GREAT NEWS!!! Palawan at its very best!


© Gunther Deichmann

Just in from Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, they spotted on the last three trips to Apo Reef Hammerhead Sharks and Whales, great news for our Diving community. They also reported a record number of Turtle nests on the Island right in front of the Guests cottages at Club Paradise. Plus they have sighted a record number of Dugongs in the last few days.

Turtle Eggs check for info @

http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/turtle_program.html

Wow... now that is Nature at its best!

Late NEWS from the Dugong Dive Center
in Palawan, Philippines.

Black Pearl from the Dugong Dive Center
in Palawan, Philippines

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

Cool sightings of Dugongs at the House Reef right in front of

Club Paradise the past few days.

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

© Courtesy of Dugong Dive Center

Announcement!

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

or subscribe to our Blog @ http://www.alliancediving.com/blog/
The Editor

Nick Day a Pro. Diver from Puerto Galera, Philippines, is an old friend whom I have dived with many times, he is also is one of the crewmembers that recently discovered the “Forbes” Wreck that sank in 1806 of Borneo, Nick is all smiles now.

Congratulation to Nick and his Team, Nick is the
Chief Diver for PT Nautik Recovery Asia !
(in the Photo Nick is the one wearing a black & red wetsuit)

We picked up this report from the German newspaper Bild.de Unfortunately the text is only in German but have a look at some of the Photos.
1.5 tons of Silver Coins, Gold jewelry, Canons, Crystal and Ming Porcelain valued at over 10 million US Dollars.
Photos and more info from the recent discovered wreck in Borneo.

Below excerpts in German from the article:
„Zuerst sieht alles auf dem Meeresboden nur verkrustet und wertlos aus. Aber wenn du dann den Schatz in den Händen hältst, ist das ein unbeschreiblicher Adrenalinstoß. Man wird Zeuge vergangener Zeiten...“

Martin Wenzels (42) Augen leuchten, wenn er in seinem Dresdner Büro der Immobilienfirma WIP von seinem kostspieligen Hobby erzählt. Der Lebemann (Mercedes CL500, 60-qm-Büro mit Billardtisch und weißen Ledersofas) ist im „Zweitberuf“ Schatztaucher.

Und hat jetzt mit seinem Partner Klaus Keppler (71, gebürtig aus Freiburg) den ganz großen Fang gemacht: Sie fanden das Wrack des Piratenschiffes „Forbes“, das 1806 vor Borneo sank.

Darin: 1,5 Tonnen Silbermünzen, Goldschmuck, Kanonen, Kristall, Ming-Porzellan. Wert der Münzen allein: bis zu 10 Mio. Dollar!
More at BILD.de

Just in... latest NEWS from Palau!

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

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

Must read and see...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dermot Keane,
GM Sam’s Tours Palau

Just arrived from Palawan, Philippines: Lee Goldman SE Asia Kayak Tours reports from his very recent and very successful trip.

© Lee Goldman - Dugongs in Palawan, Philippines

Hi,
Just got back from a trip and leaving tomorrow for another one...

It is the season for my trips and as usual, many of the alliance partners have come through in helping me with flying colors. Blue Horizons Travel and Tours has made my life so much easier with arranging transfers and hotels while we are here in Manila. Further, their assistance with El Nido Resorts was and will be paramount to the success of my trip. Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center made the trip so incredibly memorable with providing the accommodations and boat service for my guests.
 Of course, I know people want to just have me get to the exciting stuff so right away let’s talk about our amazing encounters with Dugongs near Club Paradise. We had a cow and calf spend 15 minutes with us in the water with an attentive male coming in and out of view.

All Photos by © Lee Goldman - Palawan, Philippines

My guests had permanent smiles on their faces even into the next day over that encounter. And for the divers, we have a couple of Robust Ghost Pipefish or the what appears to be a species of Nembrotha that I found  in separate locations but both in 2 feet of water in El Nido. Two feet of water? Who needs to dive?
Regards,
Lee

Happy and smiling faces from North America at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, Palawan, Philippines...

The Department of Tourism (DOT) North America recently visited Club Paradise with many Travel Agencies and Dive Shop Owners from the US.


© Courtesy of Club Paradise

The Activities included: ocular of rooms, island hiking and of course Diving with the Dugong Dive Center.
Club Paradise gave t-shirts from the island crab shop to everybody and invited the group for wine tasting in the Club Paradise's Wine Cellar with Resort manager Loida, plus Dirk and Rolf from the Dugong Dive Center.

© Gunther Deichmann - Cuttle Fish Sepia sp.
at the House Reef at Club Paradise.

