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

© Gunther Deichmann - composite image
Global Warming & Save Our Planet.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Earth Day 2008 at Asia Divers! check this link http://asiadivers.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much to those who jumped in to “splash for
trash” this past weekend. There was good and bad news for
this year’s event. The bad was that the trash bags came back
a wee bit empty; the good news was the trash bags came back a wee
bit empty!! We hope this means that people are considering the
environment more and throwing less into the water.
You can make a difference throughout the year by doing 2 simple
things:
1) Consider your actions every day to minimize your eco footprint
on our ocean planet.
2) Always inspire other divers to be responsible eco
tourists.
It
is our world, our water, our choice – thanks for getting
involved.
Did You Know? Cool story about Parrotfish...
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Thanks again to Walter Ty
for bringing this story about the
Parrotfish to my attention, within the
next day or so we have a major announcement coming your way,
real cool
news, so please stay tuned or
subscribe to our Alliance Blog.
A reminder for those folks who
read our Blogs in Europe, if you travel to the World Travel Market
Show in London, check out our Alliance Team from Blue Horizons, Jeremy and
Alex will be around, real cool Guys
who can answer all your questions regarding diving in the tropics
in the Philippines and Micronesia, they understand island hopping
and can help you to choose your ultimate dive
vacation.
Parrotfish to aid reef repair
By Rebecca Morelle
Courtesy of BBC News
A vividly coloured fish could be the key to saving the Caribbean's
coral reefs from plummeting into terminal decline, scientists
claim.
Their research forecasts that reefs risk being damaged beyond
repair by the influx of seaweed.
But urgent action such as protecting parrotfish, which graze upon
the floral invaders, may prevent the ecosystems from reaching this
tipping point.
The research is published in the journal Nature.
You can push a reef so far and then it becomes extremely difficult
for a reef to recover Professor Peter Mumby, a marine ecologist
from Exeter University
and lead author of the paper, said: "We are seeing more and more
coral reefs becoming just overgrown with seaweed."
Reefs in the Caribbean are among some of the most heavily affected.
They are rapidly transforming from coral-dominated domains into
algal-flooded havens.
The seaweed growth is boosted by human activity, such as
fertilizers washing off from agricultural land into the coastal
waters, and over-fishing, Professor Mumby explained.
"Then to compound these problems you have the climate stresses that
are more and more inevitable now, which cause major problems with
warming waters and hurricanes," he added......
.....read the whole
story with photos at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7069933.stm
__________________________________
Explore the sea and treasure hunters
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
I am leaving this evening for Palau to be part of the big
celebration at
Sam's
Tours New
Grand Opening, please see my previous Blog "Congratulations to
Sam's Tours" I give you a full report upon my return next week,
hopefully with some fun images from the event, so just stay tuned,
please read on below our latest story on Did You know... about
Galleons, shipwrecks....
GD
Big business of deep-sea treasure hunters
By Kathryn Westcott
BBC News
The interception of the treasure-hunt ship off the coast of
Gibraltar is the latest broadside in a tense battle between a
US-based salvage company and the Kingdom of Spain over an
unidentified shipwreck and the ownership of its rich haul of gold
and silver coins.
Odyssey Explorer. Copyright Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc.
Odyssey says Spain had blockaded its Explorer salvage vessel
On Tuesday, patrol boats from Spain's maritime police intercepted
the 76m Odyssey Explorer, owned by underwater salvage firm Odyssey
Marine International, three miles off the coast of Gibraltar. It
was escorted to the Spanish port of Algeciras.
Spain's Civil Guard has been keeping a close eye on the company's
vessel since a Spanish judge ordered that it be detained and
searched if it left port in Gibraltar.
The company says its recovery vessel has been effectively blockaded
since the ruling in June. Spain believes it could provide clues to
the identity and location of the wreck that yielded half-a-million
colonial era silver and gold coins.
It suspects that a Spanish galleon is being secretly plundered - or
that the wreck lies in Spanish waters.
Odyssey Marine Explorations - which became the most famous deep
water treasure hunting company when it announced the discovery last
May - says it is keeping the location of the wreck secret, to
protect the site from looters.
All it is saying is that the wreck - codenamed Black Swan - is
somewhere in the Atlantic.

