No matter where... we get you there.
The Divers Choice.

© Gunther Deichmann - This is what Alex and Jem dreamed about during their
sleepless nights in London, one of the Alliance destinations - a great beach in Palawan, Philippines

Now the first hand report by Jeremy Kemp:
The WTM in London was attended by over 30,000 global representatives (from over 200 countries) of the travel industry and the Philippines Dept of Toursism stand attracted a great deal of attention over the four days of the event. A large 160m area featuring a beach hut and dramatic colorful posters where hundreds of people came to discuss travel within the Philippines and the development of new destinations.
 
Alex Stutely and Jem Kemp from Blue Horizons our travel partners held many meetings greeting old friends and making new contacts. They report an impressive interest in diving opportunities and many visitors were particularly interested in the concept of two centre holidays combining Boracay, Busuanga or Club Paradise and Palau or Truk.
 
In fact many visitors were impressed to learn that Manila is one of the best routes through to Micronesia with regular direct and connecting flights to both Palau and Truk. The idea of combining great diving with excellent beach and adventure holidays in the Philippines and Micronesia is increasingly attractive. Additionally there is much interest in land based and water based activities whilst diving in this part of the world such as kayaking, biking and trekking.
 
As well as existing travel partners Alex and Jem report that there are exciting new possibilities with tour operators and agents from the UK in particular but also Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Russia etc. The combination of tropical waters and weather, blue seas, sandy beaches and of course fantastic diving is proving irresistible.
 
Courtesy of our Alliance partners there were also some great raffle prizes on offer. Everyone that visited Blue Horizons on the stand was encouraged to leave extra business cards behind with the promise of great diving offers for the winners. The last day of the event saw the raffle and the first prize was a combined Boracay and Puerto Galera package with accommodation and diving for two people at Calypso Diving and Pinjalo Resort Villas (Boracay) and Asia Divers and El Galleon Beach Resort (Puerto Galera) with Manila Hotel accommodation included. The lucky winner of this great prize was Eric Prins of Namaste Reizen (Netherlands) who are looking to promote diving activities in the Philippines for the Dutch market.
 
Second prize of a diving and accommodation package at Sam's Tours and West Plaza Hotels was won by Kate Philipps of Regaldive (UK). Regaldive feature Boracay, Puerto Galera and Club Paradise on their website or in their brochure.
 
Lastly, Chris Hawkins of Blue Lizard Travel (UK) won a 10 dive package at Dugong Dive Centre, Club Paradise Resort, Busuanga. We wish all the winners a great holiday with their prizes.
 In addition, t-shirts and cuddly soft turtles and dugongs supplied by Club Paradise Resort were enormously popular and were presented to many of the visitors.
 
Overall a highly succesful event with the message on diving in the Philippines and Micronesia being spread to an ever wider audience.

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DID YOU KNOW? Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!

Oh boy, more monsters from the past... but I have to admit this is very interesting stuff and I hope we are not boring you with all these amazing stories, it is nice to go back in time and besides, it shows us how our ocean have been occupied in the past. So when you go for your next dive and you spot a weird looking creature dont stop breathing... it is likely a relative from some of the bigger ones but I am sure they wont swallow you.
If you ever get the chance and dive ( actually it is a must) with our partner Asia Divers in Puerto Galera, Philippines, the chances are you see more unusual critters than anywhere else. International marine biologists have named Puerto Galera as one the top marine bio-diversities in the world.
Even more reasons to join Asia Divers, it is believed there are over 3,000 species of fish and marine animals - that's about 50% more than the Red Sea.
GD

Rock marks record water scorpion

Geological movement has lifted the rock up on to its side

More details
The tracks left by a giant water scorpion as it dragged its great bulk across a beach 330 million years ago have been discovered in Scottish rock. The six-legged beast, known as Hibbertopterus, would have been about 1.6m (5.2ft) long and 1m wide.
The markings, which have a central line made by a heavy, plated tail, represent one of the largest invertebrate trackways found in the fossil record. Dr Martin Whyte reports his discovery in central Scotland in Nature magazine. "I knew it was a trackway as soon as I saw it - my main work is on dinosaur footprints - but it wasn't immediately obvious to me what sort of trackway it was," the Sheffield University researcher said. "I could rule out reptiles and amphibians because I could see whatever it was, it had six legs," he told the BBC News Website.
"I've worked through the possibilities and I think it can only be Hibbertopterus."

