Happy New Year from all the Alliance partners have a
fantastic 2010 and some great scuba diving.



Happy Holidays... have some great diving with us in 2010!

A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân
yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun

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

From remote places in the Philippines to Palau in Micronesia the GPS from MotionX on the iPhone
is the perfect dive boat companion.


© Gunther Deichmann - Composite image;
find and mark your dive sites, listening
to your music at the same time.

There are so many applications for the iPhone but this one is super cool! Slick integration allows you not only to find your way but listen to Music direct from the software via iTunes, plus so much more. Read below an article from a very happy Dive Instructor in Palawan Philippines, finding those dive sites again is a breeze now.

A few months ago I introduced my good buddy Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center & Club Paradise to the iPhone and recommended at the same time some cool applications including the GPS from MotionX, with Facebook and Twitter integration.
It is your Global Position System on your iPhone!
After some weeks he strolled into my place again and I ask him, hey how is the iPhone?
…oh buddy, real good and I love the GPS, better than all those expensive ones I have been using on my Boats.
GD

Read below Dirk’s comments:
I am totally amazed how great this software is, the Dugong Dive Center has 3 big dive boats and I have one GPS for each boat from well-known companies. They are complicated to use in particular for my boat Crew.
Then I brought my iPhone, Gunther gave me a crash curse on the iPhone and installed the GPS from Motion X. A few days later during a dive trip my Boat Captain and myself tried it out on my Boat the “Toshina”, we where both amazed.

© Gunther Deichmann - Coron Island Bay, Palawan Philippines

Easy to use, there is no need for studying any manuals. You can go from page to page and the connection to Google maps makes it even more enjoyable looking at the current location.
Like some music in the background? No problems you even have a page with iTunes!
Need a Photo from a waypoint? No problem either, you can find it anytime on your recorded track. (with exact time and location in your logbook)

© Gunther Deichmann - easy to find
those dive sites again.

Finding satellites is very easy and fast, plus the position, speed and signals are very accurate and well displayed, the build in compass works accurate too.
Battery consumption can be a little problem but external battery packs for the iPhone or a charger on the boat can solve those problems easy.
No need for an expensive and complicated GPS, the one from MotionX is doing just fine, the only problem is… I have 3 boats but only one iPhone…at the moment that is, ha, ha.

© Gunther Deichmann - beautiful secluded beaches in Palawan.
Natures Paradise and the last frontier in the Philippines.

Dirk Fahrenbach is the Owner and Dive Instructor from Dugong Dive Center at Club Paradise
Palawan Philippines, it is also the only place in the Philippines where you can watch/dive with Dugongs in the wild.
http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/

For all the details on this GPS go to your iTunes store or check out the website from MotionX
http://news.motionx.com/category/motionx-gps/

But that is not all stay connected all the time with MotionX GPS and share with:
Facebook: To enable Facebook posts, log in using the “Connect With Facebook” button on the share setup screen. If you have a Facebook account, enter your login information in the “Connect to Facebook” window that opens. You can logout at any time, again from the share setup page, by touching the Logout button.
Twitter: To enable Twitter posts, log in using the Login button on the share setup screen. If you have a Twitter account, enter your login information in the “Twitter Login” window that opens. You can logout at any time, again from the share setup page, by touching the Logout button.

MotionX Featured in:
Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BusinessWeek, USA Today, iPhone Blogs, Gizmodo, Engadget, Time, Newsweek

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

TDEX - THAILAND DIVE & TRAVEL EXPO
BANGKOK MAY 2009

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

The Crowd...

A modern look at the Canon Photo exhibition

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

Tony Wu during his Underwater photography Seminars




Gunther Deichmann and Aperture 2


Mean & Aye The Fins Team hard at work with interviews


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

I am leaving on Thursday for the TDEX Thailand Dive & Travel Expo, I have been invited by the Organizers to conduct some seminars on Aperture 2 the prime editing software for Photographers using Mac.
We have scheduled two seminars on the 16th and 17th of May for more details go to the official website TDEX.
Our good friends from Fins will be the official media representative during this event.
Check out FINS website

If time permits I try and report direct from the show, see below some info on the TDEX in Bangkok.

