribe for the latest NEWS , Images and Videos.

Underwater Video Dirk Fahrenbach Palawan PhilippinesDirk Fahrenbach Video Palawan Philippines

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

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

NEW Alliance site

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

Amazing NEW find in the Pacific, Palau reveals new fish species...
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.

Matt Weiss is back in the US and preparing all the articles now for DivePhotoGuide and others...see below his first Intro/Guide and acknowledments to all the people and Dive Centers who helped in completing his enormous task.
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...

W
e 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…

In the wake of our coverage of the various shark tournaments and the damage they are creating, both physically to local shark populations as well as perceptually by glorifying the killing of sharks, we identified that Disney has violated their own code of ethics by continuing their involvement in the broadcast of the Quiznos Madfin Shark Tournament on ESPN2… more @
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!
W BABYSHARK
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

Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center with Continental Airlines in Flight Media... Dive the amazing Wrecks of Truk Lagoon with Truk Lagoon Dive Center. Join the Continental Airlines Sweepstakes now..

Micronesia, Gunther Deichmann,Underwater Photography,Ship Wrecks,Diving,
© 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.

BREAKING NEWS...

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/

Reef,marine, conservation,international,Philippines,research,Puerto Galera

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

Announcement....just received from Fins Magazine and the Winner is...

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)

Snapz Pro XScreenSnapz002

Snapz Pro XScreenSnapz003

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

Stay tuned or subscribe for the LATEST NEWS and the long awaited upgrade on our MAIN WEBSITE...

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!

W
e 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...

This article has just been brought to my attention by no other than our good friend Walter Ty, thanks Walter.

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…

This article is published in the current issue of 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.

DnD

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...

We have just picked up this interesting Blog and a response to the recent Nudibranch article...


DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Photography, Gunther Deichmann,Puerto Galera,Underwater,scubadiving,Marine Life
© 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...

I picked up this article from our good friend Walter Ty again, it made me laugh...GarageBand 400 Million years ago?
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.



Gunther Deichmann, Aperture 2, Photo Workshop,Underwater,Photography,Diving
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.

L
ast 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

Omar Linsangan (247) - Version 2
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


Your browser doesn't support JavaScript or you have disabled JavaScript.



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...

We are also very happy to announce our NEW DIVE and TRAVEL PACKAGES... starting from July 2008.




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

PALAWAN, DUGONG WATCHING


PALAWAN, DUGONG DIVE CENTER,PHILIPPINES,MICRONESIA,SAFARI
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.

We are also very happy to announce our NEW DIVE and TRAVEL PACKAGES... starting from July 2008.





D
irk 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.

Alliance,Philippines, Gunther Deichmann,Photography,Underwater, Marine Life

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!

We are very happy to announce our NEW DIVE and TRAVEL PACKAGES... starting from July 2008.





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

I
t 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.

Exploring by kayak, the mangroves of the Aberrawan River
© 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.

Stunning panoramics of the islands in Bacuit Bay, El Nido
© 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.

Instead showing our children the gory Shark cadavers we should remind them if we keep going like this there be nothing left in our Oceans.
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

NAPOLEON WRASSE10 02 NAPOLEON WRASSE10
© 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.


Mon