Owner: Diveaway Fiji - Scuba diving on the Coral Coast URL:http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:57:15 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A blog by Alex Hill of Diveaway Fiji which is a PADI dive centre based at the award winning Hideaway Resort on the Coral Coast of Viti Levu, the largest of Fiji’s islands. Site statistics:Click here
Is that it? 2006-08-18 02:55:00 Weather still yuk, so still unable to write lyrically about the joys of the underwater world. Although I could write about all the previous dives in good weather.Meanwhile have recieved one comment asking if I'd like to view full frontal nudes. Is that it?http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/
Gettting tricky 2006-08-16 14:24:00 So, I've managed to blog one line about bugger all, I've had a comment which i can't work out if it came through or not and the weather is still awful. Life changing stuff. Had some nice chicken for lunch, though.http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/
My first ever post, or, what the hell am I doing? 2006-08-15 12:10:00 Confused and bewildered by the mass proliferation of blogging I have decided to find out if anybody is the slightest bit interested in scuba diving on Fijis Coral Coast.Are you?http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/ Read more:doing
Humpbacks in Fiji 2007-04-18 07:46:00 Great write up from Gavin at Dive The World Blog cos we're seeing humpbacks along the Coral Coast as well..."Over the last few months, guests on the Tui Tai Adventure Cruises have been treated on several occasions to the sight of humpback whales around the boat. They have even been able to dive in and swim with the whales! In 2003, the government of Fiji declared a 360km "exclusive economic zone" around the Koro Sea a whale sanctuary ensuring free passage for whales through Fiji's waters. Humpbacks migrate every winter from Antarctica to the South Pacific to mate and give birth.Back in the 19th century, thousands of whales were killed around Fiji, and indeed the town of Levuka was founded as a whaling station. It seems that thanks to whaling regulations and now the declaration of this special zone, visitors to Fiji have the chance to see whales again."http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/
DAN Becomes NAUI’s Official Dive Accident Insurance Provider 2007-04-18 07:33:00 DAN and NAUI are pleased to announce their alliance to work together for the greater good of diver safety. Effective immediately, DAN is the official dive accident insurance provider for NAUI Worldwide. NAUI has discontinued its Dive & Travel Insurance Program and is endorsing the Membership and Dive Accident Insurance programs offered by DAN. Divers currently carrying NAUI’s Dive & Travel Insurance will be notified of the change as their policies come due for renewal, and they will be offered the opportunity to join DAN. In addition, NAUI dive centers and instructors will be provided materials on DAN and its programs, including the DAN Student Membership Program...“DAN has always been dedicated solely to divers and diver safety,” says Dan Orr, President and CEO of Divers Alert Network, “and our record certainly speaks for itself. Yet no matter how much we’ve been able to contribute in the past, we are always looking for ways to provide more. When we first developed th Read more:Official
, Provider
Winter Jetaway to Fiji with Rainbow High Vacations 2007-04-24 06:44:00 These guys dived with us last year and here's their review...."For diving afficionados, Diveaway Fiji, the Resort’s on-site PADI dive center, offers a range of diving to suit everyone from experienced divers to complete beginners. All the dive sites are very close (the furthest a mere 10 minutes boat ride away), so you can choose to do one or two dives and be back for lunch. The great tropical diving includes walls, passages, swimthroughs, soft and hard corals, fans and caves. Marine life is abundant and varied – Fiji has one of the largest ranges of tropical fish anywhere in the world, and sightings of turtles, rays and reef sharks are regular occurrences. For beginners, there is a free scuba lesson in the pool daily, where you are given enough training and skills to be able to go on a sea dive under the direct supervision of a PADI dive instructor. This 'Discover Scuba Dive' also counts towards your certification course."See the full article at Rainbow
High Vacations
websiteht
Vitamins benefit divers' health 2007-04-23 07:36:00 Vitamin doses can reduce ill-effects of scuba diving on divers
' circulation, a study suggests.The scientists from Croatia and Norway gave vitamins C and E, which work as antioxidants, to divers, the Journal of Physiology reported.The vitamins stopped ill-effects of the dive on the cells lining blood vessels, which can lead to high blood pressure and other associated diving problems.But diving experts said the vitamins would have a limited impact."The intervention showed a positive effect" said Ante Obad, lead researcherThe researchers, from the University of Split School of Medicine in Croatia and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology carried out the study on seven professional divers before a 30-minute, 30-metre dive.They performed two dives 24 hours apart, with doses of vitamins C and E administered two hours before the second one.Six of the divers took part in a second trial eight months later, in which some were given antioxidants while others received a dummy pill.Th Read more:Vitamins
