Catch Up!!!

Looking at the date of my last blog, it's been a long time – Hurricane Tomas came and went, and here on Viti Levu we were not too badly affected, strong winds and rough seas being about the worst of it. On the outer islands it was a different story, luckily there weren't many lives lost, but crops were devastated, and when you survive on subsistence farming it's a huge blow. There will also have been damage to the reefs around some of the outer islands, though the impact will be hard to determine due to the remoteness of the islands. We are nearing the end of cyclone season, the end of May is the official finish, so fingers crossed we will have a peaceful tropical winter.

During the last two months I spent another three weeks at Mango Bay as we waved good bye to Nick and waited for Damos, our new instructor to start. It was a busy few weeks, with eight people completing their open water courses and two more their advanced courses. Robbie stayed on to complete his divemaster course and is already nearing the end of his internship. You guys all know who you are – plenty of fun had and friendships made. I hope everyone enjoyed their travels and their diving!

Fast forward to the last couple of weeks, and the diving has been interesting! A huge rainstorm caused all the rivers to flood, the silty run off streams being clearly visible in the dark blue sea. I dived The Edge with Christine on her first dive in the ocean, and the visibility was an awesome 20+ metres to begin with. As we swam inside the reef, the visibility in the top 10m of water became appalling, you could see about one metre. 10m and below the visibility remained 20m+ - it was awesome to see such a phenomenon, caused by the silt being suspended in the fresh river water floating on top of the salt water.

I got to see a lizard fish on the hunt just at the mooring of Stingray. I had just descended with Liam and was watching the cleaner wrasse clean his leg. I hadn't yet pointed this out to Liam as it was the first minute of his first dive, and he may not have been so impressed at being cleaned. Suddenly there was a commotion beside his leg, caused by a lizard fish launching itself up from the bottom to catch the cleaner wrasse, which I then watched it enjoy thoroughly for breakfast!

Mere and I still haven't dived Bordello together, though I did have to use and abuse her for a rescue course. Or more precisely, Paul did.... As always, the rescue course was a lot of fun, even though Paul did answer back... Large swells and big tides made for some interesting surface currents requiring lots of hard work on Paul's part, and much dunking of poor Mere. She had to have three days off work afterwards!! Well done Paul!

Three more open water courses have been completed at Hideaway in the last week, keeping me pretty busy. Huge swells made for some really interesting conditions, making fin pivoting and hovering a real challenge – luckily nothing says you have to stay in exactly the same place! So well done to Tim, Lorna and Nathan, you rose to the challenge and dealt with the conditions incredibly well.

I finally managed a day out the water today, though was tempted to join Esala and his certified divers for a pleasure dive as conditions looked so inviting this morning. I opted for dry land and was most disappointed to hear tales of two manta rays joining them on Bordello! It is rare to see mantas off the Coral Coast, but there are many feeding and cleaning stations throughout the Fiji islands, and the mantas have to get there somehow. These are some of my favourite underwater creatures and always make my dive when I see them. They are gentle giants, and can measure well over two metres from wing tip to wing tip. They feed on plankton and it is a wonder to me that such large animals can survive on such small ones.

And finally a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Jo and Phil, two of my discover scuba diving students. On the safety stop at Nemos, Phil produced a sign from his pocket asking Jo to marry him! It was so exciting, and she did say yes, well I think that's what the gigantic clash of regulators and all the bubbles was about! Phil had been planning it for weeks, made even more impressive by the fact that Jo didn't really want to try diving in the sea... Best wishes to you both from all the team at Diveaway.

Take care, blogging again soon – promise!

Claire

Conquest Of Land Began In Shark Genome

Science Daily

Scientists at the University of Florida have identified genetic activity in sharks required for the development of hands, feet, fingers and toes in limbed animals. The finding shows what was thought to be a relatively recent evolutionary innovation existed eons earlier than previously believed, potentially providing insight for scientists seeking ways to cure human birth defects.

Sharks (like this Great White off the coast of Guadalupe Island, Mexico) have the recipe for fingers in their genetic cookbook, researchers have found. (Credit: iStockphoto/Keith Flood)

When the first four-legged animals sprouted fingers and toes, they took an ancient genetic recipe and simply extended the cooking time, say University of Florida scientists writing in Wednesday's issue of the journal PLoS One.

Even sharks -- which have existed for more than half a billion years -- have the recipe for fingers in their genetic cookbook -- not to eat them, but to grow them.

While studying the mechanisms of development in shark embryos, UF scientists identified a spurt of genetic activity that is required for digit development in limbed animals.

ScienceDaily: Conquest Of Land Began In Shark Genome

Sharks of the World (Princeton Field Guides)

It's finally here -- THE DEFINITIVE and COMPLETELY (yes, very literally) EXHAUSTIVE shark guide. I've just picked up my copy and it still feels like a dream. As a serious shark enthusiast, this is the book that I have always dreamed about but has never existed, until now. If you're a shark enthusiast, it would be a tragedy not to acquire this book.