Photo: ©
Gunther
Deichmann,
not a Galleon, but a divers dream to discover and
explore the ships from our past, this image was taken deep inside a
wreck in
Truk Lagoon, note the skull, dive with the Philippine-Micronesia
Alliance and you
might discover your Galleon or just explore the
past.
A
reminder, please do not remove any parts or artifacts from
any
wrecks in Truk or Palau, there are heavy fines for removing
anything for
souvenirs, lets keep it there for other to enjoy
too.
GD
Galleon graveyard
The haul, which has an estimated value of $500m, is now at a secret
location in Florida, where Odyssey is based.
The 'Black Swan' haul: Copyright Odyssey Marine Exploration,
Inc
Greg Stemm with the Black Swan haul at a secret location in the
US
A court in the state is currently considering motions filed by the
company and by Spain concerning the ownership of the booty.
Treasure hunters have long dreamed of discovering hauls of gold and
silver in the western Mediterranean. The area, is a graveyard of
French, Spanish and British galleons and warships sunk by storms
and pirates during Spain's long dominance of the sea.
Once the domain of schoolboy fantasies, the hunt for treasure on
the deep ocean floor has become big business for companies like
Odyssey. And the company's recent listing on the Nasdaq indicates
that it is a business that investors are prepared to take
seriously.
Odyssey has several shipwreck projects in various stages of
development around the world, but its involvement with the Spanish
goes back almost a decade.
RULES
OF THE WAVES
Seas and oceans governed by UN Laws of the Sea
Ownership of sunken property in international waters governed by
the law of salvage and the law of finds
Law of salvage: If property is owned, those finding it are entitled
to compensation for their salvage efforts
Law of finds: Salvor is entitled to all reclaimed property if it is
proved to be abandoned
Spain insists it retains rights to all its sunken treasure
Odyssey intends its haul to be dealt with under US federal law,
where previous judgements have sometimes granted exclusive rights
to salvors
"Odyssey has had an excellent working relationship with the Spanish
Government for many years," Greg Stemm, co-founder of Odyssey
Marine Exploration told the BBC News website.
"We have always respected Spain's interest in its maritime heritage
and have therefore consistently communicated our activities to
Spain."
The relationship has soured over the past few months. In July,
another of Odyssey's vessels was stopped and forcibly boarded as it
tried to leave Gibraltar. A computer was confiscated.
The company told the BBC News website that it intends to seek
compensation from Spain for revenues lost because of the kingdom's
intervention in its activities.
British
warship
The battle over the Black Swan treasure is now jeopardising another
more lucrative project: the salvage of a British warship that
Odyssey believes it has discovered in the western
Mediterranean.
The British Government is collaborating with Odyssey to recover the
warship, thought to be the HMS Sussex, which went down in a storm
off Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea in 1694.
According to the Council for British Archaeology, it was on its way
to provide British financial support to the Duke of Savoy during
the war against Louis XIV. The council says she was believed to
have been carrying bullion, which is estimated by some experts to
be worth some £2.5bn today.
The warship apparently lies in waters that Britain and Gibraltar
claim are international but that Spain claims as its own.
Diplomatic talks resulted in an agreement being reached with Spain
earlier this year but the project appears is on hold.
A spokeswoman from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office told the BBC
News website that the "on-going court case between Spain and
Odyssey should be resolved first."
It is anyone's guess how long this will take.
This will no doubt please archaeologists - including the Council
for British Archaeology - who were enraged by the deal.
Experts describe such activities as commercial treasure hunting
under the guise of archaeology, arguing that a dangerous precedent
would be set allowing private firms to profit from historic
wrecks.
Technology
And in Spain, Odyssey's activities have been painted as modern-day
piracy.
The company acknowledges that its primary concerns are commercial
but it also has a mission statement that sets out how it also wants
to do good archaeology.
It maintains that it works to the highest of standards, employing
experts and archaeologists.
Zeus Neil Dobson/Odyssey Marine Exploration
The eight-tonne robot Zeus can reach depths of up to 2,500
metres
"Our contract with the United Kingdom sets an excellent example of
how such a collaboration between the public and private sector can
produce excellent archaeological work," says Mr Stemm.
And he says that the model - the first of its kind with a
government - could be extended to other countries, including
Spain.
Odyssey undertakes multi-million-dollar operations, deploying
sophisticated deep-sea technology and robotics to scour the ocean
beds.
On board the Marine Explorer, for example, is a $4m underwater
robot Zeus, which deploys an array of brilliant strobe lights and
cameras as it carefully picks through debris at depths of up to
2,500m.
The company's first major salvage venture was in 2003 when it
discovered the SS Republic, a Civil War side-wheel steamer that
sank off the Florida coast in 1865 and some $75m (£37m) worth of
coins.
Odyssey has now filed finders-keepers' claims with a court in
Tampa, Florida US on the Black Swan and two other shipwrecks.
But Spain is challenging these arguing that the company is
withholding crucial information. It is also claiming a right to
share the treasure.
Jim Goold, a maritime lawyer in Washington representing the Spanish
government, told the BBC News website that the implications of the
case are huge in a era when cutting -edge technology is bringing
new gravesites to light.
"Here you have a situation in which a US company is apparently
systematically working in the Mediterranean, the English Channel
and off the coast of Spain, taking cultural heritage without
authorisation and then whisking it to the US and steadfastly
refusing to reveal to the concerned governments what it has been
doing," he said.
Odyssey says the Black Swan recovery was conducted in conformity
with Salvage Law and the Law of the Sea Convention, beyond the
territorial waters of legal jurisdiction of any country.
It expects to reap a substantial salvage award regardless of who
claims the treasure.
RULES
OF THE WAVES
Seas and oceans governed by UN Laws of the Sea
Ownership of sunken property in international waters governed by
the law of salvage and the law of finds
Law of salvage: If property is owned, those finding it are entitled
to compensation for their salvage efforts
Law of finds: Salvor is entitled to all reclaimed property if it is
proved to be abandoned
Spain insists it retains rights to all its sunken treasure
Odyssey intends its haul to be dealt with under US federal law,
where previous judgements have sometimes granted exclusive rights
to salvors
Courtesy
of the BBC for more information and images please go
to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7037192.stm
Did You Know? Survivors in our Ocean?
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the
Philippine - Micronesia
Alliance,
the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Some
real facts about Sharks. Do they have a chance at all? Maybe if we
start doing something
NOW
and not tomorrow.
They
have been around for million of years, but for how much longer,
please read below some interesting facts about these amazing
animals,
yet again another
"Living fossil". Why are they on the extinction list? Please read
on...You
be really surprised to know...