Official Media Fins

For more detailed info please go to the official TDEX website @
http://www.thailanddiveexpo.com/en/index.php

Thailand is long-time seen as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. Each year, there are millions of visitors come exploring its endless beauties by different activities and in different places. Programs of high interest include edutainment tourism to perceive legendary Thai culture and traditions, and natural tourism where travelers can enjoy its beautiful sceneries of mountains, waterfalls, rivers, and/or seas.

Known to all globetrotters and dive lovers that both Thailand’s western (The Andaman Sea) and eastern (Gulf of Thailand) seaboards still have very much of their natural underwater resources abundant and intact. Statistics shows over 400,000 divers over the world arrive in Thailand’s southern provinces each year, generating revenue to the country not less than 20 billion in Baht.

As to align with the extensive tourism promotional campaigns announced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to highlight quality travelers to the country from new and niche market segments, as well as to create awareness in conserving natural resources especially diving spots around the South, N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co. (NEO), a member of N.C.C. Group – the official concessionaire of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok decided to launch its “Thailand Travel & Dive Expo” or TDEX for the very first time in 2004.

Since then, TDEX has been offering an excellent platform for traveling and diving related business. With its recent program in “Business Matching”, providing industrial operators to meet up with their prospective buyers from around the region, creating the perfect business environmental opportunity for such special industry. TDEX’s major supporting organizations from the beginning include Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand Photo Business Association, PADI Asia Pacific, DAN SEAP, NAUI Asia Pacific, and Wahoo Diving Center.

TDEX has been a success from its debut in 2004 by not only the numbers of exhibitor locally, regionally, and now internationally, but also the numbers of visitor in which the organizer expects to welcome more than 120,000 in 2008, with overall spending around 200 million in Baht, making TDEX the most regional travel and dive expo with the greatest number of visitors in Asia.

TDEX in 2009 will be held during May 14-17 from 11.00 till 20.00 at the nation first ever-built convention center – the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Klong Toei district. Tourism Authority of Thailand.

A Marine Paradise... The Dugong Dive Center Video!

This Video has been around for sometime but the full length has never reached the Web, now we have decided to share this truly amazing Underwater Video by Dirk Fahrenbach with you in YouTube.
All the footage taken in Palawan, the majority being at the Club Paradise House Reef, only meters away from you accommodation.
More than 20 minutes of great Marine Life, “Dancing Cuttle Fish”, Turtles, Dugongs and all the Critters you can imagine captured on this truly great Video by Dirk. Unfortunately YouTube allows us only to run 10 min. the full version 20:18 min. will be uploaded shortly on the Video Gallery of Dirk’s Website
@ http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/

Click on the screenshot and go to YouTube

The original Video is part of a High End DVD available at Club Paradise (order base) composed of three sequences, edited and sound by Gunther Deichmann using GarageBand, Soundtrack Pro and Royalty released tracks from Sounddogs created on a MacPro.
I am sure once you have seen the Underwater World from this exotic destination you pack your dive gear and book your next trip to Club Paradise and Dive with Dirk at Dugong Dive Center.
Visit YouTube for a preview and the 8:52 min. version @ http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMEJOURNEY
Broadband DSL recommended.
Contacts us @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/

Please call Continental Airlines at; 818-8701 or 032 -233-7533 in Cebu City. Or contact our Travel Agent.
For information on Sam’s Tours click this LINK or the Image above.

Early Christmas Gifts for Palau...

We are proud of our partner destination and of course our partner Sam’s Tours who was recently awarded the Tour Operator of the Year. Now Palau in Micronesia has scored big, see below the details from Scuba Diving Magazine.

