ABC of Diving News Feed

Whaleless: Show Dedicated to the Whales

"Whaleless" is an art project dedicated to those artists wishing to express their indignation, rage, shame, disbelief or concern about the slow disappearance of the fascinating giant marine mammals. Pollution, whaling, and unacceptable fishing practices are only some of the causes that seriously endanger their survival. It seems that they are slowly but inevitably growing extinct, while the consequences of their gradual disappearance are impossible to predict. And yet we can be certain that the world's ecosystem � not just the oceans' but that of our entire planet � will be affected by this change. The world would not be the same without whales, which is why action needs to be taken immediately. To this end, a percentage of sales will be donated to Greenpeace.

The project "Whaleless" was born three years ago on the pages of the Italian Pig magazine and on whaleless.com; after receiving more than 200 artworks from all over the world (from the USA to Hong Kong, from Russia to Venezuela) and hundreds of thousands of clicks on the website, "Whaleless" is now on the road starting with Strychnin Gallery in London on July 11th. The exhibition will then head to major European cities over the next few years, trying to raise awareness for this global environmental problem. "Whaleless" was conceptualized by the Italian curators Giovanni Cervi and Res Pira.

Artists featured include (among others) Stuart Semple, Gemma Thompson, Luke Insect, and Catalina Estrada.

Opening reception will be on July 11th at 7 p.m. at Strychnin Gallery London. The exhibition runs until August 10th, 2008. Visit www.strychnin.com. (openPR)

International Year of the Reef Week - June 21-28

Kralendijk, Bonaire � Filled with exciting activities, interesting seminars, great prizes, and giveaways, the program for International Year of the Reef (IYOR) Week, part of Bonaire Dive Into Summer 2008, is adventure-filled and ideal for those looking to add an educational element to their vacation.

Each day of IYOR Week offers visitors the flexibility to enjoy their planned vacation on island, and as an added bonus, the option to take part in interactive dives and seminars, which practically guarantees a fun and educational vacation in Bonaire. As a highlight of the program, The Coral Reef Alliance's (CORAL's) Program Manager, Bryan Dias and EarthEcho International's co-founders Janice and Alexandra Cousteau will lead specialized dives and conservation-related seminars throughout the week at Sand Dollar Condominium Resort, the host hotel of IYOR Week, and other Bonaire locations. All participants that attend at least one IYOR Week activity will receive the chance to win books, magazine subscriptions, fish id cards, and much more. The more activities you attend, the more chances you have to win!

Visitors to Bonaire during IYOR Week can showcase their creativity by participating in the International Year of the Reef Non-Photo, Photo Contest. Participants need only to describe their favorite Bonaire reef in 100 words or less, including their favorite features of the reef, the fish species that inhabit the reef, and how many dives or snorkels they've experienced on the reef. The grand prize winner will have their description featured on Bonaire's official website www.tourismbonaire.com and on the official website of Bonaire Dive Into Summer 2008, www.bonairediveintosummer.com, in addition to fabulous other prizes. Hand-written submissions can be dropped off at the front desk of Sand Dollar Condominium Resort or emailed it to usa@tourismbonaire.com between June 22 and June 26. The winner will be announced at the Happy Hour with the Sand Dollar General Manager on June 27th at 5 p.m.

Furthermore, visitors can enter the Bonaire Dive Into Summer 2008 photo contest sponsored by Scuba Diving Magazine until September 30th. This opportunity gives Bonaire's island guests the chance to compete with each other for prizes by uploading their best Bonaire photos at www.BonaireDiveIntoSummer.com. Winners in three categories: wide angle, macro, and topside will be announced in October.

Bonaire Dive Into Summer 2008 is sponsored by the Tourism Corporation Bonaire, Scuba Diving Magazine, Continental Airlines, Coral Reef Alliance, EarthEcho International, STINAPA, and IYOR. For more information, visit www.bonairediveintosummer.com.

Located eighty-six miles east of Aruba, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations, and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun-worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities including world-renowned scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, landsailing, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, nature tours, hiking, bird watching, sailing, and deep sea and bone fishing. With a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guesthouses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.