©
Gunther Deichmann, www.deichmann-photo.com
A fossilized shark tooth, from my old collection
Animals on the Edge - Sharks - Survivors of our
Oceans?
By
catch
Sharks are frequently caught in trawler nets or on longline hooks
that are set for tuna or swordfish. Sharks are highly migratory and
they often swim in groups that are the same size and age. This can
mean that a key part of the population (mature females for example)
can be wiped out in one fell swoop. Estimates vary, but bycatch
(unwanted catch) accounts for a significant proportion of shark
fatalities.
Shark fin soup
Around 100 shark species are deliberately targeted by the fishing
industry. Shark fins are highly prized for use in shark fin soup, a
high status dish that can sell for £65 a bowl, especially in Asian
countries where growing wealth has increased demand. As demand is
met, sharks become overfished, fins are harder to come by and the
soup is therefore even more of a status symbol.
Conservationists estimate that about
100 million sharks are caught each year,
many of them purely for use in shark fin soup. Hong Kong alone
imported the fins of more than 28 million sharks in 1999. The
sharks are caught, their fins are cut off and they are then thrown
back into the sea where they either bleed to death or drown. Using
DNA, it is now possible to identify shark species from their fins,
a development which may be significant in monitoring the impact of
this trade.
Shark
meat
Demand for shark meat is booming. It is now possible to buy it in
supermarkets in Europe, South America and the USA. The shortfin
mako which is said to provide the best shark meat is classified as
lower risk, but vulnerable species such as the porbeagle shark, are
also taken. This trend may be indicative of the fact that so many
other fish species are declining and that people have been
encouraged to eat fish as a healthy alternative to meat. The Food
Standards Agency, however, has advised against giving children
shark meat to eat because of high levels of methylmercury that can
damage the nervous system.
Shark
skin and oil
Shark
skins can be tanned and used as an alternative to leather (for
belts, boots, bags, etc). In theory and on a small scale, this
could be a useful by-product of a sustainable and managed fishery.
In practice, the impact on shark populations has yet to be assessed
or monitored.
Sharks have traditionally been fished for oil. Squalene is
extracted from shark livers and used as a lubricant and in cosmetic
and pharmaceutical products. It can take up to 3,000 shark livers
to produce one tonne of squalene.
Shark
cartilage
Sharks are cartilaginous - they have cartilage instead of bone. The
cartilage is used in traditional medicines and is sold in powder or
capsule form as a cancer treatment. There is no scientific evidence
to suggest that it is in any way effective against the disease and
the 'medicine' can be very expensive. There may, however, be other
benefits in maintaining shark bio-diversity, for example, shark
cartilage has also been used in the development of a synthetic skin
for burn victims.
Breeding
age
Sharks have evolved over 450 million years to be among the ocean's
top predators. They can take many years to reach sexual maturity,
almost 30 years in the case of the sand bank shark. Larger sharks
may only produce two young in a breeding cycle and only one of
those is likely to survive. Shark species often only breed every
other year and some have a long gestation period (up to two years).
This low reproductive rate means that depleted shark populations
can take a very long time to recover, if they recover at
all.
Pollution
The
health of the ocean environment is important for all marine species
(see Eco Top Ten - Marine). Pollution from human activity often
ends up in the sea. Sharks are at the top of the food chain so they
are likely to have a higher concentration of the toxins that build
up in the body fat of their prey. Because human development and
subsequent pollution often occurs in coastal areas, important shark
nursery areas are also at risk.
Hunting
Although most sharks are indifferent to humans and pose no threat,
shark hunting is still a widespread trophy sport.
Courtesy of the BBC, for more information please go
to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/conservation/sharks/
THE HEAT IS ON
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the
Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!

©
Concept and Photo Gunther Deichmann
Ice melt raises passage tension
By
David Shukman
BBC science and environment correspondent, Canadian
Arctic
Less ice makes it easier to get at the Arctic's resources
In another sign of potential friction in the warming Arctic, Canada
has warned that it will step up patrols of the Northwest
Passage.
Record summer melting of sea-ice has made the passage fully
navigable; and immediately escalated a dispute over who controls
the route.
Canada maintains the waterway that connects the Atlantic with the
Pacific lies within its territorial waters.
It has backed that up with plans for a new military base in the
Arctic.
However, the United States, and other countries claim international
rights to use the route for shipping.
Big melt
In an interview with BBC News, the head of the Canadian Coast
Guard, George Da Pont, said: "Our view is that it's our territorial
waters and that we govern it accordingly. Obviously the Americans
and some European countries have different views.
"I assume at some point in time they'll get settled but we're
pretty confident that they're Canadian territorial waters and that
we should be regulating and asserting our control over them as we
would over any other part of our territorial water.
"It's critical, it's part of our history; like any country it's
important to assert your control over your country and your
territorial waters."
His statement comes as polar experts are still reeling from the
dramatic loss of Arctic ice this summer.
The Canadian Ice Service was among the organisations monitoring the
retreat and its director, Doug Bancroft, told the BBC that he was
"stunned" that this extent of melting had not been expected for
decades.
"It just seemed as if it wasn't going to stop. Normally, towards
the end of August, the beginning of September, the melting slows
down and stops and we get ready for the coming fall and the
refreezing during the winter. But it just kept on going and the
concern was, 'Well when is it going to stop this year?' - and
ultimately when it did stop, it shattered all previous
records."
Research cruise
On Monday, the Canadian Coast Guard is preparing to send one its
research vessels, the Amundsen, through the Northwest Passage with
about 40 scientists on board.
Equipped with a remotely operated robot submarine and a sonar
system, the ship will undertake a detailed survey of the sea-bed -
essential if the waterway is to become more open to commercial
shipping.
'Northwest Passage opens'
Sailing the passage
Researchers on board also hope to study the changing patterns of
the ice - not only the ice that grows and retreats with the seasons
but also the far thicker multi-year ice which drifts with the
Arctic currents and poses the most serious threat to any
vessels.
A British team on board will study the sediment on the sea-bed to
hunt for a chemical record of changes in the ice stretching back
for the past thousand years - a vital task to help understand the
likely rate of change in the future.
BBC News will join the ship for its journey through the Northwest
Passage. The route is at - or beyond - the limits of satellite
coverage but the plan is to provide regular updates wherever
possible. For more information please check out the link
below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7033498.stm
Courtesy
BBC
My final note, congratulations to Al Gore for receiving the
Nobel Peace Prize, at least there is someone out there with
influence who cares and can make the difference.
GD
Million of years later...
DID YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the
Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
Million of years
later...
Here is a very interesting article from our good friend and
supporter Tony Wu (Fins
Magazine), I guess you going to wonder what these fossils
have to do with the digital age, actually NOTHING but this is the
general idea, we like to bring you all sorts of different
information now and then, of course some how marine related.
Today for our underwater photographers cool info from Tony, please
read on below and check out the link for the whole story, for
information on the Philippine-Micronesia
Alliance please click
here: http://www.alliancediving.com The Divers
Choice
© Tony Wu
Going digital definitely has a
lot of merits. Immediate feedback, being able to shoot more than 36
frames at a time, being able to make duplicate/ back-up copies
immediately, and having the ability to edit work on-the-spot rank
at the top of my list.
Nothing in life, however, comes for free.
If there’s been one major drawback of going digital for me,
it has to be the fact that in addition to being a good
photographer, you’ve got to become a software and
image-processing expert too. Back in the film days, basically a
slide was either good or bad. I kept the good ones, threw away the
bad ones. End of story.
Over the past few years, with the switch to digital format,
I’ve had to experiment with all sorts of software…some
good, some bad…and I think I’ve finally begun to reach
the point where I have a workflow that I’m comfortable with.
Before I spell out the software I use, please read on
at: http://www.tonywublog.com/20071009/digital-workflow.html
Did you know? Sea Monsters from the past...