Baby boom? A New diver was born today...

Congratulations to Dermot Keane and his wife Kaud who gave birth today of a new healthy Baby Boy.
Sorry no Name yet, Dermot Keane the GM from Sam’s Tours is currently in Manila where he received this great news only minutes ago.
Dermot and all the other Alliance Partners attended a mid annual PMA meeting yesterday in Manila at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel...more on the meeting later, now we have to celebrate the good news and new addition to the Keane Family.

From all of us the very best wishes and Congratulations again.

Yesterday 19 02 09 Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center Palawan
and Dermot Keane GM of Sam’s Tours Palau on the way to
the PMA meeting in a Manila Taxi

The happy couple...did Dermot know already or what was he thinking about it.
19 02 09 waiting for Dinner after the PMA meeting


Exposed under the light! Dermot and Dirk, Dermot had of course no idea until today that he became a father again.
Just as well otherwise we would have celebrated until the early hours, it was already early enough.

The PMA Meeting at the Mandarin Oriental International Hotel, Manila

Dermot is leaving later tonight with Continental Airlines for Palau with great anticipation to meet and check out his Son,
he has just run out of the office for an hour or so to buy a wetsuit, snorkel and dive gear for his newborn.
Good Luck Dermot... I know your name is Keane but I am not sure if you find the right size for him, that is even difficult in Manila.
GD

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

It came as a big surprise... the ongoing Travel Tour Expo at the new SMX complex next to the Mall of Asia in Manila, Philippines.
Great attendance with local and international Tour Operators; Travel Agents, Airlines and so many others.
To name just a few: Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Palau Micronesia (PVA) Tourism Authorities where present. Travel Agencies in all shape and sizes offered their deals and bargains, like Continental Airline with the super special to Palau for US$ 495.- for 3 nights including accommodation,(see our previous blog)
“Incredible India” India Tourism had the famous Taj Mahal in super size on display or Macau with a Grand setup.
Even Lufthansa had their own Booth, not to mention all the others like Singapore Air, Thai, Gulf and local airlines like Seair, Philippine Airlines only to mention a few.

Big Crowd at the TTE...

Friday and Saturday saw a record Crowd, and from the feedback and some interviews, I received word that major bookings and inquiries have been made. Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center for e.g., Dirk Fahrenbach confirmed many bookings for accommodation and Diving, at the Palau booth Sam’s Tours received a lot of interest and some early bookings too.
The Tour Operators where buzzing where ever I went...
But not only our participating Alliance Partners had been swamped with bookings, many other tour and resort operators done real well too.

Dirk Fahrenbach and Rolf Winkelhausen, Dugong Dive Center


The crew...Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, Palawan


Can you spot Dirk and Rolf?
Great Coffee Shop area at the SMX complex


Jenny from Club Paradise with a customer

Continental Airlines Booth.


Sam’s Tours was represented by Adela M. Balangkig
(dark blue shirt) at the Palau Visitors Tour booth, PVA

In short... a fantastic and very successful Travel and Tour Expo, held in the ultra modern SMX Complex, great layout and facilities, super Coffee Shops, fantastic clean Toilets and believe it or not German Bratwurst, just like at the Duesseldorf Boot Show.
My only criticism...the show was not advertised enough, but gathering from the mammoth crowed the word did get out, I found out some 4 weeks ago.
One more Time.... a world Class by any international standard Trade Show, equal to Thailand or Singapore.
Congratulation to the Organizer for a job well done, lets do it again next year with a bit more advertising and the Philippines can be reckon with as a major event holder.
GD

FOR MOR INFO AND PRESS RELEASES GO TO:
http://www.ptaatraveltourexpo.com.ph/
Super Special from Continental Airlines at the Manila 16th TRAVEL TOUR EXPO
Travel Period: January 21-march,2009
Dive Palau! -2 for as low as
US$ 495.- for 3 days...
Palau is only 2.1/2 hours away from Manila.

Including roundtrip economy class airfare to Palau,two (2) nights hotel accommodation,daily hotel breakfast and roundtrip airport transfers. For more information and reservation, please call Continental Airlines at; 818-8701 or 032 -233-7533 in Cebu City. Or contact your local Travel Agent.

Palau Visitors Booth (PVA) Darin de Leon from PVA
and representatives from the Tour and Resort Operators.

Palau Visitors Authority participation in the 16th TravelTour Expo 2009 in Manila, held at February 6 to 8 at Halls 2, 3 & 4 of SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. Participating Tour Operator from Palau was our Alliance Memeber Sam’s Tours who was represented by Adela. (front) plus many others.
Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise participated also during this years Travel Expo in Manila.

