May 2005 :
Australia
- "Adventure
Diving" with
Undersea Explorer - New itineraries: Spirit of Freedom
- Hans
Hass - Diving History on the Barrier Reef
Papua New Guinea
Micronesia
South East Asia
Diversion Marine Conservation Fund
- Tigershark Research - update on "Lola"
- Research boat for Andaman Island
- Papua New Guinea Mooring Project
DIVERSION DIVE TRAVEL Newsletter May 2005
Online HTML version (English) | Online HTML Version (deutsch)
As
the year ticks by, the merry month of May brings with it the worldwide
seasonal changes that we all enjoy ! Whether it's spring or autumn in
your neck of the woods we hope that you have been able to enjoy some great
diving recently - either at one of our destinations or nearer to home.
However, if you haven't had the chance to get your dive gear out recently
or you just can't get enough under the surface then you'd better keep
reading....
In this newsletter we take a look at some of the old favourites and new
itineraries on the Great Barrier Reef, then we let you in on a not so
well known story about diving legend Hans Hass.
PNG has a bright new resort in Milne Bay - Tawali Dive Resort- and the
"old" favourite of Loloata Island still shines with it's excellent
diving....Ange tells us more about her recent visits there.
Earlier this month a quick visit to Yap by Claudia & Dirk enabled us to witness for ourselves the substantial improvements made to the Mantaray Bay Hotel and it's dive Shop.
Thailand is one of our newest destinations and we asked our operators to keep us updated in the aftermath of the tsunami.
The Diversion Marine Conservation fund has been very active. Read about two of our new projects that have been recently funded with your helps.
The generousity of divers worldwide knows no bounds, so whatever depth your at, may all your bubbles be happy ones !
Australia
"Adventure Diving" with Undersea Explorer
We
receive an increasing numbers of enquiries from very experienced divers
who ask for a special dive experience in Australia. That's when we particularly
like to recommend the Undersea Explorer's 6 night Expeditions. For "adventure
diving" at it's best and for a slightly more educational experience,
it's certainly worth considering this trip as, apart from being an excellent
commercial liveaboard, the Undersea Explorer is also a working research
vessel. All trips have "real" marine biologists on-board, who
are undertaking constant marine environment research. As well as gaining
more knowledge on the behavioural patterns of the marine life, the crew
go to great lengths to ensure that guests receive a truly interactive
experience on board.
The interesting part of these research programs is that the guests may
participate in the research. However, participation is purely voluntary,
and guests are welcome to to join in with this as much or as little as
they wish.
All cabins on board this vessel are twin or double berths with share bathroom facilities. Whilst the vessel cannot in itself be described as a "deluxe" or "luxury" vessel it provides comfortable accommodation for guests, is extremely well equipped to cater for the needs of divers of all levels and it is the unique diving experiences that makes this trip unique.
Undersea
Explorer is a non profit organization, and all profits are donated to
marine research projects. So, part of what divers pay for their trips
will be used to finance further research. 6 night trips depart from Port
Douglas on Saturday evenings, returning the following Friday afternoon.
Additionally, this vessel also operates special Minke Whale and extended
Far Northern Reef trips at certain times of the year. The crew has also
been able to locate what appears to be a favourite hang-out for Manta
Rays and regular sightings have been noted over the last few months. The
"timing & location" combination that is vital for successful
Manta spotting is exclusive to Undersea Explorer.
http://www.diversionoz.com/en/underseaexplorer.htm
New itineraries: Spirit of Freedom
After
two great years of successful operation, listening to diver feedback,
and always striving for improvement, Spirit of Freedom are very happy
to introduce an exciting change to their existing itineraries. Each Thursday,
commencing 30 June 2005, Spirit of Freedom will include a one way low-level
flight to or from Lizard Island.
This
is a great way to see the reef from up above and to also enjoy the beauty
of the coastline, fringed as it is by World Heritage listed rainforest.
This low altitude flight (900ft/300m) ensures that there's no problem
with flying back to Cairns after a great dive trip, and that you spend
less time travelling to and from this remote region, and more time there
just enoying it !
Consequently, the number of dives have increased on all itineraries due
to these flights.
Whilst there
are some small time changes, you will be happy to know that there are
no changes to the departure/ return day, and, even better, no changes
to 2005/2006 rates !
Due to prior commitments, there are a few selected departures in 2005
where the flights will not be offered, so please check the trip schedule
on our Spirit of Freedom webpage or e-mail us.
http://www.diversionoz.com/en/spiritoffreedomnew.htm
Hans Hass - Diving History on the Barrier Reef
Hans
and Lotte Hass do not need a long introduction amongst the diving fraternity
as the couple are renowned for their pioneering work in scuba diving.