, benefit
Ocean "Conveyor Belt" Sustains Sea Life, Study Says 2007-04-23 07:17:00 Ocean "Conveyor Belt" Sustains Sea Life, Study
Says:An estimated three-quarters of all marine life is maintained by a single ocean-circulation pattern in the Southern Hemisphere that pulls nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean, brings them to the surface, and distributes them around the world.'This is really something,' said Jorge Sarmiento, a professor of atmospheric and ocean sciences at Princeton University in New Jersey. Sarmiento made the discovery using sophisticated computer models."http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/ Read more:Ocean
SHARKS NEED YOUR HELP! 2007-04-22 04:27:00 As divers, if we have been privileged enough to see a shark we know how beautiful they can be. If we have actually dived with one, we have been changed for life. They are kings of the deep and they need our help.Please sign the following petition to stop the SENSELESS killing of sharks and this distribution of shark fin products.Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.90% of all shark species are already wiped out due to our total disregard for these majestic animals and the greed of a small number of countries that see no reason to stop a barbaric act where 99% of the animal is discarded back into the oceans as waste after their fins have been brutally hacked off.YOU can help. Go to The Petition Site and sign up!Go see SHARKWATER!http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/
Coalition Aims To Build Nation's First Successful Artificial Surf Reef 2007-04-28 04:48:00 April 23, 2007 — By Noaki Schwartz, Associated PressVENTURA, Calif. -- Californians have created plenty of surf spots by accident with harbor jetties, power plant outflows and even drainage pipes. Creating one on purpose is proving more difficult. In Ventura County, engineers want to build the nation's first successful artificial "surf reef" at a site known as Oil Piers, an accidentally created surfing hot spot that disappeared when a pier was demolished in 1998. Surfers hope the project will revive the waves at what had been one of the most reliable surf spots on a strikingly picturesque stretch of the Southern California coast. Environmentalists say the reef is needed to stop massive erosion eating away at the beach. "It was the only place that when the wind really, really blew, you could still surf," recalled Gary Ross, who heads Stanley's Reef Foundation, a nonprofit group pushing for the project. "Besides that, it was kind of a cool spot -- a little bit of a bohemian spot wi Read more:Build
, First
, Artificial
Sharks - fact or fiction 2007-04-25 23:01:00 The more you know about sharks hopefully the more you will understand and respect them. For most of us what we know about sharks is based on myth and superstition. Here are a few interesting facts for you to chew on. Sharks
have been around for over 400 million yearsSharks live in every ocean of the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The average life span of a shark is around 25 years, but some have been known to live to 100The biggest shark is the Whale Shark, it can be up to 50 feet (15 m) in length. It is what is called a filter feeder, it sieves plankton in huge amounts to eat through its gills as it swims alongThe dwarf lantern shark is the smallest shark at a size of around 15cmRead more at this cool UK T-shirt company ZooZoo2...http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/
Humpback whales boast the longest mammal migration 2007-04-24 00:30:00 NewScientist.com news service It’s a long way to go for a warm bath. Each winter, humpback whales
travel from the Antarctic to the northern tropics to find warm water in which to raise their young, researchers have discovered. The migration is the longest for any mammal ever recorded. Kristin Rasmussen at Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, Washington, US, and colleagues photographed the tails of humpbacks wintering off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. From their individual tail patterns they identified seven of the same animals after they had returned to the Antarctic. One mother and calf made the 8300-kilometre (5160-mile) trip in 161 days. Using satellite data, the team also recorded sea-surface temperatures for the sites where humpbacks spent the winter. “Wintering areas occur where waters with temperatures between 21°C and 28°C are found,” says Rasm
JOHNSON OUTDOORS ACQUIRES SEEMANN SUB 2007-05-01 23:38:00 Leading German Brand to Join Forces with SCUBAPRO® and UWATEC® JOHNSON OUTDOORS INC today announced it is adding the popular German brand, Seemann Sub™, to its portfolio of winning outdoor recreational brands. The family-owned and managed German company was acquired from Robert and Ella Stoss. The transaction, which closed on April 2, 2007, continues Johnson Outdoors’ strategic focus on acquisitions that complement its businesses, have market-leading potential and strengthen long-term profitability. Seemann Sub™, founded in 1979, is one of Germany’s largest dive equipment providers, offering a complete line of dive gear for the price driven consumer. The acquisition enables Johnson Outdoors for the first time to go to market with a full range of innovative, quality dive equipment and gear representing the best value at every price point for the retail and rental channels. Over the next six months, the Company plans to relocate