A Green
Turtle resting on a beach in the Philippines,
Photo © Gunther Deichmann, for the
Philippine-Micronesia
Alliance
DID
YOU KNOW?
Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the
Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!
We dont like
to talk always how good our dive operation and resorts are, we try
to keep you also up to date with some interesting stories and the
latest news. Things which happen million of years ago and still
effect us today, environment and conservation issues not only from
our partner destinations but from around the world. Local and
special events from the Pacific and Philippine region including the
latest from Micronesia. We have started recently with stories about
fossils - "living fossils" and we will continue with the sea's
past, millions of years ago, please read on below and check out the
links about this huge Turtle from our past.

Archelon
This
giant turtle could live to 100 years old, possibly thanks to taking
long sleeps on the seabed
For more on sea monsters and our living past please check out the
link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/dinosaurs/seamonsters/
Type: Reptile
Size: 4.6m
Diet: Omnivorous
Predators: Mosasaurs and sharks
Lived: Late Cretaceous, 75-65 million years ago
Archelon was a slow mover and found most of its food drifting near
the sea surface. It had little need to dive deep except when
hibernating on the seabed. It was an omnivorous grazer, sweeping up
drifting fish, jellyfish and dead carrion as well as plants. Its
sharp, powerful beak could break open shelled animals such as
ammonites.
Archelon's huge flippers suggest it was a long distance swimmer
happiest in the open ocean. It would never be alone, as its huge
size attracted a squadron of hangers-on such as juvenile fish as
well as barnacles and parasites. Archelon couldn't withdraw its
head or flippers inside its bony shell for protection so, despite
its size, it was an easy target for large predators.
Like modern turtles, it laid eggs by burying them in sandy beaches
under cover of darkness. Its nearest living relative is the world's
largest turtle, the leatherback.
Courtesy of the BBC
Albino Whale Shark
http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/albino-whale-shark-photographed-in-ecuador/
This information has been brought to you by the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance.
The Divers Choice.
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Now in 9 languages: English, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian, French , Spanish and soon in Polish.
Covering the Pacific, China Sea, Philippine Sea and Micronesia.
Your passion is diving, ours
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Baby dinosaurs unearthed in China, plus an old fish
Below is a Photo of one of my Fossils which I still have in my collection from way back, a fossilized fish from the German Town of Solenhofen a very famous place for Fossils in the world. This is for our divers who like to see what some of the fish looked like million of years ago. The story and images are brought to you by the
Philippine-Micronesia Alliance The Divers Choice.