Hans Hass started to explore the seas long before the name Cousteau became
a diving celebrity. Did you know that he did some pioneering dives in
the Cairns area during the 1950's?
A dear friend did a bit of research about this visit and
found some interesting articles amongst
the archives of the Cairns Post that were published in December
1952.
It had long
been their dream to dive the Great Barrier Reef and, in particular, to
dive with sharks. When the couple arrived in Sydney in early December
1952, they received a lot of media attention. In those days very little
was known about sharks and they were all considered to be killers by the
majority of Australians. One doctor, an "expert on shark bites",
insisted on showing Hass his photo collection of shark victims to convince
them not to dive with these fearsome creatures.
However, the photos didn't stop them and Hans Hass travelled to Cairns
then went to Green Island for a day where he had an encounter with a 12
foot hammerhead shark and took the first ever underwater photograph of
a hammerhead shark. (Today, we can only dream of seeing a hammerhead there
as it's now very unlikely to see any sharks around Green Island at all.)
Australians
at the time could not understand how Hans thought that sharks were beautiful
creatures. In some articles Hans Hass was celebrated as a hero, but he
was challenged as well - a diver from Brisbane mentioned he would call
Hass really brave if he would spend 10 minutes in the shark infested waters
at Tangalooma whaling station, which then existed on Moreton Island (near
Brisbane - today a popular dolphin watching point).
As the Cairns Post quoted: "it must be during the whaling season
when man-eaters swam in dozens in the blood stained sea near the flensing
station."
People had no idea in those days that it was quite different meeting a
shark in the natural environment to encountering it in a "feeding
frenzy" mood that was more likely in the whaling station waters.
In 1952, Hans' knowledge at the time was far more developed than most
Australians could comprehend so, of course, he wisely declined the challenge
of diving at Tangalooma !
Today, Hans Hass is a few steps ahead again. He is involved in with protecting
sharks world wide and is asking everyone to join him. Currently he supports
the campaign by "Longitude 181" to stop shark finning in Polynesia
(Tahiti) and to protect sharks from extinction.
If you want to support this campaign please follow this link:
http://www.longitude181.com/actions/appeal.html
Papua New Guinea
Tawali
Resort - the new dive resort in Milne Bay
I
arrived at Alotau Airport in the afternoon and was met by Rob Vanderloos,
my driver and guide for a 1 hour drive through some of the most beautiful
rainforest. I then changed mode of transport and hopped on a little boat,
which took 15 minutes to deliver me to the stunning Tawali Resort.
You really have to look carefully to spot the buildings in amongst the rainforest, they blend in very well. The dingy dropped me off at the main jetty and the timber boardwalk lead me up to the main building. Here, I was met by David, the resort manager, with a cold glass of juice. We ventured out to the big veranda, which sits right on the cliff and looks down on one of the house reefs. On most days, you could watch some of the more colourful fishes from the comfort of the chair, without even getting wet. While I was there, the guys from the resort had even ordered a pot of dolphins for me, which we were watching from the verandah during breakfast. Bliss !!!!
The rooms
are located two to a bungalow and are very spacious, with two double beds,
a small sitting area, air-conditioning, a desk, a small wardrobe and your
own bathroom. They also have their own little balcony and unless you really
try, you can't see your neighbours. The boardwalk from the main building
to the rooms is undercover, so no need to bring the umbrella.
The
whole resort is constructed using beautiful local timber material, with
hand-carved poles and many PNG artifacts on walls and tables. A small
bar serves drinks, and dining is either in the intimate dining room or
out on the balcony or verandah.
A library, which is located in its own bungalow, offers reading material
of all sorts, from fiction to, of course, reef books.
The dive building holds all the dive equipment and is very roomy. A camera
room is nearing completion and holds big tables and rinse containers.
The diving was fantastic. There is a little muck-diving to be done, but most of it is reef diving. The day boat can zoom into actual Milne Bay in a very short time, where you can do some great drift diving.
Loads
of fish life there, of course. The house reefs are a 10-15 minute dingy
ride away and on my very first dive there, at a site called "Wahoo",
I saw 13 small mantas, 9 barracudas and a 3-metre hammerhead shark, all
at the same time. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera, but they all
would have made it on the same picture!!! I was one happy girl!
The staff are very helpful and Seba, the Dive Instructor, is very experienced and knowledgeable. He and the boat boys look after the clients and their gear beautifully.