“Coffee Time”Carsten Warncke Club Paradise and
the famous Ralf & Dirk from Dugong Dive Center,
Palawan, Philippines.

The TravelTour Expo was conceptualized by PTAA in 1994 to showcase the products and services of its members. Since then, the show has evolved into a much awaited annual industry event, covering practically all segments of the travel business.
After its successful move to SMX Convention Center this year, preparations are again underway for the 16th TravelTour Expo 2009 which will take place on February 6 to 8 at Halls 2, 3 & 4 of SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.
With the theme “Travel in Style” , the event features two new segments – lifestyle (which will cover travel accessories, health and wellness products and services, culinary schools, car rentals and the like) and food sellers with lounge areas.
PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER MORE IN DEPTHS UPDAYE SHORTLY, DIRECT FROM THE TRAVEL EXPO IN MANILA.

We have just received this information from the Duesseldorf Boot Show in Germany, attended by the Palau Visitors Authority PVA and other major Operators like Palau Pacific Resort, Sam’s Tours and the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance Members, like Dugong Dive Center and Club Paradise and Asia Divers with El Galleon Beach Resort

SUPER NEWS!!!!!!!!!!! China Air just released the following information: FRANKFURT - TAIPEI - KOROR Roundtrip only EU 1,076 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OUTBOUND: Monday:  Depart Frankfurt        11:20   CI062 Tuesday: Arrive Taipei        06:05 Non-stop Depart Taipei       07:00 CI7908 Arrive Koror        12:05   Non-Stop (noon)
RETURN:Tuesday Depart Koror       13:05 CI7907 Arrive Taipei        15:55 Non-stop Depart Taipei       23:55 CI061 Wednesday: Arrive Frankfurt   06:40 Non-stop GENEROUS BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE: Economy:        2 x 23kg each Business:         2 x 32kg each Non overnights. Baggage checked all the way thru. Includes Trainfare to Frankfurt More info:  info@china-airlines.de Tel: 069-297-0580 www.china-airlines.de RESTRICTIONS: Cannot be booked on-line at China Air (yet..not in system) Must call China Air or book through Travel Agent. Must originate in Frankfurt

Philippine-Micronesia Alliance Press release.
NEW Exclusive Continental Airlines rates from
Blue Horizons Travel and Tours

 We have just been provided exclusive promotional rates by Continental Airlines for Palau, Truk and Yap that are valid through to March 31 2010!
 This refelects CO's commitment to encouraging growth on this sector and an understanding that by delivering long term rates it makes it easier for those considering flying to Micronesia to do their planning.
 Rates are subject to change and availability and we advise early booking wherever possible but suggest that anyone interested in securing these seats contact us at any time during the next 12 months to check on schedules, rates and seat availability.

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

For more information please click on this LINK Blue Horizons Travel LINK below for direct email access.

If you are traveling from Europe, Middle East, Australasia and SE Asia then flying via Manila is the fastest and most economical way to reach Micronesian destinations. Journey time from Manila to Palau is just over 2.5 hours although it does take a little longer to reach Truk.
Our travel partners Blue Horizons provide full ticketing services for these flights and are very happy to assist you with Manila hotels and transfers if you require stopover time in Manila and the Philippines. Better still, combine time at either El Galleon Beach Resort or Club Paradise with your trip to Palau or Truk!
Rates are exceptionally good value:
Manila - Koror (Palau) - Manila return from $555-00 USD inc all taxes
Manila - Truk - Manila return from $579-00 USD inc all taxes
If you wish to visit both Palau and Truk on the same itinerary then that is no problem and promotional fares are valid when combining these two destinations
Manila - Palau - Truk - Manila or vice versa: from $686-00 USD inc all taxes
 
For more details on the above please contact Blue Horizons at: 
sales@scubadivephilippines.com
 or  info@bluehorizons.travel  
 

Press Release from Palau Micronesia...
Koror, Palau January 10, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

I'm happy to announce that my new (and first) website for the Palau Shark Sanctuary is finally launched. While there are still some edits and revisions required, the basic site is up and running. The URL is: http://www.sharksanctuary.com/
Additionally, my BLOG located at: http://www.sharksanctuary.blogspot.com/ will soon be linked to the new site.