Hibbertopterus may have been big but it was not a ferocious predator. The trackway is preserved in sandstone. What would once have been a beach surface has been tilted to about 45 degrees by geological movement.
The length of track preserved, 6m (20ft), is remarkable. The stride pattern, too, is huge - 27cm (11in).
Fragmentary fossils of Hibbertopterus are well known from Scottish Lower Carboniferous rocks and were first described from West Lothian in 1831.
The creature did not have the big pincers or carry its tail in the air like the land scorpions we know today, and it did not have a sting, either; but these animal groups are nonetheless distantly related, scientists believe.

What is interesting about this trackway is that is shows Hibbertopterus could move out of its usual water habitat. "There has been debate about whether it was restricted to water or could come out on land. I believe this trackway shows it could come out for short periods," explained Dr Whyte.

"It may have been taking a shortcut - from one body of water to another. People have asked about spawning but there's just no evidence to back that up."
Although the prospect of a man-sized scorpion might be scary to modern eyes, this particular beast was hardly a ferocious predator.

"It wouldn't have been chasing after an amphibian or reptile for a meal. It had comb structures on some of the anterior appendages, and it swept these through the water and caught small organisms, such as small worms and water bugs," Dr Whyte explained.
Article courtesy of the BBC

Hot News! This just came in from Palau... please read on below.

LIVE REEF FISHERIES: Who Will Outwit, Outplay, Outlast Whom?

AMAZING AND FRIGHTENING all at the same time! As you may know, Palau has been waging an ongoing war against illegal shark fishing and shark finning in its’ waters by foreign fishing fleets. And now I am just recently informed of yet another equally devastating threat to our marine environment, this time in the island atoll of Kayangel, Palau's most northerly island.Apparently, Kayangel State is engaged in a LIVE REEF FISH agreement with an offshore fishing company based in Hong Kong or Taiwan to supply fresh grouper for export. While it all sounds very innocent the highly destructive practice can wipe out targeted species in a matter of months. Nearby Indonesia is already suffering the devastating effects of this absolutely unsustainable practice which has apparently destroyed formerly healthy fish populations that for generations have sustained local populations.Amazingly, although this practice has reportedly been going on for approximately a year or so, I only found out most recently. I guess out of sight is out of mind, and the remote and sparsely populated atoll of Kayangel is a perfect place to engage in this type of behavior.read the whole story @
http://www.samstours.com/blog/

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DID YOU KNOW? Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!

If you Irish, well you better watch out when you choose your next dive destination, this very interesting article was brought again to my attention by no other than Walter Ty, thanks for keeping us in the loop. Anyway it is not so bad, you can always choose one of the Alliance destination for your next dive. As a matter of fact you can swim (snorkeling only) with our more friendly Jellyfish in Palau, yes they are non stinging and a real experience cruising amongst these amazing creatures.

Plus another story about millions of sea creatures
wash up... another indication of Global warming?