I can highly recommend Tawali, especially for couples where only one is a diver, the other one a snorkeller. There is plenty of snorkeling to be enjoyed - I snorkeled for 2 hours one morning. The snorkeling reef can be accessed from the main jetty, no need to take the boat.
The resort
also offers a tour to the local waterfall and the skull cave, at a cost
of 30 Kina each, which goes to the villagers, not the resort. There are
also plans to build small sailing boats (2-3 people) and hire them out
to the guests. There is a small beach, also, but it is quite compact.
However, the resort only accommodates up to 20 guests, so the beach doesn't
need to be too big.
http://www.diversionoz.com/en/tawali.htm
Loloata Island Resort - A "must see" in PNG
It
was in January that Diversion received an invitation to the PNG Dive Association
Annual General Meeting. As a member of the association, at least one of
us always attends the larger meetings, but this year we'd all enough of
writing about all the beautiful dive spots in the world and sending our
clients there.....we wanted to get out there ourselves for a change! As
a result the whole office went to Loloata Island for the PNGDA AGM in
mid-March this year.
Loloata Island is located just off Port Moresby and is easily accessible from the airport. A 20 minute bus ride is followed by a 15 minute boat transfer and within an hour of landing at Port Moresby International Airport, you are at this beautiful tropical island.
The
word Loloata is made from two Motu words, "loloa" and "ta",
which means "hill" and "one", so "one hill".
And that's really what the island is, one big hill. The resort is located
at one end of the island, at the bottom of the hill. It's not a luxurious
resort, but it's been operating for many years and has a homely feel to
it.
The first thing you notice is the long jetty with big black clouds of garfish underneath. It's very tempting to want to jump into the middle of all these fish, but of course we didn't! You then arrive at the actual resort and the inviting undercover outdoor guest area. Here, meals are served buffet style and once a week, local dancers entertain the resort's guests during dinner.
There
are two types of accommodation, the standard bungalows and the deluxe
bungalows. The standard bungalows are close to the main buildings and
are the home to two twin/double/triple bedrooms. They feature ceiling
fans, private bathrooms, a double and a single bed and a spacious verandah,
which is shared with the other bedroom. These bungalows are set right
on the water's edge and on high tide, the water actually comes up to under
the verandah. Across the bay, you see Bootless Bay and a spectacular colour
feast on sunset.
The deluxe bungalows also house 2 twin/double/triple bedrooms each, which
feature a double and a single bed, air-conditioning, private bathrooms,
tea/coffee making facilities and again, a shared verandah with awesome
views. These bungalows are a 5-minute walk from the main buildings.
The diving at Loloata is the real attraction. The visibility isn't as great as it can be in other areas of PNG, but the close proximity to Moresby and the wrecks and marine life on display certainly make up for this. The dive guides show you almost any marine critter you'd expect to find in PNG from tiny Pygmy seahorses to sharks and rays.
We
dived sites like the MV Pai II & Pacific Gas, two wrecks that lie
in 16-30 and 15-23 metres respectively. The current at Pai II was quite
strong, but it made for great fish life. We also went to Di's Delight,
where the Gorgonian Fans are huge, to Suzie's Bommie, where we spotted
one of a few Pigmy Seahorses, a Rhinopius Fish and a Crocodile Fish, and
to Lion Island, where the wreck of a small sailing vessel is covered in
thousands of banded and hingeback shrimps. Sybille also spotted some flying
gurnards and a cuttlefish, that brought up this amazing electric blue
stripe when it got a little upset.
All in all,
we had a fantastic time and the 5 days spent at Loloata Island just weren't
long enough. The diving around Loloata Island is awesome and well-worth
a visit. Many people think that Port Moresby itself doesn't have a lot
to offer, but Loloata proves these people wrong.
http://www.diversionoz.com/en/loloataisland.htm
Micronesia
Manta Ray Bay Hotel & Yap Divers - renovations on schedule!
Claudia
and I just returned from a brief visit to Yap. After a cyclone in April
04 had damaged a lot of property and many of the cultural sites on the
island it was time to visit and see the changes.
For the Mantaray Bay Hotel and Yap divers, the cyclone prompted an amazing drive to renovate and upgrade all facilities. At the time of our visit (8-11 May 05) the new building with the spacious diveshop was completed, the new "Manta Pool" is a very inviting space to relax after an exciting day of diving.
Bill
Acker, the owner of the hotel and dive operation, assured us that the
ongoing renovations are carried out with minimal impact on the guest:
"We
brief everyone upon arrival about the current projects and ask every guest
to immediately notify us if they feel disturbed by the activities".
