SCUBA News 289
(ISSN 1476-8011)
August 2024

Welcome to SCUBA News. This month we're delighted to announce an exclusive prize draw to win a pair of tickets to The Ocean Film Festival World Tour! Plus - looking for Anita.

What's New at SCUBA Travel?

	Panama: Caribbean or Pacific? For dramatic diving, with large sharks and rays, choose the Pacific south side of Panama. For a calmer experience head to the Caribbean - one of the cheapest places in the region to dive. READ WHERE…
	Uncover Fiji's Hidden Depths - Top Dive Sites Revealed Discover the best dive sites and find answers to frequently asked questions about diving in Fiji. LEARN MORE…
	Arctic Wonders: Best places to go diving in Finland Finland is an excellent diving destination if you're looking for an adventure. LEARN MORE…

Letters: Looking for Anita

We have some lovely photos by Anita Floyd on our web site. And now we've received a request to use one in a book. However, we have lost touch with Anita - if anyone knows her contact details, please get in touch - news@scubatravel.co.uk

"Hi, I am writing and illustrating a new marine life I.D.book on the Caribbean and wondered how I can get in touch with Anita Floyd to use one of her photographs. Can you help please.
Lawson Wood"

Win a pair of tickets to The Ocean Film Festival World Tour

We are delighted to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to the fantastic Ocean Film Festival which will be touring the UK from September to November.

Featuring a solo sailing attempt around Antarctica, extreme shark photography and more, the Ocean Film Festival is a cinematic celebration of the planet's oceans -up on the big screen.

To win a pair of tickets to the venue of your choice just email news@scubatravel.co.uk to be entered into a prize draw, drawn Monday 26 August. Don't forget to state where you want the tickets for. For locations available see https://www.oceanfilmfestival.co.uk/tickets.

You can the trailer for a taste of the action: https://vimeo.com/985012284

Ocean Film Festival Highlights Include

Ice Maiden

Adventurer Lisa Blair is embarking on a voyage to become the first woman to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around Antarctica. When unexpected and life-threatening weather conditions cause catastrophe, Lisa needs to dig into every ounce of courage, determination and self-belief to not only finish the journey, but survive in the most dangerous waters on the planet. An epic tale of perseverance, pushing limits and believing you can achieve something even when you don't know how.

The Whale Song

Delve into the enigmatic communication of humpback whales. Beyond their renowned songs lies a thrilling revelation -these majestic creatures ingeniously remix each other’s tunes, passing melodies around the world's oceans. The Whale Song draws a parallel between the musical genius of DJ Sam Feldt and the whales’ haunting harmonies. As Sam transforms whale songs into chart-topping human beats, an extraordinary synergy between nature and art unfolds.

Tess Felix: Portrait of an Artist

California-based artist Tess Felix uses plastic debris to create mosaic portraits as a vibrant response to the perilous state of our oceans. Tess explores serious issues with imagination and humour, aiming to spark curiosity and imagination. Through the forgotten and unusual remnants of everyday life, Tess uses art to speak of the places, people and ocean that she loves.

Win tickets to the Ocean Film Festival

Just email news@scubatravel.co.uk to be entered into a prize draw, drawn Monday 26 August. Don’t forget to state where you want the tickets for. For locations available see https://www.oceanfilmfestival.co.uk/tickets

8 Fantastic Liveaboard Deals

More great liveaboard diving deals, to some of the best diving destinations in the world, specially selected for us by Divebooker.com, the liveaboard specialists.

1. Teman, Alor - Ambon,. 28 Sep - 10 Oct 2024 (12 nights). Price from $ 5,960 $4,768 per trip per person, SAVE 20%.



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2. Galaxy Diver II, Galapagos Islands,, 23 - 30 Oct 2024 (7 nights), SAVE 25%. Price from USD 6765 $5075 per trip per person,



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3. White Pearl, Best of Central Atolls of the Maldives: 20 - 27 Oct 2024 (7 nights). Book now and save 10%



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4. Aurora, Raja Ampat 1-7 September 2024 (6 nights), SAVE 15%, Price from EUR 2,900 2,320 per trip per person



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5. Palau Siren, Palau, SAVE 20% in October 2024 and March 2025

   

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6. Okeanos Aggressor II, Cocos Island,27 March - 06 April 2025, SAVE 25%. The Cocos Islands, of Costa Rica, are 300 miles off the mainland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This world class diving destination is a great place to see big pelagic species.
   



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7. La Galigo, Raja Ampat, Indonesia,, SAVE UP TO 25% in December to one of the best diving areas in the world.



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8. Blue Storm, Brothers - Daedalus - Elphinstone, Red Sea. Stunning coral plus sharks, dolphins, turtles and large shoals of fish. 26 Sep - 03 Oct and 31 Oct - 07 Nov 2024 (7 nights), SAVE 15%, Price from EUR 1560 1350 per trip per person
   



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Diving news from around the World

	Dance for the ocean and leatherback turtles 19 year old biology student is raising money for leatherback turtles by holding "Dance for the oceans" ballet sessions for the over-55s (with the oldest being over 80!). Read and donate if you can.
	Five Cozumel reefs off limits as part of recovery program During the months of August and September, five of Cozumel's reefs will be off-limits to divers to recover from the daily load of visitors.
	Long-distance relationship revealed in the seemingly random behavior of bowhead whales Applying chaos theory to the movement of iconic arctic whales uncovered a 24-hour diving cycle and a long-range (100 km) synchronisation.
	80% drop in carrier bags on UK beaches Marine Conservation Society reports massive decrease in plastic bags litter on beaches on UK since the government made it compulsory to charge for them.
	St Lucia enters final planning stage for new Underwater Sculpture Park The park is expected to showcase key elements of St Lucia's culture and history. "This will bring a whole new dimension to our maritime environment, to our diving and eco-tourism product"
	Southern Ocean absorbing more CO2 than previously thought, study finds Lack of winter data is a problem because of the difficulty accessing the region at that time.
	Fishing makes fish flee instead of mating Study reveals that fishing affects not just the caught fish but also causes behavioural changes in those left behind, reducing their ability to reproduce.
	The Very Hungry Urchins Urchins are the custodians of Caribbean coral reefs, scraping away algae that would otherwise smother corals or prevent coral larvae from growing, and reefs have suffered in their absence. Combine this loss with an avalanche of other threats and it's easy to feel as though coral reefs in this part of the world are doomed.
	New toolkit to combat coral bleaching Guidance for the marine tourism industry on how they can help manage and monitor the impacts of coral bleaching and get involved in recovery efforts.
	Best Diving in September September can be a tricky time to dive, as many destinations are transitioning between seasons. However, there are some magical destinations to visit at this time of year.

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SCUBA News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. This means we are happy for you to reuse our material for both commercial and non-commercial use as long as you: credit the name of the author, link back to the SCUBA Travel website and say if you have made any changes. Most photos though, are copyright the photographer. Please get in touch for details.

Photo credits: Tim Nicholson, Jill Studholme, DepositPhotos, Arturo de Frias Marques/CC BY-SA 4.0, divebooker.com.

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CONTACTING THE EDITOR
Please send your letters or press releases to:
Jill Studholme
SCUBA News
The Cliff

DE6 2HR
UK
news@scubatravel.co.uk

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SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011)

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