Just as State Department officials announced that Libya will be dropped from America's list of state sponsors of terror, the Independent Online is suggesting that the North African country might be the next hot travel/dive destination. Located on the southern edge of the Mediterranean, Libya is following Saudi Arabia's lead, hoping that holidaymakers who've already dived in North African waters (like Egypt's or even Crete's) will turn their sights on Colonel Qaddafi's homeland. In an effort to attract visitors, in fact, the country has secured roughly $3 billion in investment commitments to help build beach-front infrastructure.
In addition to a bevy of ...
My family lived in Cairo, Egypt when I was a boy. It was a terrific experience. During our time there, we visited tombs of pharaohs; saw light shows projected on the temples at Karnak; rode horses around the pyramids; swam in the Mediterranean; and much, much more. One day, I hope to return. In the meantime, however, I'm always on the lookout for new discoveries in that part of the world.
Yesterday, Egyptian authorities approved the underwater exploration of what appears to be a Roman city submerged in the Mediterranean, 20 miles east of the Suez Canal on Egypt's north coast, near Port ...
In a sense, any dive site that boasts a shipwreck is an underwater museum. Frozen in time, a wreck is a snapshot of maritime technology. However, more than just a glimpse at a ship's engineering, underwater archaeologists are able to learn about the culture that used it; reconstruct ancient shipping routes; or unravel some of history's mysteries. Even in the best case scenario, though, most sites only have one or two wrecks, which most people wouldn't call a "museum."
However, there are a number of places where harbors have flooded, or entire cities have dissolved into the sea, allowing history buffs, scuba ...
It's a new month, so it's time for a new issue of the always-excellent (and always free!) X-Ray Magazine. Issue #11 checks in at 98 pages, and is once again filled with vibrant images, current news, and great trip reports -- including Patagonia (despite being cold-water diving, this report just made Patagonia jump a few notches on my must-dive list!); El Hierro, Spain; Palau; and the Maldives. There's also a very interesting piece on coral bleaching; a cool adventure story called "Crossing the Atlantic"; and a super round-up of skin care products for water-lovers. I wish I'd printed this issue ...
Husband-and-wife team Beth and Shaun Tierney recently published a book called Diving The World. Part of Footprint Travel Guides, Diving The World carefully describes and compares over 200 of the world's top dive sites, including Australia, PNG, Solomons, Fiji, Galápagos, Belize, Mexico, Honduras, Egypt, East Africa, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, and Micronesia. The 352-page book is crammed (in a good way) with maps, color photos, information on climate and dive conditions, anecdotes of the various dive sites, local conservation issues, and suggested top-side activities. Looking inside the book set my mouth to watering. Must...get...copy...
For a taste of what the book is like, check out ...
An international team of marine scientists returns to the Chatham Islands next week hoping to fit satellite tags on up to 13 great white sharks. The tags will allow the scientists to track the sharks’ movements for up to nine months.
The team is led ...
The 27,400 ...
Back in November, I mentioned South Africa’s Shark Lady and her “Crystal Cage” – a virtually invisible Lexan cage with 250 times the impact strength of glass. Capable of withstanding an attack by a great white, the Crystal Cage isn’t really a cage at all. Rather, it’s a ...
Juergen Freund of Queensland, Australia is a winner in the NatureÂ’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards 2007 competition. His image titled Dwarf Minke Whale won first place in the Oceans category.
One of the most prestigious photo contests in the world, drawing over 17,000 entries from photographers in ...
Blue Tangs are often found roaming the reef, in search of their favourite food - algae. They are surgeonfish which may appear either singly or in large schools, which can contain hundreds of individuals.
The name surgeonfish comes from the defensive spines located on the caudal peduncle (the part of the ...