From the family-Leptoleptis spratiformis-
Photo: © Gunther
Deichmann
Baby dinosaurs unearthed in
China
The animals ranged in age – but were all under four
The fossilised remains of six infant dinosaurs that died in a
volcanic mudflow have been found in China.
Researchers say the animals were less than four years old, and
probably formed a "creche" composed of babies from at least two
different clutches.
The Psittacosaurus discovery indicates the animals had started
forming social groups much earlier than previously thought, the
scientists add. The 120-million-year-old fossils are reported in
the journal Palaeontology.Research on the herd was led by Dr Paul
Barrett, from London's Natural History Museum.
He says the specimens are spectacularly well preserved and together
offer a unique insight into the behaviour of the Psittacosaurus,
which sported a parrot-like beak.
"What [this find] shows is that these animals actually lived in
small groups and not only did they live in groups but those groups
were made up of individuals from different sets of clutches," Dr
Barrett explained.
"So, one animal came along and laid a set of eggs somewhere,
another one laid another set somewhere else - and individuals from
each of those clutches came together to form a herd and that's the
first time that we have good evidence of herding behaviour in these
early dinosaurs," he told BBC News.
The small Psittacosaurus had a parrot-like beak
It is this evidence of herding in Psittacosaurus that convinces Dr
Barrett that the dinosaur was an inherently social creature; and
that the horns that came later in its more flamboyant descendent,
the iconic Triceratops, probably evolved for mating rituals rather
than as a defence to butt away predators such as T. Rex.
"It's a very similar argument to that which has been proposed for
looking at the evolution of things like horns and antlers in living
mammals," he said. "Although they are sometimes used for warding
off predators, the main reason they're there is actually for
display and for helping recognise each other."
The Psittacosaurus herd was excavated from the Yixian Formation in
northeast China. These are the same beds that have yielded the
famous "feathered dinosaurs".
To view the images please go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7005430.stm
Paul Barrett worked with Zhao Qi of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
and David A Eberth of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology,
Canada.
Very interesting Info from Palau Micronesia
I picked up these blogs from
Dermot Keane, GM of Sam's Tours,
a member of the Philippine -
Micronesia Alliance and our partner in Palau,
very interesting reading, please see
below.
Koror State Bans Shark Feeding!
Koror, Palau, Micronesia
In a continued crackdown on destructive practices with respect to
Palau's sharks, Koror State Government has announced a new law
banning the feeding of sharks in the waters of Koror State, which
is home to Palau's most popular and world famous dive sites
including Blue Corner, Ngemelis Wall, Turtle Cove, German Channel
and more.
Koror State Director of Conservation and Law Enforcement, Mr.
Adalbert Eledui announced the ban which was recently adopted
following complaints by members of Belau Tourism Association about
unscrupulous local tour operators feeding and or chumming for
sharks at local dive sites including Blue Corner and popular
tourist beach areas including Ngermeaus Beach.
Director Adalbert Eledui, Koror State Law Enforcement &
Conservation. Photo - D. Keane
Sam's Tours fully supports Koror State's ban on shark-feeding as it
not only endangers divers and snorkelers in the water but also
interferes with the sharks natural survival behaviors.
One of the beauties in diving in Palau is that it's almost
guaranteed to see sharks on every dive! There is no need to feed
sharks in Palau. Koror State Government is to be complimented for
their continued excellent stewardship of the pristine and sensitive
habitats within their waters including the famous rock islands,
Jellyfish Lake, and the many world class dive sites.
Dermot
PermalinkPermalink Leave a comment
Permalink 02:57:28 am, by samstour Email , 320 words, 6 views
English (US)
Categories: Announcements
The Best Resource
for Survivor? You decide!
I'm not much of a TV watcher including the SURVIVOR show but as the
word spreads we're getting peppered with questions about the second
Survivor Palau show that is about to begin shooting. We're happy to
have Survivor back in Palau and wish them a successful shoot which
includes making sure that what goes on in Survivor Palau II, is
kept as a surprise for fans of the show. So for sure, Sam's Tours
is not gonna be the "best resource for Survivor" info but there's
no shortage of sites that are willing to take those honors.
If you're looking for cool pictures of Palau and lots of
information about diving, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, WWII
history tours and more, places to stay, where to eat, and other
things to do, be sure to spend time on our site at:
http://www.samstours.com
For some awesome aerials and topside shots of Palau check out:
http://www.photoshelter.com/c/gdeichmann
A quick Google Search for SURVIVOR will set you well on the way to
finding more Survivor info that you'll know what to do with. Below
are a few sites I found.
Have Fun!
Dermot
For the latest official information about CBS Survivor Show, visit
the official network site at:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor14
Check out the "We are not CBS" site at http://www.survivor.com for
the things that "CBS doesn't talk about."
Check out the site that bills themselves as the "Best Resource for
Survivor" at http://www.survivorfever.net There's info on past
shows, late-breaking news and other links about the CBS Reality TV
Series "Survivor", including info on all of the past or soon to be
aired shows as follows:
Survivor 15 - China
Survivor 14 - Fiji
Survivor 13 - Cook Islands
Survivor 12 - Panama
Survivor 11 - Guatemala
Survivor 10 - Palau
Survivor 9 - Vanuatu
Survivor 8 - All Stars
Survivor 7 - Pearl Islands
Survivor 6 - Amazon
Survivor 5 - Thailand
Survivor 4 - Marquesas
Survivor 3 - Africa
Survivor 2 - Australia
Survivor 1 - Borneo
PermalinkPermalink Leave a comment
Permalink 12:33:39 am, by samstour Email , 368 words, 4 views
English (US)
Categories: Announcements
Promoting Sea
Turtle Conservation in the Republic of Palau
Marine Turtle Conservation Program - Palau
Palau Bureau of Marine Resources
On Friday, September 21, 2007 Sam’s Tours is hosting a Launch
Party for an innovative “Turtle Friendly Business”
sticker campaign which is intended to improve the conservation of
Palau’s sea turtles. The program is a cooperative effort by
the Palau Marine Turtle Conservation & Monitoring Program, the
Palau Bureau of Marine Resources and the Belau Art Gallery and will
take place at Sam’s Tours dive center, in Malakal, on Friday
evening, September 21, at 7:00pm. The purpose of the event is to
launch a promotional campaign for those businesses that support sea
turtle conservation by not selling products made from these
endangered animals.
In Palau, sea turtles are part of the dive and snorkel experience
that brings tourists and millions of dollars to these islands. Sea
turtles are threatened by over-harvesting, habitat destruction,
coastal development, nest poaching, disease, pollution, and
off-shore fisheries impacts. Hawksbill and green turtles,
Palau’s most frequently harvested turtle species, are listed
as critically endangered and vulnerable, respectively, according to
the World Conservation Union.
These animals are a shared resource in the Pacific. Two green
turtles have been tracked with satellite transmitters from Palau to
Indonesia. Tag recapture studies have shown that turtles from Palau
migrate to the Philippines and Indonesia. Turtles that nested in
Yap and Sonsorol have been recaptured in the main islands of Palau.
Responsibility for sea turtle management must also be shared.
Collaborative efforts between the private sector and the government
will help to improve the status of these critically endangered and
vulnerable species. The commercial sale of turtle products in Palau
does not align with Palau’s reputation for being a leader in
conservation in the Pacific.
Businesses supporting this campaign will show their support for sea
turtle conservation in the Republic of Palau and raise awareness of
these charismatic and culturally important animals by displaying
the "Turtle Friendly Business" sticker at their premises.
"Turtle Friendly" Sticker designed by artist Michael Glinski of
Belau Art Gallery, www.belauartgallery.com. E-mail:
countglinski@yahoo.com
For more information about the program, please contact Ms. Sarah
Klain and Joshua Eberdong, Marine Turtle Conservation &
Monitoring Program Coordinator at: at: s.klain@gmail.com
Dermot
Stop the killing of our Sharks! Stop slurping soup!
As
promised, here are the gory images from the very recent event re.
shark finning in the waters of Palau, thanks to the Palau
Government which has stepped up the patrolling of its waters and we
might see less and less of this disgusting way of butchering our
sharks. Hope you have the stomach for these images,
total madness.
All images have been taken by: © Christopher L. Hale, from
Palau.
Thank you Christopher for sharing these images with the world and I
hope they contribute in stopping this practice and the
slurping
of shark fin soup. The
Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
and
Gunther
Deichmann
are staunch supporters,
we are against shark fin soup,
if we dont eat it, then maybe this madness will stop, hope it is
not to late.
Please see our previous blog/post with all the details and links
below, on this gory story and images.