Here's why:

(1) There are lavish full color illustrations of every single species of shark known today -- 404 described species and 49 as-yet-undescribed species on 64 plates, each species in oblique view (not the usual profile shot), giving invaluable information on its shape in 3 dimensions. In addition to the most popular species (such as the great white or the blacktip reef shark), the least well known are also included in this book, such as Deania quadrispinosum or Etmopterus pusillus, or new species, such as Isistius labialis or Somniosus antarcticus. There are 3 plates of 18 species of angel sharks (Squatinidae)! All 5 species of Oxynotus are included! Nine species of saw shark (Pristiophoridae)!

(2) All breath-takingly accurate illustrations are by the same artist, ensuring consistent style. Mark Dando is among the most accomplished of shark artists; his attention to detail is truly astounding. As a discriminating and accomplished fellow natural history artist, I know what I'm talking about. Having said that, please understand that the illustrations chosen for the cover, while wonderfully accurate, are not representative of the exquisite skill demonstrated in his illustrations of more colorful species, such as the ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus). Therefore, at the risk of sinking in the mire of cliche, I nevertheless urge you not to judge this book by its cover!

(3) The work is truly exhaustive, not only in the number of species depicted. Where there is sufficient variation within a species, additional color illustrations depict sexual dimorphism, juvenile forms and races. All species are presented to scale with each other and a scale bar is provided for easy size comparisons.

(4) For those with a taste for the traditional practice of depicting sharks in profile line drawings, the illustrator satisfies in the textual portion of the book. Again, every single species is beautifully presented in a fine ink line drawing from the side (or from the top in angel sharks and saw sharks). With every species is included a detailed range map, and for most species the teeth are also illustrated. For many, the ventral view of the head is also presented.

(5) The text reads like a field guide, providing detailed notes on the measurements, distinguishing features, distribution, habitat, behavior, biology and status of each species, written by leading authorities on sharks. It even includes a checklist at the end so that shark watchers can record their sightings in the field.

I am completely confident that no shark enthusiast will be disappointed in this book. Seriously folks, the editorial review provided by the publisher for this book underestimates its worth. It's truly a gem and will probably remain the definitive reference and the ultimate field guide for a long, long time.

Diving in your later years……

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 minutes had passed and Helen signalled she was tyred, so we slowly moved our way up on top of the reef before surfacing. On surfacing I checked her air gauge she still had 110 bar left not bad for a beginner!!

Helen's scuba dive was the highlight of her holiday and an eye opener to me, a dive I have done 100’s times, this is one I will defiantly remember.

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.

Sharks 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 shark fin is creating huge incentives for poor nations- as represented by scores of businesses on Alibaba.com- to remove the ocean's shark populations. Without any control, it is likely that endangered and threatened shark species are traded in great volume at great profit. As a web based business gateway, Alibaba.com is collusive and partner to this criminal and wasteful practice.

Sign the petition to stop this slaughter here.

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Full petition:

Stop Distribution of Shark Fins

Dear Sirs.

On behalf of those undersigned concerned about our oceans and oceanic predators we are protesting Alibaba.com as the promotor of sellers, importers and exporters of SHARK FINS.

This action is taken in view of the fact that ALIBABA is one of the world's foremost web suppliers of dried SHARK FINS.

• The practice of shark finning is causing huge incentive for the unsustainable and often illegal removal of shark populations world wide.
• Removing sharks from the oceans will result in an ecological imbalance and is causing irreversible damage to the marine ecosytem.
• Finning sharks and discarding the body is a brutal practice and is taking food from the mouths of poor nations who fish for sharks. The profiteering driven by the demand for shark fin soup is unconscionable, and any consumer of shark fin soup, without knowledge of the source of the shark fin is criminal by association.

It is for this reason that this Organization and its members will be taking the following actions:-

1) Global Boycott of the ALIBABA Company.

2) Global Boycott to any Importer or Exporter that deals with Alibaba.

3) Global Boycott to any shop, outlet or restaurant that offer shark fins.

4) Global Boycott of all known Shark Fin Suppliers.


We will also be spreading the word to all our contacts via the media and the Internet.

More information about Shark Finning can be seen at www.sharkmans-world.org/sos.htm and www.sharkstewards.com, or see the film Sharks:Stewards of the Reef.

Yours respectfully

• Click here for more information
• To the Top/Sign Petition
• Email this petition to your friends

Sharks - fact or fiction

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 years
• Sharks 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 100
• The 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 along
• The dwarf lantern shark is the smallest shark at a size of around 15cm

Read more at this cool UK T-shirt company ZooZoo2...

SHARKS NEED YOUR HELP!

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!