Malaysia
Hundreds of Fish Poisoned at Langkawi Aquarium
The main section of Malaysia's largest aquarium has been shut after about 600 fish died - possibly as a result of sabotage. Langkawi police chief Mohamed Ali Jamaludin said the water in the tanks at Langkawi Underwater World smelt of gasoline and was believed to be contaminated with a pesticide or poison.
Police are awaiting the results of a water analysis. The aquarium, which features some 5,000 ocean and freshwater fish, has offered a 10,000 Ringgit (US$2,900; EUR2,100) reward to anyone who provides information leading to an arrest. Corsica
American Team finds Two World War II Bombers and a Fighter off Corsica
A 13 man American military team searching for the remains of American soldiers from World War II has discovered the wreckage of two B-17 bombers and a P-47 fighter off the coast of Corsica. The B-17 bomber that crashed off the coast of Calvi in northern Corsica in February 1944 after a missed landing was found at a site known to local divers for decades. A second one was discovered near Ajaccio airport at a depth of 12 metres, said Howard Mariteragi, a member of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, which seeks to account for US soldiers missing during action. The P-47 fighter plane was discovered off the coast of Bastia after a Corsican diver provided the US team with the exact GPS coordinates of the wreckage. Thailand
Spanish Diver Missing of Koh Tao
31 year old Mercedes Lozano Agramunt from Valencia, has been reported missing after failing to return from a dive with a group of friends off Koh Tao (Turtle Island), which is one of the islands in Surat Thani province, roughly 600km south of Bangkok. "We haven't found her. There were very strong currents all day which changed directions several times," explained local police chief, Captain Khaset. Captain Khaset confirmed that the search operation, which involves several coastguard and navy vessels, will continue, although hopes of finding the missing woman still alive are fading. French
New CaledoniaWoman Bleeds to Death After Shark Attack.
A woman has been killed in a shark attack while swimming off the Loyalty Islands archipelago in French New Caledonia.The 23-year-old woman, who was on an early morning swim, bled to death after suffering a deep shark bite from knee to hip. Her friend swam ashore to ask local tribesmen for help, but they were too late. Philippines
Fishing laws tightened The Philippines has tightened laws banning fishing and collecting of species on the country's largest coral reef to help it recover from near destruction. The 27,400 hectare Apo Reef off the coast of Mindoro island has been almost drained of life by heavy fishing, including that by blast and cyanide fishing. A ban on fishing that was only partially enforced since it took effect in 1994, has helped restore some of the reef so that around half of it is now alive. Now a new local law just brought in is stepping up protection in what was once one of the world's top dive areas. Gregg Yan of the World Wildlife Fund - Philippines said the marine park would be opened for tourists to help generate funds for its protection as well as provide an alternative livelihood for hundreds of fishermen in the area. The Philippines tops a list of hotspots for endangered coral reefs due to destructive fishing methods and pollution. Some endangered species are returning to the reefs. Divers have seen a school of over a hundred scalloped hammerhead sharks,' Yan told reporters, adding that groups of manta and eagle rays had also been sighted in 'ever-higher concentration'. 'Even giants like the whale shark and sperm whales are being seen regularly, an indicator that biodiversity levels are returning,' he said. Ocean Rover to Relocate from Thailand to Indonesia June 2008
Jeroen Deknatel, managing director of Fantasea Divers – Ocean Rover Cruises recently signed an agreement with dive operators from Indonesia whereby liveaboard dive vessel Ocean Rover will change ownership and relocate to Manado, North Sulawesi, effective June 2008.Ocean Rover will complete all scheduled departures from Phuket during the 2007-2008 Thailand-Myanmar season, as well as two Andaman Islands expeditions planned for March-April 2008.From June 2008 onwards the vessel will operate under new management offering diving cruises in North Sulawesi and, commencing 2009, in Rajah Amphat.To ensure a smooth transition all correspondence, e-mails and reservations for Ocean Rover will continue to go through the existing channels until the new owners are ready to take over this task.Ocean Rover will continue to be maintained to IMO standards. In fact, with the vessel now seven years old, a complete overhaul of all machinery is taking place this October.Ocean Rover’s future owner is Austrian-born, Manado-based Roman Szalay. Inspired by legendary Austrian dive pioneer Hans Hass, Mr Szalay started snorkeling at the age of nine and has since become an accomplished underwater photographer and co-owner of several dive resorts in North Sulawesi.The annual DEMA dive industry trade show takes place in Orlando, Florida from 31 October until 3 November. Both Jeroen Deknatel and Roman Szalay will be present in the Ocean Rover booth and they look forward to meeting all the industry professionals that supported Ocean Rover over the years.For more information about Ocean Rover’s Indonesia cruises please visit ocean-rover.com |