IYOR 08 Logo contest 2007-05-04 06:37:00 International Year of the Reef 2008: Logo contestThe International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR 08) is looking for a logo and is calling on the creative - coral reef - community to come up with our new design.Put your originality to the test and send us a logo design (info@iyor.org) that we can use on all IYOR materials (including our website, promotional material, conference banners, and anywhere else our name might appear).Go here for full Guidelines...http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Wind shifts devastate ocean life 2007-05-08 07:37:00 BBC NEWS | Science
/Nature | Wind shifts devastate ocean life: "Wind shifts devastate ocean lifeBy Jonathan FildesScience and technology reporter, BBC News, San FranciscoThe Oregon researchers watched crab populations crashEnlarge ImageThe delicate interplay between the oceans and atmosphere is changing with catastrophic consequences.That is the conclusion of researchers investigating 'dead zones' off the coast of the US, where populations of marine life were suddenly wiped out.These vast graveyards occur where there are disturbances to currents driven by coastal winds, they say.Dead zones have been recorded off the coast of California and Oregon every year for the last five years.The most intense event, which left the ocean floor littered with the carcasses of crabs, happened in 2006.'It was unlike anything that we've measured along the Oregon coast in the past five decades,' said Dr Francis Chan of Oregon State University (OSU).Dead zones have also been seen in the waters off Chi
Scarborough Today News - Lake fish killed by amorous toads 2007-05-07 07:32:00 Scarborough Today
News - Lake fish killed by amorous
toadsBy Ian DuncanAMOROUS toads have caused the deaths of scores of fish at a lake near Scarborough.In one incident around 70 carp, worth about £3,000, were lost after male toads tried to mate with them on the Wykeham Estate.Manager Mike Heelis said the situation became so bad last weekend he had to cancel two club competitions.The toads clamp themselves on to the carp’s face and push its eyes into the sockets – and, if several reptiles are involved, the carp drowns due to its gills being closed.Mr Heelis said the fish had encountered the toads after swimming into the lake’s warmer, shallow waters during the recent mild weather." Scarborough Evening News... read more there if you want! Only in Scarborough!http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/
Stop Distribution of Shark Fins 2007-05-09 06:23:00 It is about a soup Although it is about a seemingly innocent dish, a soup many Asians consider a delicacy, the ongoing controversy (to eat the soup or not to eat it) really boils down to the global threat shark populations are facing, even in marine sanctuaries such as the Galapagos Islands.Shark
s are being killed at an ever increasing rate, mainly to satisfy the rising demand for shark fin soup. While many Chinese allege that shark fin soup is part of their 'culture', we say: The health of this blue planet is part of ours! Now, if that should amount to yet another 'clash of cultures', so be it.Alibaba.com is one of the largest online traders of seafood and other products, especially shark fin - without regards to source or sustainability. The practice of shark finning, where a shark is captured, the fins removed, often while the shark is still living and the body discarded, is a brutal practice that is decimating shark populations worldwide. This lucrative market for sh
Tags follow 'Nemo' fish to home 2007-05-09 00:09:00 Scuba Diving Fiji About 60% of the young orange clownfish found their way home The remarkable homing instincts of some coral reef fish have been revealed. A team tagged two species of reef fish larvae to see where the juveniles were going after spending weeks and even months maturing in open sea. It found most of the orange clownfish - made famous by the Finding Nemo movie - and vagabond butterflyfish returned to the reef where they had first hatched. Writing in the journal Science, the team said the discovery could have implications for marine protection. "Marine fish lay very small eggs, and when they do, they are released into the water column," explained co-author Professor Geoff Jones from James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. "They develop into a really tiny little larvae that we
Scuba Diving Fiji: Scientists go hi-tech to save coral 2006-10-29 23:21:00 Scuba Diving
