Sharm El Sheikh voted World’s Leading Dive Destination 

At the 14th annual World Travel Awards ceremony held on the Turks and Caicos islands on the December 12. Some 167.000 tourism professionals in over 190 countries voted for the awards which have been described by the Wall Street Journal as “the travel industry’s equivalent of the Oscars”.

The event is highly regarded and well-established as a forum that brings together all areas of travel and tourism in recognition of their achievements. On the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, Sharm El Sheikh is a modern resort area with an international diving community and state of the art accommodation, entertainment and diving facilities.The voters were asked to vote for their leading travel destinations, airlines, hotels and companies around the world.  

UK

Divers discover U-boat wreckage   

A German U-boat sunk off Scotland's coast more than 90 years ago has been discovered by two divers, Jim MacLeod, of Bo'ness, and Martin Sinclair, from Falkirk, who found the wreckage of the U12 about 25 miles from Eyemouth at the weekend. They had been looking for the 60-metre wreck for the past five years. The precise location has now been reported to the German authorities because 19 sailors died in the sinking and relatives will be informed. The site has been declared an official war grave and will remain untouched. The Scottish divers had enlisted the help of a researcher who was able to get log books from destroyers HMS Ariel, Acheron and Attack involved in the sinking of the U12 to help pinpoint the site. They then used Eyemouth’s Marine Quest Dive Charters to visit the location where they found the boat 150ft down on the seabed.  

USOriskany divers generate U$3.6 million to local economy 

A study by the University of West Florida indicates that when the impact to Baldwin County, Alabama., is added, the economic impact of divers on the wreck of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany in its first year reached US$3.6 million. The Oriskany generated more than 4,200 chartered dive trips during the year, attracting visitors from across the United States. 

The USS Oriskany was sunk on May 17, 2006 in Florida and became the first US warship to be recycled into an artificial reef

Florida diners find pearl 

A couple in Florida were enjoying a plate of steamed clams when they made an unusual discovery: a rare purple pearl.George and Leslie Brock stopped at Dave's Last Resort & Raw Bar during a day at the beach. George was about halfway through a dozen clams when he chomped down on something hard - a rare purple pearl.At least one expert said the find could be worth thousands of dollars."Few are round and few are a lovely colour, so this is rare," said a Vermont gemmologist.The gems occur most frequently in large New England quahogs, clams known for violet colouring on the inside of their shells.