This is disgusting!
When will this madness stop!
I
have picked up this blog post from Dermot Keane, GM of Sam’s
Tours and Founder of the Palau Shark Sanctuary, Palau Micronesia. I
dont get it,
Why,Why!!!
The
soup suppose to taste like nothing,
NO,
I have never tried it and never will, stop slurping down the Soup,
Sharks have evolved over million of years, another
"living fossil"
and they have as much right to be here than you and me.
Think!
GD
SHARK FINNING in Palau, Micronesia…the slaughter
continues!
Apologies in advance for the long post. I’ll post some
(shocking) pictures shortly, Dermot Keane.
Just
last week around August 15, yet another Taiwanese fishing vessel,
F/V Sheng Yi Hsing, was arrested in Palau for having illegally
taken sharks on board. The vessel was arrested following a
coordinated enforcement operation conducted by the Republic of
Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Australia and the United
States Navy. The illegal catch consisted of approximately 94 shark
carcasses, 10 shark heads and around 650 shark fins.
This is not the first time that Taiwanese vessels have been caught
illegally fishing for sharks in Palau’s waters. It was going
on as far back as 1995 when I first visited Palau as a tourist, and
I’m sure for an even longer time before that! It is what
inspired me in November 2001, to found the Palau Shark Sanctuary
Fund to try to tackle the problem and I continue to this day to
work towards ending this frightfully destructive and criminal
practice.
In 2004, Palau received international recognition from the
SHARKPROJECT for adopting some of the toughest anti-shark finning
laws passed by any nation, probably until this present moment. This
came about following the public burning of illegally captured fins
by Palau’s President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. as a symbol of
his tremendous outrage at such bold and wanton destruction of
Palau’s natural resources.
To
read the whole story please go to:
http://www.samstours.com/blog
Yangtze river dolphin plus Orchids date to time of the dinos
GD
Rare dolphin 'sighted' in China
Yangtze river dolphin
An extensive survey in 2006 failed to find any sign of the baiji
The critically endangered Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji, has been sighted in eastern China, Chinese media report.
Scientists had recently declared that the baiji was probably extinct.
An international team of researchers spent six weeks looking for the creature last year without a single sighting.
But earlier this month the baiji was spotted and filmed by a local man, and confirmed by Chinese biologists, says official Xinhua news agency.
"I never saw such a big thing in the water before so I filmed it," Zeng Yujiang from Anhui Province told Xinhua.
"It was about 1,000 metres away and jumped out of the water several times."
To read the whole story with photos please click the link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6969226.stm
Orchids date to time of the dinos
The bee was found in Miocene amber from the Dominican Republic
Ancient orchid pollen found attached to a bee trapped in amber suggests the "supermodels of the plant world" were blooming at the time of the dinosaurs.
The discovery indicates that orchids arose between 76 and 84 million years ago, making them far older than experts had previously thought.
Experts used the fossil pollen grains to estimate the ages of major branches of orchids living today.
Details of the research by a team in the US are published in Nature journal.
Despite being the most diverse plant group on Earth, orchids are rare finds in the fossil record.
The authors of the Nature paper describe a mass of orchid pollen found stuck to the body of an extinct bee that lived 15-20 million years ago.
The remains of the bee were trapped and preserved in amber from the Dominican Republic.
For more details on this story and photos please click this link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6969301.stm
Weird, strange and sad but very interesting
who's members are very active in the conservation and preservation of our marine environment, please check out these truly amazing stories, some of which are weird and strange but also sad. These are all marine related stories and if you a diver you find this very interesting reading without getting wet.
Direct links are provided below each story, for more detail info.
Weird Deep-Sea Creatures Found in Atlantic, you have to see these ones, real cool images!
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08
Priceless Egyptian Whale Fossil Destroyed, the sad one.
August 27, 2007 - Scienceblogs.com
"Whale Valley officials have informed the authorities that people from two diplomatic corps vehicles destroyed the fossil," the source told AFP after the destruction was discovered around 150 kilometres (95 miles) south of Cairo. Two cars drove into the protected area on Friday and then refused to stop when asked to do so by wardens who nevertheless got the vehicles' registration numbers which the source said were from "a European country." "The damage is more than 10 million dollars," the source said. The site, known as Wadi Hitan (Whale Valley), was home to whales around 40 million years ago when the area was ocean. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to hundreds of of whale fossils...
More http://scienceblogs.com/afarensis/2007/08/27/
Rare Japanese Dugong Threatened By U.S. Military. Base, the worry some.
August 26, 2007 - Nationalgeographic.com
The rare Okinawa dugong has been classified as "critically endangered" on Japan's Ministry of the Environment Red List, the Japanese equivalent to the U.S. government's endangered species list, officials announced this month. About 100,000 dugongs—relatives of the manatees—live in the coastal waters of the South Pacific and Indian oceans. The Okinawa dugong is the northernmost population, and scientists believe only about 50 remain. Environmental groups say the dugong's addition to the Red List is long overdue and expressed hope that the new designation will come with stronger actions to protect the marine mammals... More http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
SHARK FINNING in Palau, Micronesia…