Is this a Palau Christmas Tree? hmm...
© Gunther Deichmann - aerial view at sunset
near the 70 islands, Palau, Micronesia

Here are the results of SCUBA DIVING MAGAZINE
Readers' Choice Survey:
SCUBA Diving Magazine Top 100
Readers' Choice Survey Jan/Feb 2009 Issue

Pacific & Indian Oceans

TOP DIVE DESTINATIONS:
1. Palau
TOP WALL DIVING:
1. Palau
TOP UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY:
1. Palau
TOP MARINE ENVIRONMENT:
2. Palau
TOP MARINE LIFE:
2. Palau
TOP VISIBILITY:
2. Palau
TOP WRECK DIVE:
3. Palau
TOP BIG ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS:
4. Palau
TOP MACRO LIFE:
5. Palau

A Great Month Of Diving With Asia Divers Travel
Galapagos Oct. 2 to 9. Maldives Oct. 19 to 28.

With any trip Asia Divers organize, it’s almost always a year or two before you finally have the fun to excitement of the trip. This month was a special month for Asia Divers and a very special month for me, as I had the pleasure of participating in both trips.

We set off the end of September for that long hard flight from Manila-LA-Miami, then down to Quito, Ecuador. Arriving in Quito was a pleasure, not so much as the flight was finally over, but to see a new and improved airport from the one I remember some five/six years before. It was a brief visit to the immigration and to my surprise; AA had in deed managed to, not loose my bags!

After a pleasant day and two memorable nights in Quito, eating Tapas and drinking some great reds, it was off to the Galapagos Islands. We soon arrived in San Cristobal and was quickly picked up and sent aboard the Galapagos Aggressor 1. A truly great welcome and orientation was given before we set off for our first checkout dive.

The dive was excellent, with sea lions and many sea stars littering the sea floor. This was a great time to put on that 7ml semi dry, hooded vest, gloves and all that you don’t use here in the Philippines, and work with getting your buoyancy right for the great dives that were to follow.

The first day was spent diving around St Cristobal and Bultra, great action with schools of fish, sea lions, eagle rays and a large school of hammerheads. The trip then took us up to Wolf and Darwin (where the big stuff is) an overnight trip that put us on our first dive mid morning. The fun began when we dropped in and seen our schools of Hammerheads. The dives we did around Wolf all consisted of Hammerheads, Mantas, Galapagos sharks, and a school of Eagle rays that seem to be following us on every dive. On one dive we had the pleasure of dolphins. The
Dolphins spent a good 10min. with us, playing and showing off in front of us, quite a spectacle.

Darwin was of course our favorite with all the whale sharks we seen. They say whale sharks only grow to 15m; I’m sure whoever has said that, they have never been to Darwin! I still say this whale shark is at least 18m, it has to be! The most memorable dive at Darwin (this trip) for me was the first dive when this enormous whale shark came from behind us and hovered over us for a few minuets. This fellow was not concerned about us at all.

The Galapagos is well known for its wild life. The number of Hammerheads, Galapagos and black tip sharks, Eagle rays, whale sharks, Penguins and so much more is some times mind-boggling.
On land the sea lions, seals and marine and land iguanas are just going about their business as if you were not there. The land tours we did were excellent, with all kinds of wild life from Blue Footed Boobies, Frigate’s to sea lions backing in the sun to iguanas lounging around with some fighting and others who obviously just did not care.
The Landscape was something special and one or two places really got your attention with the harshness and barren volcanic planes.

The island landscape changed, with some islands covered with larva and others with cactus and colorful vegetation.
It was a sad moment climbing aboard the plain to take us back to Quito. Back in Quito was a quiet night of reflection, wine and good friends, and then there was that terribly long flight back home.

We had a great time in the Galapagos and I’m very lucky to have made my second trip but, I can assure you, it will not be my last. Special thanks to the Galapagos Aggressor 1 crew and to Alison Pocket, Kenneth Svennerlind, Johan and Maria Lyrevik, Bob Andrews, Kevin Ella, Kevin and Debbie Painter, Larry Bird, Kjell Soderstrom, Suzi Denton, Brian King and our trusty organizer Peter Eaton.

And then there was the Maldives!

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

We reuniting with Moosa and the crew of the Manthiri, a quick introduction to our new friends onboard and it was off for our first dive, Manta Point. We had a great introduction with eight Mantas, this is what we came for!

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