The grey whales travel between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. The white patches on the whale are in fact lice! Gray whales, are covered in whale lice and barnacles. The whale provides a substrate for them to live on and access to food. Whale lice feed on the whale’s skin.
The publishers and readers of Scuba Diving Magazine accord the popular position. An archipelago of 700 islands and cays, the Bahamas is located in the Atlantic Ocean. For diving it offers vast opportunities: sunken Spanish galleons, inland blue holes, caves and forest-like coral reefs, teeming with marine life. Neal Watson, Bahamas Diving Association President states: As the official dive association for The Islands of The Bahamas, we are honored to receive this award by such a prestigious dive magazine. Our 36 members take this award very seriously and appreciate the fact that The Bahamas is one of the few places in the world where divers can get close to, and experience big animals underwater. This region has a vast array of Marine life: Nassau Grouper, the “national fish” of The Bahamas, Estimates reported off Cat Cay indicate that somewhere between 30,000 and 100,000 groupers took part in a recent spawning there. Grouper spawning is timed with a full moon and usually occurs in late January or early February. At that time, shoals, balls and walls of groupers can be witnessed. March of Spiny Lobster is a widespread phenomenon, occurring on both the Great and Little Bahamas Banks Dolphins, sharks, lots of other corral fish, turtles . you get the thrilling experience of feeding sharks here. The Bahamas Diving Association is the official alliance of dive operators for the country, consisting of 36 resorts, dive operators and dive liveaboards boats within the Islands . Liveaboards around the world take you to the outer reaches, where few divers go-and that’s particularly true in the islands of the Bahamas. Diving delights of the Bahamas: The Bimmis: Some people say that a part of the lost continent of Atlantis lies beneath the waves about 500 yards off of the coast at Bimini Bay. The region is popular for sighting wild dolphins. New Providence Island/Paradise Island: Way too many awesome sites , you will not be able to visit all of these in a short visit. Andros: Andros’ barrier reef is third largest in the world, behind Belize and Australia, making it a great haunt for divers. Its beautiful blue holes, formed by collapsed underground caves are most definitely worth a sighting.Underwater explorers can also adventure to shipwreck sites like the Barge Wreck. Eleuthera: The best bet for a more exclusive beach. Beaware for the current cut here is the fastest. Long Island: With its shallow bays edging sandy powder soft beaches, Long Island has many possibilities for snorkelers. Spectacular coral reefs, intriguing ship wrecks,, colorful fish life and much more awaits the novice and the seasoned scuba diver or snorkeler alike. A trip to the Bahamas is a diving trip of a lifetime! Via: Caribbean pressrelease
An interesting part of marine archeology is studying shipwrecks. Off the Albania’s Adriatic coast, a 2400 year old Greek jar floats in the salt water. This jar is the only clue that points towards the sunken merchant fleets. The storage jar or amphora is believed to be part of the sunken ships. The discovery of the jar marked an important step in the month long survey project that was launched in July. If the project successfully pinpoints the position of the sunken vessels, it could boost the diving tourism. People would be willing to pay their way to check out the vistas of ancient ships underwater. I think this is an exciting time for marine archaeologists and tourists. Another fascinating part of the project is that the project will scan the 360 kilometer(220 mile) long coastline of Albania. This will use the latest state-of-the-art scanning technology that is available to researchers. The other aspect of the project is to prevent the looters from gaining access to the wealth of the shipwreck. So, it’s geared towards protecting the wreck(s). The Albanian waters were a major business route that linked the Eastern and Western Europe. Ships moved right along the coastline to maintain visual contact with the coast. Archeologist Adrian Anastasi agrees with this fact, In those times ships usually stayed near the shore, to maintain visual contact with land, and all our coastline was a very intensive route for commercial and other traffic. The find will remain immersed in the water. However, the Museum maintenance will eventually try to reduce the salinity in the water level in order to preserve the historical asset. RPM Hercules research vessel continues it’s work in the are although, further permission needs to be sought. Image Credit: Flheritage