Bonaire is the recipient of the prestigious Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization 2008 Sustainable Tourism Award and continues to be recognized as one of the top destinations worldwide for its sustainable tourism as reported by National Geographic Traveler magazine (March 2004) and Islands magazine (December 2007), and as one of the top diving destinations in the Atlantic/Caribbean for six years in a row in the Scuba Diving magazine's Readers' Choice Awards (2003-2008).

For more information on Bonaire, contact the Tourism Corporation Bonaire in the U.S. at 1-800-BONAIRE or visit Bonaire's official website at www.tourismbonaire.com.

Source:
www.iyor.org

Diving Specials at Little Cayman Beach Resort

Little Cayman is home to some of the Caribbean's best wall diving and the famous Bloody Bay Wall. The top of the wall starts in only 25ft. of water and drops into the abyss.

Little Cayman Beach Resort is located on a beautiful white sand beach for relaxing between and after dives. Listed below are the current specials offered by Little Cayman Beach Resort and Reef Divers, the on-site dive operator.

Special 1: *Valid for limited dates in January
Price = $1395.00pp *based on double occupancy
*Includes: Seven (7) nights accommodations, breakfast, lunch, & dinner daily, 17 boat dives, tanks, weights, & weight belts, round-trip airport transfers, and all hotel taxes

Special 2: Eagle Ray Round-Up
*Valid For Travel - January 3 - July 31, 2008 and November 1 - December 15, 2008
Price = $1409.00pp *based on double occupancy
Includes: Seven (7) Nights Poolview Room, breakfast and dinner daily, six (6) days of 2-Tank dives, airport transfers, and all hotel Taxes & Service Charges

Special 3: Bloody Bay Escape
*Valid for Travel - January 3 - December 15, 2008
Price = $1695.00pp *based on double occupancy
Includes: Seven (7) nights pool view accommodations, breakfast, lunch, & dinner, daily, 17 boat dives, one (1) night dive, 2 complimentary drinks per night, round-trip airport transfers, and all hotel taxes.

***Promotions are valid on select dates only.
**Prices are based on double occupancy, capacity controlled, based on availability, and subject to change.

Source:
www.diveguide.com

New Dive Center Opens in Bonaire

On 21 May 2008, Div'Ocean, the newest dive school in Bonaire, opened its doors.

Instructors Chris Verstappen and Paulien Wijnvoord teach PADI, SSI, IDD, SDI, IAHD, and WOSD dive courses. Dutch, English, and German are spoken. Courses in Spanish are available on request.

Boat dives, guided dives, guided night dives, and East Side dives are organized. Also, rental and service of equipment are provided as well as "air (also Nitrox) and weights only".

Div'Ocean not only offers quality, professionalism, and a relaxed atmosphere, but takes it one step further.

At Div'Ocean, the divers take a key position. Paulien and Chris will do their utmost to please their guests. They value service and are highly customer-oriented.

For more information, send an email at info@divocean-bonaire.com. Chris and Paulien are looking forward to meeting you in the shop.

Source:
www.xray-mag.com

Montauk Shark Tournament to be Held this Weekend

This weekend, the Star Island Yacht Club Shark Tournament will take place in Montauk, NY. The 2008 Annual Shark Tournament is being held on June 12�14. This year's website boasts a prize pool of more that $1,000,000 - the largest yet, which means that more sharks than ever are going to be killed. The greed and ignorance of the few will affect all of us. Why must these types of actions always lead to the decimation of species before we stop the madness?

Please bring your cameras and join us this Saturday and help cover this horrible event so that it can be broadcast to the world in efforts to create more awareness and help save our sharks. We will be working with major media to prevent this event from continuing next year.

You can also join the Humane Society rally to show your support on Saturday, June 14th from 4-5pm at the intersection of West Lake Drive and Star Island Drive, Montauk, NY. For more information on the rally, please contact Kathryn at kkullberg@humanesociety.org. - DivePhotoGuide.com

For more details on this news, please visit www.divephotoguide.com.