Building work should be completed by November 2005.
The mantas in Mil' Channel were an outstanding highlight of our dive trip. It is worth coming back a couple of times to truly take in the grace of these majestic animals. For everyone certified with NITROX, this is a good dive to use your extended bottom time!
http://diversionOZ.com/en/mantaraybay.htm.
Truk
- Aggressor leaving
Truk
Aggressor has just announced the relocation of their vessel from Truk
in October 2005.
Truk is the "holy grail" for wreck divers. It is also a fantastic
place for coral and reef fish - using the wrecks as artificial reefs.
If you want to dive Truk on the Aggressor then you need to come quickly. If you can't make it before October, Truk Odyssey and Thorfinn are most certainly going to stay and, along with the land based option at the Truk Stop Hotel, are excellent ways to show you the best diving in Truk Lagoon.
The new destination fur the boat is going to be in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Sybille has just been there and we will feature an article about this exciting region in our next issue.
http://www.diversionoz.com/en/truk.htm
South East Asia
We are sure you have all heard a number of times that the diving in Thailand is back to normal and our business associates over there have all confirm that accommodation places, restaurants, dive and tour operators are open for business in good old typical friendly Thai style. On Phuket, there is still some reconstruction in progress, but most of the island is thankfully back to its former glory.
What every business in Thailand needs most right now are the visitors to this beautiful area. Most operators employ many local staff and it's these people that feel the after effects of the Tsunami more than anyone else. If Thailand is on your list of priorities then this season will be a very good time to go! From May, the liveaboards on Phuket take their annual break until early November when they will be back in force, hopefully with full boats !
MY
Viking of the Orient will visit the Similan Islands and Richelieu
Rock on 5 day liveaboard trips, starting 4 November 2005. This vessel
is huge, with a sun deck and outdoor saloon that spans over 175sqm - just
imagine what a party you could have!
The main deck accommodates the 10 double cabins, all with access to a
mini-balcony and private facilities and power sockets for recharging your
batteries or your laptop are also featured in every cabin.
Delicious Thai food is served in the saloon, either inside or alfresco. The Viking is probably the most beautiful boat to grace the waters around the Similans.
The
MY Anggun has not released a detailed schedule for later this year,
but they will include trips to the south of the Andaman Sea, including
the Similan and Southern Islands. For the underwater photography enthusiasts,
the by now famous Thailand/Myanmar Safaris will continue.
There will also be plenty of opportunity to discover all the little critters around the Mergui Archipelago. The beautiful cabins all have air-conditioning and private facilities for up to 14 divers. Nitrox is available on board.
Mermaid
II commences her season in on 17 October with a 4-day Similans trip,
followed by a 2-day Hin Daeng trip. The trips will alternate like that
right through to mid December, when the boat will stay around the Similan
Islands for a while. Of course, you can always combine the two trips to
make one 6-day cruise.
Mermaid I opens her Thai season on 7 November with a 4-day Phuket/ Similan/
Richelieu/Ranong trip. There will also be 5-day trips from Ranong to Burma
and back as well as 9-day trips from Ranong to Burma and back to Phuket.
Until November, she is cruising the waters between Bali and Komodo, which
is certainly a great dive experience.
Both boats are very comfortable and spacious, with Mermaid I taking up
to 15 guests and Mermaid II up to 20 passengers. Both boats offer Nitrox
diving.
From 3 June to 28 October, Mermaid I cruises the Indonesian waters between
Bali and Komodo, departing Friday afternoons and returning Friday mornings.
The
MV Sai Mai commences their season with a 7-night trip on 4 November
2005 and offers 7, 9 and 11-night trips till the end of April next year.
During these Burma Safaris, they visit places like Clara Islands, Black
Rock and Burma Banks. Reef, drop-offs, caves and tunnels should keep every
diver happy. The boat has 6 beautiful twin cabins with shared facilities.
The dive deck is large and designed to give the divers maximum storage
space as well as room to move.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out your dive gear, have it checked over, and in the meantime, let us check out the travel arrangements for you!
http://www.diversionoz.com/en/sea/thailand.htm
Diversion Marine Conservation Fund
With an active diving season and the help of our clients at Diversion Dive Travel, the Marine Conservation Fund has been able to support two new projects. With your help we have funded a new research boat for the Tsunami stricken Andaman Island. The Papua New Guinea Divers Association has received a new hydraulic drill to continue their important mooring project in all diving regions of PNG. First of all, though, an update for you on our tigershark project:
Lola the
tigershark - update
In
our last newsletter we introduced the Diversion Marine Conservation Fund
and it's first project - the tagging of a tigershark near Raine Island.