Jellyfish attack destroys salmon

A jellyfish invasion has wiped out Northern Ireland's only salmon farm, killing more than 100,000 fish. A Northern Salmon spokesman said last week's attack could cost more than £1m. Billions of small jellyfish, known as Mauve Stingers, flooded into the cages about a mile into the Irish Sea, off Glenarm Bay and Cushendun.
The jellyfish covered an area of up to 10 square miles and a depth of 35 feet. Rescuers tried to reach the cages but the density of fish made it impossible.
Managing director John Russell said he had never seen anything like this in 30 years in the business.
It could take at least two years for the firm to recover "The sea was red with these jellyfish and there was nothing we could do about, it, absolutely nothing," he said. "It's a disaster for this company - you cannot legislate for something like this."
He says the firm could take at least two years to recover. The company has some high-profile clients, with Irish chef Richard Corrigan serving Glenarm salmon to the Queen on her 80th birthday last year as part of the BBC's Great British Menu programme.
The Department of Agriculture's fisheries division has carried out a full investigation, and talks with NI Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew have taken place to try to rescue the farm and save the jobs of 12 staff.
Read more and view the photos @
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7106631.stm


Millions of sea creatures wash up... another indication of Global warming?
By-the-Wind Sailors on a beach in Wales
The creatures are normally found in the Azores
Millions of small dead jellyfish-like creatures have been washed ashore on South West beaches.

The velella velella, commonly known as By-the-wind Sailors, have been spotted this month on Devon beaches from Bantham to Exmouth and in Bournemouth.
Plymouth's National Marine Aquarium said billions of the blue creatures may have been washed up this year. The creatures are native to the Azores and experts have asked if climate change is sending them further north.
The harmless 4in (10cm) creatures are also found in the western Atlantic and are relatives of the Portuguese Man-of-War.
Major invasion
They are washed ashore in groups most years particularly along the north Cornish coast. The large finds were first reported from St Martins in the Scilly Islands in October, followed by Guernsey, the Welsh coast and north Devon.
At the end of November millions were found at Portwrinkle beach in south east Cornwall and north Wales.
There was a major invasion in 1981 and in 2004 they turned up in Dorset, south Devon, and the south coast of Cornwall and right up to Islay in the west of Scotland. Their short tentacles catch very small fish and large plankton and they themselves are eaten by the Violet Sea Snails, which are seldom seen in Britain... read more and view the photos @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/6164389.stm

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DID YOU KNOW? Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!

Can you imagine to scuba dive with some of these sea monsters, wow that be a real thrill or a real scare! You can relax, they not around anymore but they used to be, read this very interesting article which was brought to my attention by no other then our good old Walter Ty, thanks Walter.
Apologies from The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance for not been able to show you these guys, but we can show you just about everything else in the Pacific and Micronesia, try one of our specialties and come along for some great island hopping or as they say in German Inselhuepfen, remember our site is in nine languages, see you soon with your mask, fins and snorkel.

Man-sized sea scorpion claw found


Scale model of the scorpion with a human (Simon Powell)
How the creature compares for size with a human
Courtesy of the BBC

The immense fossilized claw of a 2.5m-long (8ft) sea scorpion has been described by European researchers. The 390-million-year-old specimen was found in a Germany quarry, the journal Biology Letters reports. The creature, which has been named Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, would have paddled in a river or swamp.
The size of the beast suggests that spiders, insects, crabs and similar creatures were much larger in the past than previously thought, the team says.
The claw itself measures 46cm - indicating its owner would have been longer even than the average-sized human. Overall, it exceeds the record for any other sea scorpion (eurypterid) find by nearly 50cm. The eurypterids are believed to be the extinct aquatic ancestors of modern land scorpions and possibly all arachnids (the class of animals that also includes spiders).
"The biggest scorpion today is nearly 30cm so that shows you how big this creature was," said Dr Simon Braddy from the University of Bristol, UK.
It was one of Dr Braddy's co-authors, Markus Poschmann, who made the discovery in the quarry near Prum in south-west Germany. "I was loosening pieces of rock with a hammer and chisel when I suddenly realised there was a dark patch of organic matter on a freshly removed slab," he recalled.