Fiji: Scientists go hi-tech to save coral: Scientists go hi-tech to save coral At cold depths, the rate of growth is very slow Less is known about the floor of the world's oceans than the surface of the Moon. It is only in the past few decades that technology allowing humans to peer into the previously uncharted depths has become available to scientists. Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and manned submersible craft have opened up to exploration a whole new world of deep marine ecosystems. One of the most startling discoveries has been the number of coral reefs living hundreds of metres beneath the surface, in temperatures ranging from 4-13C (39-55F). The existence of cold-water corals has been known since the 18th Century, but the vast number of reefs found in the deeper reaches of the world's wa Read more:Scuba
, Scuba Diving
eCORD - earthdives Code of Responsible Diving 2006-06-09 07:12:00 eCORD - earthdives Code of ResponsibleDiving
: earthdive asks everybody to subscribe to the principles of eCORD - The earthdive Code of Responsible Diving - and to encourage others to practice them. eCORD is a straightforward Seven Point Plan which will help divers to limit the anthropogenic impact of recreational diving - while at the same time making their diving experiences more rewarding and enjoyable. Be sure to incorporate the seven points in your dive planning! 1. Know your limits. Every dive is different and every diver is different. Always ensure that you dive within the limits of your training and experience, whilst taking due account of
Beer Crisis! 2007-05-11 22:28:00 Bula All, I have grave news. As some of you may know, there was a coup d'etat in Fiji in early December last year. Originally scheduled for December 3rd it was postponed to December 6th when coup leaders realised that there might be ramifications for the Police v. Army annual rugby match due to be played on Dec 4th. The coup duly went ahead on the Monday, and the local regional powers (I'm not sure its terribly exact to describe Australia and New Zealand in such glowing terms, but I can't think of a less emphatic word for "powers") promptly spat the dummy about the horrendous affront to global democracy. Having of course completely ignored the coup in Thailand, and having sweet fa to say about such joyous democracies as Zimbabwe or Uzbekistan, they slapped a travel advisory on Fiji one level below that on Iraq and Afghanistan and threatened to stop poaching F Read more:Crisis
United Nations Environment Programme 2007-05-17 06:32:00 The UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme
has prepared five communication tools that can be used to educate tourists about the importance of protecting coral reefs during their holidays.The tools are available free of charge on CD ROM and can be used to print attractive and informative materials. They are intended primarily for tourists but can also be used for tourism industry employees and local residents. more information.http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/sensitive/coral/english/home.htm( available in English, Spanish, Italian, German, and French)http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/ Read more:United Nations
Global Warming Fast Facts 2007-05-21 00:22:00 Global Warming Fast FactsGlobal warming is a hot topic that shows little sign of cooling down. Earth's climate is changing, but just how it's happening, and our own role in the process, is less certain.Check out these fast facts and pictures for a snapshot of Earth's evolving climate.• There is little doubt that the planet is warming. Over the last century the average temperature has climbed about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.6 of a degree Celsius) around the world."More at National Geographic... Global Warming Fast Factshttp://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/ Read more:Global
, Global Warming
Ten Delicious Ways to Dip into Diving 2007-05-26 00:44:00 On Away.com By Paul McMenamin "The conditions that make for great diving—warm, translucent water, good weather, and tropical locales—also make for a terrific getaway vacation. You'll find great bargains at the big Carribean resorts, while exotic destinations such as Borneo and Micronesia promise true underwater adventure.Fiji: South Pacific ParadiseAsk divers who have sampled most of the world's leading dive spots where they would go for a perfect dive vacation, and more often than not, Fiji is the answer. Topside, Fiji is Polynesia at its best—unspoiled and uncrowded. The water is warm and clear, and there is every imaginable shape and variety of coral in all colors of the rainbow. The variety of dive sites is staggering—from the air, Fiji appears as a vast patchwork of coral, covering hundreds of square miles.Fiji is one destination where there is no clear choice between live-aboard and land-based options. Both offer advantages and disadvantages. On a live-aboard you w Read more:Delicious
, Diving
Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) observatory 2007-05-26 00:24:00 Oceanographers have completed an important step in constructing the first deep-sea observatory off the continental United States. Workers in the multi-institution effort laid 32 miles (52 kilometers) of cable along the Monterey
Bay sea floor that will provide electrical power to scientific instruments, video cameras, and robots 3,000 feet (900 meters) below the ocean surface. The link will also carry data from the instruments back to shore, for use by scientists and engineers from around the world. The Monterey Accelerated ResearchSystem