The female shark had been tracked for two weeks travelling south towards Charlotte Bay. Sadly, the last signal was recorded by the CSIRO on December 12 - roughly two weeks after she had been tagged.
What has happened since? Richard Fitzpatrick, the chief researcher on this project, reckons that a malfunction of the satelite tag is the most likely explanation. This is unfortunate, but it's a part of research "in the wild". The data we have received from this experiment is limited, so it is the more important to keep the programme alive. Undersea Explorer will go up to Raine Island again towards the end of this year and we all hope to be more lucky with the project this time around. Here is the link to the official Shark Tracking site:
http://www.sharkresearch.com/lola_research.htm
For a personal
account from Richard Fitzpatrick about his ideas and feelings on sharks
and shark research:
http://diversionOZ.com/en/tigersharkrichard.htm
Patrol
boat for the Green Life Society (GLS) on Andaman Island
- Restarting
conservation efforts on dugong, turtles and coral reefs after the Tsunami
-
The
Andaman Islands, being extremely close to the epicenter of the massive
December 2004 earthquake, were severely affected by the tsunami. We now
know that the disaster killed over 1,500 islanders, with many still missing,
and displaced 55,000 others. The tsunami wiped out scores of villages,
altered the geography of entire islands, and created mountains of debris,
which threaten to choke and destroy coral reefs.
The islands contain one of the world’s largest mangrove ecosystems, with extensive networks of mangrove creeks inhabited by saltwater crocodiles and the giant monitor lizards. The islands are also fringed by spectacular coral reefs, which support thousands of species of fish, coelenterates, mollusks, crustaceans, and sea snakes. Mangroves are extremely important: they protect coastlines from wave damage, protect coral reefs by filtering mud and sediments from the land, and act as a nursery for juvenile fish species.
Human life and property were not the only victims of the tsunami. Untold acres of coral reefs were damaged not only by the initial impact but also by the debris, sewage, and sediments that were washed back out to sea.
After the initial assistance to contain the human catastrophe, it is now time to rebuild.
The Green Life Society has been active before the tsunami to research and protect dugong and turtle populations ad to monitor reef health around the islands. Their only research vessel was destroyed during the tsunami and they are in need of assistance to restart their work:
“The
Andaman Islands are a group of islands and the only way to get around
and especially to research sites is via boat. Our own boat, which has
been destroyed, is lying somewhere at the bottom of the Junglighat Jetty
and it is too dangerous at the moment to dive down there, as the jetty
has also collapsed and is also barely hanging on.”
Hasmukh Hoslo Jiwa, GLS Chairman
Together with the Coral Reef Alliance and EarthAIDE, Diversion Marine Conservation Fund has provided USD 5000 to purchase a new research dinghy for the Green Life Society.
Links 
With the new boat which should start operation in June 05 the GreenLife Society will recommence the monitoring of several coral reef sites around the islands to assess the impact of tourism and other influences, which is essential to ensure that the islands’ coral reefs are kept healthy for generations to come.
Papua New Guinea Mooring Project
Papua
New Guinea (PNG) possesses close to 40,000 square kilometers of pristine
coral reefs, sea grass beds, and mangrove forests. PNG’s marine life
is incredibly diverse, with Milne Bay one of the richest coral reef ecosystem
in the world. PNG’s coral reefs are in excellent condition, but human
threats are on the rise. Although tourism offers an alternative for local
residents to destructive practices such as destructive fishing, dive sites
are starting to show signs of impact.
Since 1998 the PNG’s Divers Association has initiated an Environmental Mooring Program to install mooring buoys across the region. Mooring buoys have so far been installed in Milne Bay, Kimbe, Kavieng, Madang, Port Moresby areas but more are needed to reduce anchor damage in a significant way.
The original hydraulic drill to construct the moorings was in need of urgent replacement. With Papua New Guinea being "our" premier dive destination, it is with great pleasure that the Diversion Marine Conservation Fund contributed USD 4000 to the PNGDA to replace this important piece of machinery. The funding was facilitated via the Coral Reef Alliances' Park Buddy scheme. The immediate purpose for the new drill will be to install 40 new moorings in Milne Bay and reinforce some of the existing moorings. The installation equipment will be shared with the rest of PNG’s diving community, contributing significantly to conservation in other reef areas of PNG.
Specials
Please bookmark the following link for all the latest and greatest specials.
http://diversionOZ.com/en/specials.htm
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