Underwater Attractions

(Dive Travel Business News - March 25, 2011) -- Connecting visitors with one of the most intelligent and fascinating inhabitants of San Francisco Bay, Aquarium of the Bay today welcomed a new Giant Pacific Octopus, Octopus dofleini. Like others of its kind, the animal came to the Aquarium in a roundabout fashion, by way of a local crab fisherman.

Giant Pacific Octopuses have a particular hankering for crabs as well as den-like enclosures, and often mistake crabber's nets as a hunting and hiding ground, where they can be accidentally caught. If the octopus kills and eats the crabber's catch, many fishermen respond by killing the octopus. Aquarium of the Bay works with local fishermen to change this behavior by purchasing the octopuses for exhibit, where they help strengthen visitors' connection to the animals. The Aquarium's Husbandry team posts fliers around local piers and tackle stores, alerting crabbers of this opportunity.

"Aquarium of the Bay is always happy to provide a safe haven for octopuses that would otherwise meet a hasty demise," says Christina J. Slager, Director of Husbandry for Aquarium of the Bay. read more »

(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 News - August 11, 2010) -- International Whale Shark Day is August 30, 2010. The northern tip of the Yucatan is known for it's annual whale shark migration near Isla Holbox or Holbox Island.The migration starts mid-June until September where aggregations of up to 400 giant fish have been observed

The congregation of so many animals is unusual. Holbox Island is unique in that it is located where the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico join. There are upwellings of nutrient rich water that feed the food chain that contains everything from the tiniest plankton to schools of fish, sea birds, flamingos and ibis and of course, the giant yet vulnerable whale shark. It is truly a special place.

Holbox Island is only the second instance where marine scientists have discovered whale sharks are feeding on not just plankton but also fish eggs that are suspended in the upwellings. Marine scientists from a variety of organizations have been working with Mexican scientists for more than seven years on studying, tagging and tracking the world's largest fish that can grow to 10 metres in length. 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 29, 2010) -- Shark Week is coming up and if you are ready to get in the water here are some top picks from Andy DeHart of the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. This article courtesy of USA Today:

Cocos Island, Costa Rica
"Hundreds of scalloped hammerheads school above the scenic sea mounts of Cocos Island," DeHart says. Here, you'll probably spot massive manta rays, bright-orange frogfish and "whitetip reef sharks hunting like packs of wolves for small fish hidden in the reef." The island, often described as "a jungle rising out of the ocean," is one of Costa Rica's many national parks and home to waterfalls and wildlife galore. Note: Getting to this remote spot is tricky; it's more than 300 miles off the west coast of Costa Rica and requires a 36-hour boat ride. visitcostarica.com 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 19, 2010) -- On July 14, 2000 the San Diego Oceans Foundation, and its group of passionate volunteers led by DUI Chairman Dick Long, intentionally sunk the Canadian destroyer escort HMCS Yukon. Ten years later the HMCS Yukon has taken on a new life at the bottom of the ocean off North Mission Beach in San Diego as an artificial reef. Covered with invertebrates and encrusting organisms the ship is an ecologically sound marine habitat for a variety of aquatic life as well as an economic benefit to the area.

The Yukon is some 365 feet long and about 43 feet wide. Prior to sinking, the Yukon was cleaned of toxic and hazardous materials and large holes were cut into the sides for easy diver entry and exit. She lays on her side in about 90 to 100 feet of water, with the exposed starboard side located at the wreck's shallowest depth of about 56 feet.  There she has drawn thousands of divers during the last decade, 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 - June 15, 2010) -- The Cancun and Isla Mujeres Underwater Art Museum is a step closer to becoming the world's largest underwater museum.  Phase 1 of the underwater project began November 14, 2009 with the sinking of three life-sized sculptures.  

Created by British/Guyanese artist Jason de Caires Taylor, the sculptures were placed near natural reefs and marine life in order to create an artificial habitat. 

The sculptures have been created with PH neutral concrete that will allow algae and small invertebrates to flourish, boosting the local ecosystem. The appearance of the sculptures will change over time as the coral reefs and marine life grow. read more »

(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 »