"After some cleaning I could identify this as a small part of a large claw. Although I did not know if it was more complete or not, I decided to try and get it out.
"The pieces had to be cleaned separately, dried, and then glued back together. It was then put into a white plaster jacket to stabilise it."
Super-sized meals. The species existed during a period in Earth history when oxygen levels in the atmosphere were much higher than today.
Claw fossil (Markus Poschmann)

The fossil was locked in a siltstone from the Carboniferous Period
And it was those elevated levels, some palaeo-scientists believe, that may have helped drive the super-sized bodies of many of the invertebrates that existed at that time - monster millipedes, huge cockroaches, and jumbo dragonflies. But Dr Braddy thinks the large scales may have had a lot to do with the absence early on of vertebrate predators. As they came on the scene, these animals would have eaten all the biggest prey specimens.

"The fact that you are big means you are more likely to be seen and to be taken for a tastier morsel," he told BBC News. "Evolution will not select for large size; you want to be small so you can hide away." The scorpions are thought to have made their first scuttles on to land about 450 million years ago. While some would have taken up a fully terrestrial existence, others like Jaekelopterus rhenaniae would have maintained an aquatic or semi-aquatic lifestyle.

For more information and photos, please go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/7104421.stm

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© Gunther Deichmann

The current issue of Fins Magazine is featuring a nice 12 page article on Micronesia, please see below some excerpts from this current issue, you can download the whole article direct from their website at: http://www.finsonline.com/magazine/vol_6_6/ or go to our site in a few days and you find the pdf file under Alliance& the Media at:
http://www.alliancediving.com/media.html

Fins Magazine is also available as a download in the iTunes Store,
just check it out.

Dive or plan your next vacation with the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance in Micronesia or the Pacific, we offer you the very best in marine bio-diversity, wreck diving, wall or real shark dives, explore and have your next adventure with us at any of our partner resorts or dive centers. We like to express our sincere thanks to Fins Magazine for this great and comprehensive article on Micronesia, our partners in Micronesia are Sam's Tours in Palau and Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center in Chuuk or better known as Truk Lagoon.

The region known as Micronesia, meaning tiny islands, is in fact a vast area that includes over eight nation-statesand thousands of islands ranging from uninhabited atolls to overcrowded coral outcrops. Stretching from the Marshall Islands just west of Hawaii to theCaroline Islands east of the Philippines, and from the Marianas Islands to the north and Gilbert Islands to the south, Micronesia has less combined land area than the smallest state in the United States, yet more ocean area than the entire mainland USA. Located north of the equator, Micronesia sits on the fringes of the epicentre of marine biodiversity, making it a tropical diving paradise second to none. For scuba divers, the islands of Palau (or Belau), an independent republic since 1994, and the island states of Yap, Chuuk,Pohnpei and Kosrae, which make up the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) are of the greatest interest. From
the magnificent mantas of Yap, to the fascinating WWII wrecks of Truk Lagoon (Chuuk) to the schooling sharks of Palau’s renowned Blue Corner, Micronesia ranksamong the world’s top high-voltage dive destinations................ more

Pohnpei is perhaps best known as the site of the ancient ruins of Nan Madol, though in recent years it has also begun to develop a reputation as a great surf spot. Much is still to be learned about the mysterious Nan Madol ruins. Called the Venice of the Pacific, this man-made city with ocean-filled channels once housed a thriving, royal civilization.............

The sleepy islands of Yap (considered the most “traditional” of the territories in the FSM) have managed to let most of the modern world pass by, practicing Micronesia’s most reserved and traditional lifestyle. Many Yapese men still wear traditional bright loincloths and women grass skirts. The people of Yap marry according to custom and still practice traditional handicrafts.............

Although the island has now reverted to using its more traditional name of Chuuk, it’s known to many scuba divers as Truk, a destination world-renowned for its a vast collection of intact WWII Japanese shipwrecks, sunk during Operation Hailstone by aerial attacks launched from US Fast Carrier Attack Groups in 1944..............