It
is disgusting!
When will this madness stop!
I
have picked up this blog post from Dermot Keane, GM of Sam’s
Tours and Founder of the Palau Shark Sanctuary, Palau Micronesia. I
dont get it,
Why,Why!!!
The
soup suppose to taste like nothing,
NO,
I have never tried it and never will, stop slurping down the Soup,
Sharks have evolved over million of years, another
"living fossil"
and they have as much right to be here than you and me.
Think!
GD
SHARK FINNING in Palau, Micronesia…the slaughter
continues!
Apologies in advance for the long post. I’ll post some
(shocking) pictures shortly, Dermot Keane.
Just
last week around August 15, yet another Taiwanese fishing vessel,
F/V Sheng Yi Hsing, was arrested in Palau for having illegally
taken sharks on board. The vessel was arrested following a
coordinated enforcement operation conducted by the Republic of
Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Australia and the United
States Navy. The illegal catch consisted of approximately 94 shark
carcasses, 10 shark heads and around 650 shark fins.
This is not the first time that Taiwanese vessels have been caught
illegally fishing for sharks in Palau’s waters. It was going
on as far back as 1995 when I first visited Palau as a tourist, and
I’m sure for an even longer time before that! It is what
inspired me in November 2001, to found the Palau Shark Sanctuary
Fund to try to tackle the problem and I continue to this day to
work towards ending this frightfully destructive and criminal
practice.
In 2004, Palau received international recognition from the
SHARKPROJECT for adopting some of the toughest anti-shark finning
laws passed by any nation, probably until this present moment. This
came about following the public burning of illegally captured fins
by Palau’s President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr. as a symbol of
his tremendous outrage at such bold and wanton destruction of
Palau’s natural resources.
To
read the whole story please go to:
http://www.samstours.com/blog

Dermot Keane and Sam Scott from
Sam’s
Tours showing the
media what is happen
to confiscated shark fins, they getting burned! Photos courtesy of
Sam’s Tours July 2002.
Diving with living fossils, aliens from the past

Photos: © Gunther Deichmann, http://www.deichmann-photo.com
Part two of the "living fossils". Do we have to go back in time? Actually not!
What has diving got to do with fossils? Not that much, except we still can find some creatures today who have been around million of years, most have evolved and adapted, they are relatives from the past.
Above are some images of Ammonite fossils with their close relatives of today.
Where can we find and see them?
If your next dive destination is the Pacific, Philippines or Micronesia, just ask you dive guide where to find these critters.
In Palau, Micronesia check with Sam’s Tours, arrange a Nautilus dive, or right in front of the dive shop you find plenty of squid, with Calypso Diving in Boracay, you can find some squid and octopus at Crocodile Island or take an easy dive right in front of the beach at night, lots of squid and the occasional octopus, but the squid is guaranteed.
Dugong Dive Center on Club Paradise, Palawan is a great location for cuttlefish at the house reef, check with the local guide for the best time of the year, the mating season, if you hit it right you can be part of this amazing mating ritual surrounded by dozens of cuttlefish at the house reef, right in front of the resort.
Diving in Puerto Galera is very rewarding, there you get almost all the these critters in the shallow water, no need to go deep, in Sabang Bay you find squid, octopus, cuttlefish and if you lucky even the flamboyant cuttlefish.
Truk Stop Dive Center in Chuuk, has a lot of octopus hiding in the wrecks from the IIWW, just ask your Guide to look out for some.
For all your travel arrangements check with our Alliance partner Blue Horizons and fly with our partner airline Asian Spirit.
Don’t forget to bring your camera and share your tale with your friends after the dive, hey, I dove with some “living fossils” today.
I try to bring you more “living fossils or their relatives” in the near feature, point you to the best dive locations within the Pacific, Philippines and Micronesia and if you an underwater photographer you sure going to love these locations. Dive with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance and the “living fossils” or their closest relatives. A heaven for underwater photographers.
The Divers Choice.
Fossil sea spiders thrill experts, plus Nautilus story
Before you read the whole story on the provided link, here is some information referring to the two images below, as you all know my background is Paleontology.
Image on the left: I have found this Ammonite some 40 odd years ago digging for Fossils near the German Town of Goslar, it is dated back to the Jurassic period some 160 million years ago.
The image on the right is a close relative of the Ammonite, the Nautilus that I photographed in Palau about four years ago; it is the surviving member from this cephalopod family.
If you ever have the urge to go “back in time” talk to Dermot Keane or Sam Scott from Sam’s Tours in Palau, they can make arrangement for a Nautilus dive, to bring you closer to one of the few and true living fossils. Contact Sam’s Tours at: www.samstours.com
Sam's Tours is one of the founding Members of the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice in the Philippines, Asia-Pacific and Micronesia,providing divers with the ultimate in dive travel in this truly unique region with it's superb marine bio-diversity including the living fossil the Nautilus. Our Dive centers and resorts are fully equipped for your under water photography needs, photo work shops by professional marine biologists and photographers will be announced on our website and blogs shortly. We guide you, explain the marine life and make sure that you have a basic understanding of the workflow after the shoot with Aperture, Photoshop and iLife.
How to publish your images to the web and expose them to the world, but most of all, we like you to improve your Photography, take better images and having fun doing it, so stay tuned or subscribe to our blog for the latest NEWS.

