Belize

Belize Supreme Court Halts Offshore Oil Drilling to Protect Barrier Reef

(Dive Travel Business News - April 18, 2013) -- BELIZE CITY, Belize - Belize's Supreme Court declared offshore drilling contracts issued by the Government of Belize (in 2004 and 2007) null and void, providing a dramatic and potentially definitive setback to The Government of Belize and the petroleum prospecting companies issued the contracts.

The ruling, handed down by Justice Oswell Legall, was in response to a case brought by Oceana, COLA, and the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage. It effectively ends the Belizean government's immediate effort to allow offshore oil drilling in the Meso American Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world.

The court overturned the contracts after determining that the government failed to assess the environmental impact on Belize's ocean, as required by law, prior to issuing the contracts. The court also found that contracts were made to companies that did not demonstrate a proven ability to contribute the necessary funds, assets, machinery, equipment, tools and technical expertise to drill safely. read more »

Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas Extends Deals to Seven Different Destinations

(Dive Travel Business News - January 21, 2013) -- Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas, an innovative leader in dive travel, is extending dive package deals to 7 different dive destinations. Maduro Dive Fanta-Seas is offering excellent value with these packages to the following destinations and well-known suppliers:

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – Humboldt Explorer Liveaboard ~ Save $1,200 per person to every diver’s “must do” destination

$2,950 with Free Nitrox for any of these dates in 2013:
April 8 – April 15, 2013
April 29 – May 6, 2013
May 27 – June 3, 2013

Packages include 8 days / 7 nights aboard the vessel, 3 meals daily, plus between meals snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, up to 3 dives per day, free Nitrox for Nitrox certified divers, transfers and government taxes. Fuel surcharges, National Park and chamber, tourist fees, any hotel stay, non-Galapagos transfers, crew gratuities, last evening meal are additional. read more »

Blue Caribbean Expands to US, Canada; Collaborates with Paul Humann in Tobago Event.

Blue Caribbean Expands to US, Canada; Collaborates w Paul Humann in Tobago Event

(Dive Travel Business News - January 31, 2012) -- Blue magazine, the first print and online magazine focused exclusively on the Caribbean's numerous dive and ecotourism attractions, that launched its first edition in late 2010, continues its successful international promotion of the Caribbean dive market. After only one year in publication, Blue’s newest and current issue, will be in select areas of Barnes & Noble bookstores in the US from February. Exquisite multipage spreads will feature the amazing dive destinations of Saba, Grenada and the British Virgin Islands.

The exclusive niche-market publication has grown considerably in popularity, using its ability to showcase the region's most alluring dive destinations with photography and editorial that blends culture and other activities related to nature or water. read more »

Dive Buddy Weeks with Dancer Fleet in 2012

(Dive Travel Business - January 31, 2012) -- Diving is meant to be shared. To encourage positive Buddy relationships the Dancer Fleet is continuing its “Dive Buddy Week” promotions in 2012 on select Dancer Fleet departures. When one diver is booked on a dive buddy week at regular price, his or her dive buddy travels for ½ off the regular cruise price. Single divers booked during Dive Buddy Week receive a 25% per person discount.

The Dive Buddy Week Schedule for 2012 includes Komodo Island, Cocos Island, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Bahamas and Belize. Yachts and cruise start dates are as follows:

Komodo Dancer (Komodo): 12-MAR-2012, 05-JUN-2012
Wind Dancer (Cocos Island): 31-MAR-2012, 08-Dec-2012
Star Dancer ((Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea): 19-JUN-2012, 28-AUG-2012
Tropic Dancer (Palau): 08-JULY-2012, 23-SEPT-2012
Island Dancer (Fiji): 11-AUG-2012, 06-OCT-2012
Carib Dancer (Bahamas): 18-AUG-2012, 03-NOV-2012
Sun Dancer II (Belize): 08-SEPT-2012, 13-OCT-2012 read more »

Nekton Diving Cruises Ceases Operations

(Dive Travel Business News - May 31, 2010) -- Nekton Diving Cruises ceased operations May 17, 2010. The Florida-based dive tour company operated two ultra-stable SWATH twin-hull dive boats designed for people prone to sea sickness.

The Nekton Pilot and the Nekton Rorqual, both designed to accommodate more than 30 scuba divers, offered one-week itineraries to the Bahamas and Belize. According to the owners, the vessels proved too costly to run as reservations declined in a down economy. read more »

Underwater adventures: Top Caribbean dive sites offer an array of attractions

Champagne, off Dominica a top 10 dive site

(Dive Travel Business News - May 10, 2010 ) -- Travel writer Annie Kazel Wilcox has been a scuba diver for over 20 years. Her dive travels have spanned Baja and Bali, the Mediterranean, Australia's Great Barrier Reef and more. In this Special Article to the Miami Herald, Kazel-Wilcox spells out her favorite Caribbean diving haunts. Here is a summary of her Top 10 Caribbean Dive Sites:

1.The Elbow, Turneffe Island, Belize
2. Ocean Blue Hole, Andros Island, Bahamas
3. Wreck of the Antilla, Aruba
4. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
5. Mareau Gardens, Tobago Cays, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
6. Wreck of the RMS Rhone, Tortola, BVI
7. Carvel Rock, St. John, USVI
8. Wreck of the Bianca C, Grenada
9. Northstar, St. Croix, USVI
10. Champagne, Dominica read more »

Aggressor Celebrates 25 years

(DiveTravelBusinessNews - Nov 27, 2009) -- As part of Aggressor Fleet's 25-Year Anniversary Celebration and Dive the World Club , Aggressor clients will receive 25% off the regular rates during select weeks now until Dec 2010 on Aggressor yachts in Galapagos, Belize, Fiji, Maldives, Kona, Utila, Turks & Caicos, Palau and Cayman.

On November 17, 1984, a 100-ft., 16 passenger live-aboard dive yacht cruised into George Town Harbor, Grand Cayman. The Cayman Aggressor, which offered divers a revolutionary way of diving and innovation amenities such as private staterooms and on-board E-6 processing, raised eyebrows in the local and international diving communities. Now, twenty four (24) years, eleven (11) destinations, thirteen (13) live-aboards later, Aggressor Fleet continues to garner attention by meeting the diving world’s needs with its original revolutionary style.

For more specials rates see details here or call Aggressor Fleet's Reservation Center at 800-348-2628.

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Belize to focus on sustainable Cruise line Practices

(May 13, 2008 - DTB) -- Concerned about the impact of cruise lines on its coral reefs, members of dive destination Belize’s cruise tourism industry signed an agreement that commits them to create sustainable cruise tourism practices, such as protecting coral reefs.

The commitment is the second such environmental agreement developed for Caribbean passenger cruise destinations by Conservation International’s Mesoamerican Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI). It is also the first to address considerations by an established nature tourism destination and will likely serve as a model for cruise line travel destinations around the world. The Belize Declaration of Commitment was signed by key industry stakeholders, including government, private sector, civil society (NGOs) and cruise lines.

Among the actions agreed to: enhance marine and coastal resource use management; improve tourism planning, basic tourism infrastructure and management of services/facilities for cruise ship visitors; foster adequate site monitoring and compliance with existing regulations; and promote conservation awareness among cruise ship visitors about Belize’s natural heritage. read more »