(MARS) observatory, due to be completed later this year, will provide ocean scientists with 24-hour-a-day access to instruments and experiments in the deep sea. The project is managed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Currently, almost all oceanographic instruments in the deep sea rely on batteries for power and store their data on hard disks or memory chips until they are br
Wind shifts devastate ocean life 2007-05-25 00:38:00 By Jonathan Fildes, Science and technology reporter, BBC News, San FranciscoThe delicate interplay between the oceans and atmosphere is changing with catastrophic consequences.That is the conclusion of researchers investigating 'dead zones' off the coast of the US, where populations of marine life were suddenly wiped out.These vast graveyards occur where there are disturbances to currents driven by coastal winds, they say.Dead zones have been recorded off the coast of California and Oregon every year for the last five years.The most intense event, which left the ocean floor littered with the carcasses of crabs, happened in 2006.'It was unlike anything that we've measured along the Oregon coast in the past five decades,' said Dr Francis Chan of Oregon State University (OSU).Dead zones have also been seen in the waters off Chile, Namibia and South Africa."Read more at BBC News...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6370905.stmhttp://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot
Breweries back in action 2007-05-31 16:16:00 Friday, June 01, 2007 FOSTER'S Group Pacific Ltd breweries have resumed production following a temporary one-week closure, the company said this week. General manager Ross Shaw said the closure of the production facilities proceeded as planned. "The breweries in Suva and Lautoka closed for one week from May 14 to May 21. Both facilities have restarted production. The South Pacific Distillery in Lautoka was scheduled to close for one month from May 14 until June 19," he said. Mr Shaw the distillery was expected to restart on June 19. He said sales and administration at all sites had continued without interruption. Mr Shaw said the group temporarily closed its SPD plant in Lautoka for a month due to the downturn in the economy. Meanwhile, company director Robert Rogers has resigned from the FGP board. He was replaced by Anthony Neil Davie, managing director of Foster's Asia, New Zealand and Pacific, effective from Wednesday.http://fijitimes.com.fj/story.aspx?id=6
Diving in your later years…… 2007-05-30 23:56:00 Today I had a great experience! I took Helen and her daughter on a PADI Discover Scuba Dive! Helen is a 72 year old lady who suffers from post viral fatigue syndrome. We had to make a few adjustments of our dive plan, rather than doing a backwards roll entry into the water we made a slow shore start, and then during the dive we would swim a few meters then stop kneel down and look at the fish and coral.It was so refreshing to take our time, we were able to look at the different colours and textures of the corals, fish who dwell in different areas, a turtle who was resting in a hole came out and gently cruised around us. After a study of a sleeping puffer fish, and a small cray in a hole we came across 2 resting white tip sharks, Helen was anxious to move on but we sat quietly then moved forward (to her dismay) until we were kneeling a meter away from them! Helen couldn’t believe she was sitting with the sharks!Moving on we passed 2 more sharks, a large school of snappers, forty minut Read more:Diving
, later
Whales & Dolphins (Smithsonian Handbooks) 2007-05-29 17:41:00 A beautifully illustrated guide to every species of whale, dolphin and porpoise. Covers their identification, evolution, biology, behaviour, reproduction and social lives. Includes tips on how and where to watch whales, dolphins and porpoises, and information on their conservation.From the great illustrations and quick-reference title bar that includes taxonomic, habitat and population information, to the range maps and behavioral information, this book was such a steal. I received this book shortly before starting cetacean surveys in the south pacific and it was an incredible source of information. I have used many field guides and, although I never tested its 'water-proofness", it is simultaneously concise yet complete. It not only gives identification keys for individual species, but also keys to identifying individual animals. If you are a teacher, student, biologist or enthusiast, get it, wherever you are in the world.http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com Read more:Dolphins
, Smithsonian
Nudibranchs and Sea Snails by Helmut Debelius 2007-06-05 17:59:00 A beautiful book containing over 1020 color photos, depicting gastropods from the West Coastof the US to the Red Sea to South Africa.Half of the book is devoted to gastropods with shells and half of the book concerned withthose without shells(nudibranchs) all live and in their natural habitat. There is nothing sobrightly colored as a nudibranch and to see one "swim" is pure joy. A must have for divers,aquarists and those who love nature.Although there is some animals misidentified I find it still a good field guide and shouldbe well received by anyone who appreciates beauty.http://www.diveaway-fiji.com/
http://diveawayfiji.blogspot.com/ Read more:Helmut
, Snails
Recommend Site To A Friend