Left: An Ammonite, 160 million years ago.
Right: 4 years ago in Palau, at the "Big Drop off",
a Nautilus, the "living fossil."
Photos: © Gunther Deichmann
for more images by GD please go to: http://www.deichmann-photo.com
to find out about his GDPhotoWorkshop just click this link.
Gunther is a Apple Certified Pro Trainer for Aperture
Fossil sea spiders thrill experts
The fossils from France are 160 million years old
A cache of exceptionally well-preserved fossil sea spiders have been described for the first time.
The eight-legged marine animals, which are known as pycnogonids, are only distantly related to land spiders.
The stunning specimens were discovered in 160 million-year-old fossil beds at La Voulte-sur-Rhone, near Lyon in south-eastern France.
Details of the finds are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Sea spiders are still with us today; scientists have described about 1,300 species of pycnogonid. They are characterised by eight extremely long legs and a prominent mouthpart.
While they may resemble land spiders, the pycnogonids form a distinct biological group.
Writing in Proceedings B, Sylvain Charbonnier from the University of Lyon, France, and colleagues say the new fossils fill a 400 million-year gap in our knowledge of these enigmatic creatures.
The team identified 70 sea spiders from three distinct species in rock slabs from the Jurassic La Voulte Lagerstatte. A Lagerstatte is a sedimentary rock bed rich in fossils or containing well-preserved specimens.
"This Lagerstatte is very important because during Jurassic times the water here was about 200m deep," Mr Charbonnier told the BBC News website.
Many other Lagerstatten from the Mesozoic - the era of the geological time when the dinosaurs walked the Earth - were formed from lagoons or relatively shallow bodies of water. This means that La Voulte Lagerstatte preserved many fossil creatures not found elsewhere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/6948161.stm
Swifter decline for coral reefs

Photo: © Gunther
Deichmann
Swifter decline for
coral reefs
Coral reef, AP
The
Indo-Pacific region contains 75% of the world's coral reefs
Coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans are disappearing
faster than had previously been thought, a scientific study has
shown.
Nearly 1,554 sq km (600 sq miles) of reef have disappeared each
year since the 1960s - twice the speed at which rainforest is being
lost.
The corals are vanishing at a rate of 1% per year, a decline that
has begun decades earlier than expected.
Read the whole story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6936634.stm
Rare river dolphin 'now extinct'
Rare river dolphin 'now extinct'
Yangtze river dolphin (Image: Stephen Leatherwood)
An extensive survey of its habitat failed to find any sign of the baiji
A freshwater dolphin found only in China is now "likely to be extinct", a team of scientists has concluded.
The researchers failed to spot any Yangtze river dolphins, also known as baijis, during an extensive six-week survey of the mammals' habitat.
The team, writing in Biology Letters journal, blamed unregulated fishing as the main reason behind their demise.
If confirmed, it would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate for over 50 years.
Read the whole story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6935343.stm
Fisherman catches 'living fossil' BBC NEWS
Fisherman catches 'living fossil'
Scientists are examining the Indonesian catch.
An extremely rare "living fossil" caught by a fisherman in Indonesia is being examined by scientists.
The 1.3m-long (4.3ft), 50kg (110lb) coelacanth is only the second ever to have been captured in Asia and has been described as a "significant find".
Read the whole story and photos @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6925784.stm
** Fisherman catches 'living fossil' **
A "living fossil" fish caught by a fisherman off the coast of Indonesia is examined by scientists.
BBC NEWS website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6925784.stm
Open Letter of concern regarding Discovery Channel's Shark Week Content

Photo: © Gunther
Deichmann
Unborn Shark, it's Mother and Baby got
Murdered!
Stop the killing and say no to Shark fin soup, it is
Disgusting.
Sharks
are
NOT
man-eaters, it is us who eat and destroy
them.
Just received this info/letter from our friend and supporter
DivePhotoGuide Jason Heller please read on or get all the
info
@
http://www.divephotoguide.com/discovery_shark_week.php
The Philippine - Micronesia Alliance
is supporting this letter and all our Alliance partners and dive
resorts are very concerned about our Environment,
we dive responsible. The Divers Choice.
G.D.
For
those of you have not seen this yet, please feel free to post it.
It is a formal
response
from the world’s foremost shark scientists, researchers and
conservationists
regarding
this year’s Shark Week content. If you support shark
conservation, please
consider
posting or publishing it.
http://www.divephotoguide.com/discovery_shark_week.php
Killing of Dolphins
please have a look at this disgusting Killing of Dolphins,
lets do something about that, it is Murder just like the Sharks!
A message from the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance.
Check this Link and movie, You going to cry!
http://www.glumbert.com/media/dolphin
And then sign here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/golfinho/petition.html
Cheers Gunther

Baby Shark and Mother got killed! Why????????