Palau, of course needs very little introduction, but read more about Micronesia in the downloadable pdf file at:
http://www.finsonline.com/magazine/vol_6_6/

From the author
www.deichmann-photo.com
“The whole of Micronesia is still relatively unexplored and a sheer paradise, with all its remote atolls and small islands covered with bird rookeries, and islands inhabited by only a dozen or so people.”

GD

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© Gunther Deichmann
This image is taken only a few weeks ago at the Palau Pacific Resort the
very best spot for the most dramatic sunsets in Palau right at the sandy
beach and near the pool bar.

Congratulation to the Palau Pacific Resort
from all the Alliance partners.

Congratulations to the Palau Pacific Resort or better know as PPR on their recent selection as Asia's Leading Diving Resort in the World Travel Awards, when YOU as a guest travel with us or book with the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance the chances are you be staying at the PPR, you might wonder why, easy answer Sam's Tours is our partner in Palau Micronesia.
Again our Congratulations to all the management and staff at the Palau Pacific Resort, Palau is one of the Alliance premier dive destination and has now Asia's leading Dive Resort in cooperation with Sam's Tours.

Check out the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance website represented in 9 languages
English, German, French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
www.alliancediving.com

GD
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The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance in London
at the World Travel Market Show.

Calypso/Pinjalo Dive Resort, Boracay, Philippines

Sam's Tours Palau, Micronesia

Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center, Truk Lagoon, Chuuk, Micronesia

We have also made some more improvement to our web site, you find it easy now to go direct to certain articles and read all about Did You Know? (see the image on this blog)
If you have never tried or checked it before click on our build in Photo Gallery in our Blogs, marked with a red circle, once you click here you see the amazing Photos from all our partner destinations, images from above and below, Island hopping, Palau Micronesia, Marine Bio-diversity, the amazing wrecks from Truk Lagoon, or check the location of our beaches.
GD



left Image; find articles easy now. - right : check out our Photo Gallery
You find all of this on the right hand side of our blog!

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Get to know the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance and their representatives at this years World Travel Market in London, meet Jeremy and Alex from Blue Horizons.
On todays blog we introduce to you Asia Divers with El Galleon from Puerto Galera which has one of the best Marine Bio-Diversity in the world, a sheer heaven for underwater photographers, and there is Club Paradise with Dugong Dive Center with a spectacular house reef and the only place in the Philippines where you can spot Dugongs, it is a real natures paradise. Tomorrow we bring you our other partners from Boracay in the Philippines and Palau Micronesia so please stay tuned, check with Alex and Jeremy for all you dive vacation and island hopping needs at the WTM.

Thanks to the generosity of the Alliance members, members who have pledged something for the raffle so far include:
Asia Divers, Puerto Galera Philippines, Calypso/Pinjalo Dive Resort, Boracay, Philippines, Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines, 
Blue Horizons Travel, Manila and Sams Tours our partner in Micronesia.  
There is also a grand price. is it real big? I guess you have to find out when visiting the WTM. Maybe a trip for a two week vacation? I keep it a bit of a secret now, you just visit Alex and Jeremy at the Show and find out, hope to see you all there.
Good Luck!

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As promised here it is: "The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance" at the World Travel Market with our representatives from Blue Horizons
Jeremy and Alex at the show.
We are happy to announce some very cool Raffles and a lot more...

We will be giving away several prizes during the WTM.... and all travel agents who visit us during the WTM and leave their calling card with us (Blue Horizons) will be included in the draw. So if you ready for your next dive vacation or holiday, or just go island hopping from one island to another, check out our great white sandy beaches after your dive... and there is so much more we can arrange for you, just talk to Alex and Jeremy for all the details at the WTM.
 
You can win minor prizes - such as stuffed toys - every day (Monday 12th November - Thursday 15th November), and we will be giving away one or two 'major' prizes on the afternoon of Wednesday 14th November. If the winners are not present during the draw, it does not matter because they will also be notified by email.

