PADI

A children’s bicycle peddled its way to top of the list for most unusual rubbish collected on one small island whilst divers throughout Asia Pacific inspired children to keep beaches clean.  Dive centres made a massive splash for trash for International Cleanup Day with over 1000 Project AWARE banners flying high for the biggest worldwide cleanup on record.

Australia

The Australian government has launched an anti-whaling message aimed at Japanese children on the video-sharing internet site YouTube.

Corals threatened 

For the first time in history, the IUCN Red List of threatened species includes three corals.A study sponsored by Conservation International (CI) and implemented jointly with the IUCN (World Conservation Union)

A Yorkshire fisherman got more than he bargained for when he caught a large thresher shark, weighing 1,000lb just 200 yards off the Yorkshire coast. According to one newspaper, Pip Farline had to call other fishermen to help him haul in the shark.

Malta
Wreck sunk for divers off Malta attracts looters
A recently scuttled P-29 wreck has proved popular with divers, but it has also attracted looters who have been stealing whatever they can break off or unscrew.

UK

Creative UK underwater filmmaker and photographer dies

Award-winning underwater filmmaker, photographer and environmentalist Mike Portelly, 55, died in early July after a long fight with cancer.

Japan.

First manta ray born in captivity dies. The first manta ray born in captivity died just four days after its birth, officials at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium have revealed. The cause of death was probably its abusive father who constantly chased and slammed into the juvenile. The juvenile, a female was born larger than most adult humans at 6 feet (1.9 metres) across. Her mother has a wingspan of nearly 14 feet (4.2 metres). According to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in southern Japan, the juvenile was born after 374 days of gestation.