Scuba diving has become an increasingly popular recreation sport. Yet be warned you do need to check with your doctor before going for it. Scuba stands for (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving needs proper education, training, certification and medical clearance. What you must know? Decompression Sickness: As divers descend, a greater amount of nitrogen and oxygen is dissolved in the blood and body tissues. On ascent, the nitrogen leaves the tissues and body. If ascent is too rapid, the nitrogen will be released too quickly from the tissues and form bubbles in the bloodstream that can block blood flow to vital areas and cause pain in the limbs and abdomen. So come up slow breathing normally. Nitrogen Narcosis: also called “rapture of the depths’ is a feeling similar to alcohol intoxication. It is caused by breathing compressed air at depths of approximately 30 meters (100 feet) . Treatment is to ascend to a shallower depth. Squeezes: The most common medical problems are simple “squeezes.” These can affect your middle ear or face mask during descent. Squeezes cause pain in your ears. The pain is caused by the difference in pressure between the air spaces of your ears and mask, and higher water pressure as you go deeper in the water. Squeezes that affect the inner ear or sinuses are less common. So in which case does one have to take care before Scuba Diving? � Pregnancy � Acute infections of the ears or respiratory tract � Certain pulmonary, cardiac and gastrointestinal conditions � Seizure disorders � Sickle cell disease � Diabetes (hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episode underwater can be dangerous) and asthma(mild is OK exercise stress test followed by pulmonary function tests should be taken by the individual) If you have hypertension or blood pressure check with your doctor (Some anti-hypertension medications, such as beta-blockers, can pose increased risks) What can we Do? � Know the qualities of fish and other marine animals, and the species of coral of the region where you are going to dive. � To avoid ankle pain practice with fins in a pool. � Stay within the no-decompression limits � Don’t take a dive you are not comfortable with. � Dive as per your experience and training. � And of course don’t panic. So if you love scuba diving, then make sure you are fit and always dive with a partner so that you can keep a check on each other. Via: nj
Image Credit A shipwreck has been found to have $500 million in treasure on board! Can you believe this? The richest-ever shipwreck – Black Swan – haul was yielded by the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622. Image Credit Tampa-based company, Odyssey Marine Exploration found the wreck containing hundreds of thousands of colonial-era silver and gold coins. There are about 500,000 coins which are expected to fetch an average of $1,000 each from collectors and investors. The value of coins is determined by their rarity, condition and story behind them. Image Credit The find was announced on the same day when Odyssey Marine exploration held its annual stockholder meeting. Four years back, the company found thousands of coins worth $75 million after excavating the Republic – a steamship lost in 1865 off Savannah, Ga. But the company was going in loss from 2005 and 2006, however, this find doubled the stock price of the company when the news hit the Wall Street. Odyssey stock shot up 80.9 percent, closing at $8.32 by the time market close on Friday. Under the terms of an agreement, Odyssey will have to share the finds with the British government. The company will get 80 percent of the first $45 million and about 50 percent of the proceeds thereafter. For security reasons the company refused to release any details about the ship or the wreck site. The company is likely to return to the same spot for more coins and artifacts. Source: ABC News
Whale watching at Westport on the Washington coast and at Whidbey Island in Puget Sound can be a real pleasure. Whales blow, porpoises stick their noses out of the water and even jump out of the water from time to time. At times, whales swim right up to charter boats. Every spring, 23,000 gray whales leave their Baja California wintering grounds and swim north to the arctic waters of the Bering Strait. The whales, which can be up to 47 feet long and weigh 70,000 pounds, swim close to Westport and Whidbey Island on their northern migration. Gray whales, like most other baleen whales, migrate to warmer waters during the winter months. The grey whale performs one of the world’s longest migrations. The eastern Pacific stock of gray whales travels along the coast of the US and Mexico. During this annual migration, a gray whale can travel as far as 6,000 miles each way. The grey whale is mottled grey with numerous white, yellow or orange patches of barnacles and parasites around the blowhole, on top of the head, and on the fore part of the back. The grey whale is is the only bottom feeding whale; it scoops and filters