Thanks to the generosity of the Alliance members, members who have pledged something for the raffle so far include:
Asia Divers, Puerto Galera Philippines, Calypso/Pinjalo Dive Resort, Boracay, Philippines, Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines, 
Blue Horizons Travel, Manila and Sams Tours our partner in Micronesia.  
There is also a grand price. is it real big? I guess you have to find out when visiting the WTM. Maybe a trip for a two week vacation? I keep it a bit of a secret now, you just visit Alex and Jeremy at the Show and find out, hope to see you all there.
Good Luck!

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

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DID YOU KNOW? Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!



Your passion is diving... ours is service.

The Divers Choice.

Welcome to World Travel Market 2007
Register Now
World Travel Market (WTM) 2007

Staged annually in London under one roof, World Travel Market is a must attend, business to business exhibition. WTM provides a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry. Read more about WTM...

http://www.wtmlondon.com
/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=4066&appname=100539

The Philippine -Micronesia Alliance is represented by:
Blue Horizons Travel and Tours, Inc.

Delegates: Alex Stutely and Jeremy Kemp
representing Blue Horizons and the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance
your experts in island hopping and dive travel. The Divers Choice.
Check with Jeremy and Alex about our special dive packages, our exotic destinations, island hopping, your next dive vacation in the Philippines, the Pacific, China Sea and Micronesia,
and remember the Alliance website is in 9 languages, English, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.
You can find Jeremy and Alex at the Philippine Department of Tourism Booth (DOT), just ask for the Guys from Blue Horizons.
The Philippines will again be putting its best foot forward during this year’s World Travel Market, to be held at London’s ExCel exhibition center at the Docklands,
from 12 to 15 November.
The WTM, staged yearly in London, is one of the world’s biggest and most important business events. It provides a unique opportunity for people and companies in the travel trade and tourism industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in this global business.

Welcome to the The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance, your partners in quality diving holidays!,
Willkommen bei der Fillippinen-Mikronesien Allianz, ihr Partner für erstklassigen Tauchurlaub!
ДОБРО ПОЖАЛОВАТЬ К НАШЕМУ ФИЛИППИНЫ - МИКРОНЕЗИЯ АЛЬЯНСУ ЭТО ТВОЙ ЛУЧШИЙ ПАРТНЕР ДЛЯ ПЕРВОКЛАССНОГО ПОДВОДНОГО ОТПУСКА
Bienvenue à l'Alliance Philippine-Micronesia, vos partenaires pour des séjours plongée de choix.
Benvenuti nell’Alleanza Filippine – Micronesia, I vostri partners per vacanze di qualita’ nel campo delle immersioni!
Bienvenidos a la Alianza Filipinas-Micronesia , sus compañeros para esas vacaciones de buceo de calidad!
and of course Japanese, Korean, Chinese and very soon Polish.

See you there!

______________________________

DID YOU KNOW? Is brought to you by the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance, the Divers Choice.
We care about our Environment!

© Gunther Deichmann, Location of
Sam's Tours Palau, (red circle)

© Gunther Deichmann, Sam's Tours Palau

I just arrived back from Palau Micronesia, and so many things happen during my visit, Sam's Tours Grand Opening and 17th Anniversary, all new facilities are fully operational now, read the blog post from Dermot Keane the General Manager below for all the details.
The Survivor TV show shooting their latest episode as we speak, of course they are very secret about everything, then the Discovery Channel shooting at the same time a new story on the Bone Detectives and to top it all an international Canoe Race competition "The Micronesia Cup" was held at the same time, participants from Guam, Singapore, Palau, Australia, Patagonia and many others competing in this race, talking about a buzzing Palau.
Our Alliance partner Blue Horizons Travel and Tours is leaving soon for the World Travel Market Show held in London, England, I am sure I get the full report upon their return so please stay tuned.
Check out some of the images below from some of these events, thanks.
GD

Blue Horizons Travel and Tours, Inc.
Delegates: Alex Stutely and Jeremy Kemp
representing Blue Horizons and the Philippine - Micronesia Alliance
your experts in island hopping and dive travel. The Divers Choice.