I'm deeply indebted to my good friend, fellow environmentalist and amazing photographer Gunther Deichmann who sponsored and created the site in support of the International Year of the Shark 2009. Gunther was instrumental in helping me get the Shark Sanctuary off the ground back in 2001 and has been and ardent supporter ever since. Many thanks Gunther and Webmaster Arnold Munoz. I sincerely appreciate your support.
Check out Gunther's Blog at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html

I also owe considerable thanks to Mr. Dennis Camblin of Logo Pacific, Hawaii who has supported me from day one and launched the Palau Shark Sanctuary line of logo clothing which has helped fund my efforts since 2001. Thanks Dennis!
Thanks also to Sam's Tours and Ben Franklin Department Store who are corporate sponsors of Palau Shark Sanctuary and sell Shark Sanctuary logo clothing in support of the efforts to end shark-finning in Palau and elsewhere.
Sam's Tours: http://www.samstours.com
Please pay a visit to http://www.sharksanctuary.com/ and link to: http://www.sharksanctuary.blogspot.com/ for the latest news on sharks and shark conservation efforts in Palau.

SAVE OUR SHARKS!
http://www.sharksanctuary.com/

In response to our very recent blog post on...Dr. Susan Lark is proud to announce that she is reformulating her squalane skin care line. The new line will contain squalane sourced from olives rather than sharks.
It is so nice and rewarding to get sometimes a feedback from our blog posts, in this case a very nice and humorous comment from Sam Scott at Sam’s Tours in Palau Micronesia. Sam is a very staunch supporter of our Marine Environment in particular of the preservation and protection of Sharks... and not only in Palau.

“Thanks for the heads up Gunther. Perhaps all us older people should give the new wrinkle crème made with olive oil a try and see if we can turn back the clock;)”
Take care,
Sam
Thanks Sam for sharing this with us and once I get more wrinkles I certainly give it a try...
GD

http://www.year-of-the-shark-2009.org/
SAVE SHARKS FROM
E XTINCTION

The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance is proud to be a sponsor and part of the Year of the Shark 2009. Since we are a multi lingual website we like to bring you some information about this project in different languages starting with Italian and German.
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

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.

…read the full first hand report & your next destination maybe Truk Lagoon Dive Center.

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.

I have picked up this Blog Post from SE Asia Kayak Tours and our friend Lee Goldman a member of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance.
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

The past week has been hectic with visitors,Thomas Schubert from Bali, Dermot Keane the GM from Sam’s Tours in Palau and on the weekend Bill Stinnett from Chuuk or better known as Truk Lagoon. During his visit Bill mention to me that they have found a new DIVE Site which is supposed to be as good as Blue Corner and Tiger Sharks have been spotted here.

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.

I have just returned from Bali Indonesia and one morning took a stroll at the Harbor area in Bali.
Fish like Tuna been unloaded for commercial consumption but when I came across this Boat (see image below) my hair stood up.
Thousands of Shark fins been unloaded from this large vessel onto smaller Trucks at the Warf…this was just one Boat and I only watched for about half an hour before leaving with disgust.
How many more mornings, how many more boats, how many more Trucks… HOW MANY ARE LEFT?

© 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

Breaking NEWS... not so nice for a change...WHY? WHY? This article has just been brought to my attention by Lee Goldman from the S.E. Asia Kayak Tours and a member of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance. The Divers Choice.

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

Tags: Dogshark killing, Squalene, Thresher Sharks, Taiwan, Malapascua, Donsol Whalesharks, WWF

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.

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.

Tags: Video, NEW Video Gallery , Podcast, Dirk Fahrenbach, Underwater Video

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

You might have to refresh your Browser and update your cache.
Click on the screenshot and go direct to our updated website @
www.alliancediving.com

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!

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

Tags: Sharks, Killing of Sharks

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..

© 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.

Tags: Continental Airlines, Media,Fly Away,Chuuk,Swepstakes,, Shipwrecks, Chuuk,Micronesia,Underwater Photography, The DIVERS CHOICE

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/

Tags: REEF CHECK INTERNATIONAL, MARINE RESEARCH, CORAL REEFS, Puerto Galera, REEF CHECK PHILIPPINES, WORLD WIDE REEFS

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)

Tags: Layang Layang, Underwater Shootout 2008, PHOTOGRAPHY, Digital Photo , FiNS MAGAZINE, COMPETITION

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!

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

Tags: Website, Kayak Tours, The DIVERS CHOICE, Weather Forecast, PHOTO GALLERY, AIRLINES, TRAVEL AGENT

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

Tags: Australia, White Whale, Down Under, MARINE LIFE

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

Tags: DIVE AND TRAVEL PACKAGES, NEW PRICES

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

© 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

Tags: Environment Education, Save our Planet, Oceans, MARINE Resources

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/

Tags: Sharks, Killing of Sharks

Matt Weiss from DivePhotoGuide landed in Singapore...had a good connection and send out his first report read the whole article @
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