amphipod crustaceans from the mud; this explains why they are so comfortable in the shallow coastal waters. In Puget Sound, a small group of gray whales arrives off Whidbey Island in March and feeds on ghost shrimp in near shore mudflats. Though people often see gray whales from viewpoints on the shore, Whidbey Island whale watchers as such can see feeding whales from Langley Waterfront Park, however charter boats can get them up-close.A ‘Welcome the Whales Day’ festival is scheduled for April 14 at Langley on Whidbey Island. Best time to see whales: The gray whale migration past Westport has just gotten started, but the best whale watching happens from mid-April through May. That’s when gray whales go inside Grays Harbor, which makes them easier to spot than if the boat has to cross the bar and go out into the open ocean. Look for: Whales blowing, whale tails or whales diving or swimming near your boat. If you are lucky you might get a glimpse of the calves You also might see whales diving to feed on shrimp and other goodies in the bottom mud. Feeding gray whales leave clouds of mud in the water. Equipment: Rubber boots, warm clothes, raingear, thermos of coffee or hot chocolate, snacks, motion-sickness medicine – if needed – cameras and video cameras. It can get cold and wet on the ocean! If you’re planning a trip on a whale watching boat, now is the time to make a reservation. Source: The Olympian
The Yucatan peninsula remains one of the most popular travel destinations in Mexico with visitors from around the world. Most tourists can be found on the white sand beaches and in the crystal clear waters on the Caribbean side, it is popular for cave diving as well especially now that Nohoch Nah Chich, the world’s longest underwater cave system has been discovered near near Tulum, Mexico. British cave diver Steve Bogaerts said he and Robbie Schmittner, of Germany, have found flooded underground passages connecting this cave system with the Sac Actun cave system, a discovery that shows how interconnected and vulnerable the Yucatan’s underground water system is. Bogaerts and Schmittner spent four years swimming the length of the system, making about 500 dives with scuba tanks, linking one sinkhole lake to the next. For thousands of years, Mayan Indians depended on water found in the caves and in lakes formed by sinkhole. Now that we know that the water systems are interconnected, it means that pollution in one can easily spread to all.
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Australia can be proud since the reef is in line for the major award of best practice in travel and tourism development. There are just three finalists in this category. The other two finalists are Greenbox Trading As Responsible Tourism (Ireland) and The State of Vermont (USA). The awards will be given in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 11 The awards are conducted by The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) takes two points into consideration: � Outstanding tourism product � Helps to protect the cultural and natural heritage of our planet. WTTC president Jean-Claude Baumgarten said. Is quoted to have said: Providing sustainable livelihood is a long-term goal and we are delighted to honour the world’s leading examples of where this goal is actually being pursued Well I hope rising temperatures do not result in the destruction of the worlds most beautiful natural reef. Via: Yahoo news
The frilled shark, also known as a living fossil, a primitive species that has changed little since prehistoric times was spotted by a fisherman who thought that it was an eel like species. He alerted the officials at the Awashima Marine Park in Numazu, who captured it and filmed it. An official at the park is quoted to have said: We believe moving pictures of a live specimen are extremely rare, They live between 600 and 1,000 meters under the water, which is deeper than humans can go. The shark appeared to be in poor condition when park staff moved it to a seawater pool where they filmed it swimming and opening its jaws. Eventually it died. Unfortunately large numbers also die in the nets of bottom trawlers. Via: Reuters
The frilled shark, also known as a living fossil, a primitive species that has changed little since prehistoric times was spotted by a fisherman who thought that it was an eel like species. He alerted the officials at the Awashima Marine Park in Numazu, who captured it and filmed it. An official at the park is quoted to have said: We believe moving pictures of a live specimen are extremely rare, They live between 600 and 1,000 meters under the water, which is deeper than humans can go. The shark appeared to be in poor condition when park staff moved it to a seawater pool where they filmed it swimming and opening its jaws. Eventually it died. Unfortunately large numbers also die in the nets of bottom trawlers. Via: Reuters