The Philippines will again be putting its best foot forward during this year’s World Travel Market, to be held at London’s ExCel exhibition center at the Docklands,
from 12 to 15 November.
The WTM, staged yearly in London, is one of the world’s biggest and most important business events. It provides a unique opportunity for people and companies in the travel trade and tourism industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast with the latest developments in this global business.

© Gunther Deichmann, New facilities at Sam's Tours
and new paved carpark

Sam Scott opening speech on the 26th of October

It's Done! The New Sam's Tours is officially launched!
(below the blog post from Dermot)

Well, it's been a long time in the making, but it's finally done! Sam's Tours remodel project has come to a close and the new "improved" Sam's Tours PADI 5-Star National Geographic Dive Center has been officially launched! As promised and previously posted, we've got complete new Guest Lockers, Rental Center and Compressor Room facilities, we've expanded our Guest Area, paved the parking lot, extended the roof, expanded and tidied up the bar, removed all the old shipping containers and given the whole place an overall facelift. We've already received very positive comments from the many repeat guests with us this week including Matt Zimmerman of ISLAND DIVERS in Honolulu who leads several trips a year to Palau and Wayne Daniels of Kauai, who extended his stay to join the party! Thanks Guys!

On Friday Night, October 26, on the Full Moon, we hosted a VIP Reception for staff, friends, family and business partners followed by an open house party with Live Music, snacks and lots of free Red Rooster Beer (the great local microbrewed beer). Over 400 people joined the party that went from 9pm to well after 3am, with music by the "no name band" made up of mostly non-resident workers from the Philippines. They did a fantastic job given that they were just a pick up band pulled together with little time to practice. They got the house rocking early on and kept the dance floor packed til the wee hours. Sam's wife Martul who manages Bottom Time Bar and Grill at Sam's and her great staff handled all the food and beverage service and kept the party "well lubricated".

In addition to celebrating the Grand Re-Opening of Sam's Tours, we also celebrated Sam's daughter Cyndis' 17th Birthday, Sam's Tours 17th Anniversary and the mid-season success of "Sam's Sharks" our staff basketball team who are now 7 and 1 and 3rd place in the league. Last night the Sharks crushed the team from Palasia Hotel in a 102 to 63 victory. GO SHARKS!

We had many great friends and business partners join us for the party including our very good friend and marketing partner Mr. Gunther Deichmann who traveled from Manila on Continental Airlines to join the party. Gunther produces all of Sam's Tours marketing materials, print ads, and built our new website. Gunther is a professional photographer with many books to his credit including the Palau Dives Sites book and his most recent work Journey Through Color and Time. Check out his website at www.deichmann-photo.com
Gunther will join us again in April when he'll run a Photo Workshop here at Sam's Tours featuring training on Apples image management software APERTURE! Stay tuned for more details.

While he was here in Palau, Gunther took the time to do a complete new photo shoot of our new facilities and even managed to jump in a helicopter with Matt from Palau Helicopters and shot the dive center every which way from the air. Palau Helicopters runs everyday (when they're not tied up with SURVIVOR Palau, who are here for the second time) and offers fantastic aerial tours of the Rock Islands. It's a must! Many thanks to Matt, the expert pilot from Palau Helicopters for some great flying!
Gunther is back in Manila tonight and very shortly I'll be posting his new images right here on our blog and on our website.
Sam is in Florida at the moment at the DEMA Trade Show, having left the next day after the big party. Ouch! Hope he's getting some sleep now because he was a man on a mission in the weeks leading up to the Launch Party keeping everyone on schedule and making sure we made our 10/26 deadline.
From all the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance partners, congrats Sam and well done!

"The Sharks" Sam's Tours Basketball Team

Canoe Race competition "The Micronesia Cup"

The team from Guam, "team spirit" red color hair