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Indonesia's Manta Sanctuary

2/21/2014

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Please see the Jakarta Globe article below:
Indonesia on Friday became home to the world’s biggest manta ray sanctuary covering millions of square kilometres, as it seeks to protect the huge winged fish and draw more tourists to the sprawling archipelago.

New legislation gives full protection to the creatures across all the waters surrounding Southeast Asia’s biggest country, which for years has been the world’s largest shark and ray fishery.

Protection group Conservation International hailed the “bold” move and said it was influenced by a recent government-backed review that showed a single manta ray was worth one million dollars in tourism revenue over its lifetime.

This compares to between $40 and $500 if caught and killed, the group said.

Many foreign tourists come to Indonesia every year to dive in some of the world’s most biodiverse waters and manta rays are a favorite sight.

The gentle beasts have wingspans up to 25 feet, which they flap to propel themselves through the water.

“Indonesia now has the second-largest manta ray tourism industry in the world, with an estimated annual turnover of $15 million,” said Agus Dermawan, a senior official from the ministry of marine affairs and fisheries.

“Given the huge area of reefs and islands in our country, if managed properly, Indonesia could become the top manta tourism destination on the planet.”

Indonesia is one of the few places in the world where tourists can easily see both species of manta rays, the oceanic and reef varieties. The new legislation protects both.

Taking tourists out to view rays and other creatures provides livelihoods for many people working in popular dive spots across Indonesia, such as Raja Ampat off the northwest tip of New Guinea island and around the resort island of Bali.

In recent years their numbers of rays have declined rapidly, however, due to voracious demand in China for their body parts for use in traditional medicine.

The new legislation protects manta rays within Indonesia’s 5.8 million square kilometres of ocean, banning fishing of the rays and their export.

It came a year after the local government in Raja Ampat announced the creation of a 46,000-square-kilometre shark and ray sanctuary.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies both species of manta ray as vulnerable.


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Diving between the Continents!

2/20/2014

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So due to weather I didn't get to dive up in Northern Iceland.  However, I did get the chance to head out to Silfra and dive between the continental plates!  As advertised the water was crystal clear at +2C and as a result these pics haven't even been retouched!

If you are going I would recommend the company I went with (dive.is) and I would also recommend self driving because after the dive we went up to Geysar and Gallfoss. 
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Kelvin and Silfra

2/12/2014

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Silfra,
Thingvellir National Park, Iceland


Today I am actually headed to Iceland for a week... I have booked to dive in Silfra:
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The Silfra fissure, is known as one of the top dive sites in the world two main reasons.

First, the Silfra fissure is actually a crack between the North American and Eurasian continents, meaning that you dive or snorkel right where the continental plates meet and drift apart about 2cm per year.

Silfra is the only place where one can dive or snorkel directly in the crack between two continental plates.

Secondly, the underwater visibility in the Silfra fissure is over 100 meters, which creates an underwater experience that will rarely, if ever, be surpassed. The reasons for this astounding water clarity are twofold: the water is cold (2°C – 4°C year round ) as it is glacial water from the nearby Langjökull and this water is filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years until it reaches the north end of Thingvellir lake, seeping out from underground wells. The Silfra water is as pristine as water can get and you can drink it at anytime during your dive or snorkel."

I am also trying to book a dive up north when I am in Ak
ureyri.  Will keep you posted! 

Kelvin Grove,
Howe Sound, British Columbia


Last weekend I had a great dive in Kelvin Grove with the usual suspects!!!  Found this cutie:
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(Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker)
Check out the set on my FLICKR site


Here is a shot from diving in Silfra, how awesome does this look?!
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Whale Sharks, Mantas & Mexico

2/8/2014

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There are few things that get me more excited than finding a nudibranch ...  two of them are mantas and whale sharks!  Big, gentle and amazing to encounter underwater!!! 

So, why am I writing about them today?  Well, because I am planning a trip to Isla Mujeres, Mexico in July 2014 to go play with these gentle giants! 

"During the summer months (June - September) hundreds of Whale Sharks gather just north of Isla Mujeres in a seven mile radius to take advantage of the plankton rich waters created by the joining of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea."

What could be better? 

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