Underwater Attractions Articles

(Dive Travel Business - February 28, 2011) -- New research suggests that the  waters of the Persian Gulf may be hiding a lost civilization.  If found, this civilization could change our understanding of human history. In a paper recently published in Current Anthropology, this huge fertile stretch of land may have been home to humans from about 74,000 years ago until about 8,000 years ago. 

But when the waters around them began to rise, these early humans moved to what is now the Gulf shoreline, founding new settlements that archeologists have recently discovered. Over 60 settlements have been discovered, and boast well-built, permanent stone houses, long-distance trade networks, elaborately decorated pottery, domesticated animals, and even evidence for one of the oldest boats in the world.

According to Jeffrey Rose of the University of Birmingham, such sophisticated settlements couldn't have developed so quickly, which is why he believes even older settlements lie beneath gulf waters. If true, Rose's hypothesis could offer a clue as to how and when human beings first departed Africa and settled in the Middle East. read more »

(Dive Travel Business - August 2, 2010) -- Plans are underway for a milestone birthday celebration as John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, America's first underwater preserve, turns 50 years old. The historic event is set for Dec. 1 through Dec. 11, 2010, offering an ideal occasion for divers, snorkelers and other visitors to discover or rediscover the Key Largo park.

The park was dedicated Dec. 10, 1960, capping efforts by the late Miami Herald editor John Pennekamp to create the Florida Keys jewel that lies just 90 minutes' drive from Miami. Today, the park named for Pennekamp draws more than one million visitors annually to explore its nature trails and beaches and observe the abundant underwater wildlife that inhabits its 70 nautical miles. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - July 23, 2010) -- Anyone who saw a "Sharks of the World" poster as a youngster surely felt the mystique of the whale shark, largest shark in the world and biggest fish in the sea. Lurking behind the other shark species — bigger, even, than the mighty great white — the enormous size and peculiar spots of the whale shark stood out. Very definitely the whale shark was coolest of all sharks.

Whale sharks grow up to 40 feet but have very small teeth and aren't predatory. That means they won't try to eat you. Gentle giants, they gather each fall at Bahia de Los Angeles — almost halfway down the Baja Peninsula on the Sea of Cortez — to filter-feed on microscopic organisms called plankton.

The sharks swim slowly near the surface, keeping their large mouths open to gorge on the clouds of plankton that color the water jade that time of year. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - July 9, 2010) -- Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a bill aimed at banning shark feeding in state waters, including Oahu shark cage tours operated on the island's north shore.

Violators of House Bill 2583 would have been charged $5,000 for each offense and had their vessels impounded.

Lingle said in her July 6 veto message that the proposed legislation was unconstitutional because it addressed more than one topic. HB 2583 was originally crafted to manage impoundment fees linked to vessels moored without authorization. Language related to the ban on shark feeding was included later.

See DTBN's previous background article here.

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(Dive Travel Business News - May 13, 2010) --   Golden Conspiracy is the on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller that every lover of adventure novels hopes to find. From treasure hunter Jacsen Kidd’s first inkling that a conspiracy exists in a navigator’s diary dating back five hundred years, to the discovery of a Spanish gold cross and an ancient petroglyph, author Robert James Glider weaves a tale of deception, mystery, and murder.

Joined by his partner Pericles Schmoond, Jac sets out to look for the one clue that will lead them to the gold lost when a ship went down in 1503. With documents in hand and that cargo of gold bullion beckoning them like Lorelei into the ocean’s depths, our heroes quickly find themselves hunted by an evil French antiquities collector and a former KGB operative. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News -May 11, 2010 ) -- Pinel Island (aka Isle Pinel, or in French Ilet Pinel or Ile de Pinel) is a tiny island on the north east end of St. Martin, 5 minutes off the shores of French Cul de Sac, and a few hundred yards off the northern end of Orient Bay. It is the place where people on the island Saint Martin (the French northern side) / Sint Maarten (the Dutch southern side)go to relax.

At French Cul de Sac visitors will find a wooden dock, parking and a shack that rents out Kayaks. Vendors and small ferry boats are waiting there to take daytrippers on a five minute taxi boat ride ($7 pp) for a relaxing day of exploring, sunbathing, or a picnic on this laid back protected tropical island. There are beautiful sandy beaches on the island and it is also worth to take some hiking shoes and hike to the two deserted beaches on the opposite side. Pinel is known as the St. Tropez of the Caribbean - The deserted beaches are clothing optional while the main beach is not. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - April 15, 2010) -- Bill Willard is a self-described Titanic enthusiast who wants to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the White Star Line luxury cruise liner Titanic - in a big way. Willard has teamed up with upscale line Azamara Club Cruises to offer "Voyages! Titanic 2012" to commemorate the maritime disaster.  He knows there will be a lot of enthusiasts like himself ready to make the cruise of a lifetime to the world's most famous shipwreck.

Sailing out of Boston,  the 700-passenger Azamara Journey will provide a nine-day "voyage of remembrance and exploration" to the site of the wreck of the famed ship that sank April 15, 1912. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - Februay 26, 2010) -- Jokes about cheap shark steaks quickly spread across the Internet in the wake of a leak in the world's largest aquarium on Feb 25, 2010. The 2.5 million gallon Dubai Aquarium is home to more than 33,000 fish including 400 sharks and stingrays.

According to the UK's Daily Telegraph, visitors fled as water shot out from a cracked seam in the glass of a viewing panel at the Aquarium.   As the resulting flooding spread, scores of shoppers hitched up their pant legs and skirts to flee the building. Water was seen spreading across the mall concourse and flowing down towards the car parking area and basement. Eventually workers outside the aquarium and 6 divers inside the tank were able to stem the flow and the Aquarium was reopened to the public later in the evening. read more »

(May 29, 2009 - DTN) - Coming as it did so soon after the sinking of the Titanic, the loss of the Empress of Ireland on May 29, 1914, underlined the difficulty of building a ship that couldn't sink, even of building a ship guaranteed to sink so slowly that rescue was inevitable. 

The Empress of Ireland had a new captain, and it was his first voyage on the Saint Lawrence River in command of the ship carrying 1,477 passengers and crew. The Empress departed Quebec City the afternoon of May 28 on its way for the transatlantic trip to Liverpool. At 2:00 am on May 29th, a heavy fog had settled over the water. Suddenly, the Empress was struck broadside by another ship, the Storstad. Most of the passengers were asleep. The Empress quickly took on water and began to sink, near Pointe-au-Pere, Quebec. The ship rolled onto its side and 14 minutes later was gone with 1012 of its passengers and crew.  read more »

(April 3, 2008 - DTN) -- Hilton Hotels has added the new Dolphin Quest Village unit at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii. The three-building unit (designed to be “green” structures) will feature an “Encounter Club” and a learning center to enhance guests’ experiences with the hotel’s Dolphin Quest Learning Lagoon. read more »

(May 30, 2008 - Spiegel Online International) -- Found off of the coast of India, the island nation of the Maldives  is seeing the same devastating effects as Australia. Because of its small size, it is in particular danger of being wiped out by the global warming problems of the region. Scientists give it only about one hundred years before it completely disappears into the ocean surrounding it.

Pick up a standard map of the world and chances are decent that the Maldives won’t even be on it. The archipelago nation made up of 1,200 tiny islands — ranked 175th in the world for population (330,000) and 167th in terms of gross domestic product ($660 million) — is known to most of the world, if it is known at all, as a tourist destination. With a total area about the size of Washington D.C., no major resources beyond its beautiful scenery and a location of little strategic importance, the island nation has never played much of a role in global affairs. And yet its very existence is becoming a global responsibility. read more »