New Us National Freediving Record Sent

Theo Ivanovic Sets New US National Record in Constant Weight with a mark of 82 meters

The United States Apnea Association (USAA) is pleased to announce that Theo Ivanovic, a USAA member, set a new national record in the freediving discipline of Constant Weight with a performance of 82 meters on June 22, 2007. This performance surpasses the previous record of 81 meters held by Brett LeMaster. This was one of the longest standing US records dating back to 1999.

The performance took place in the Bay of Ville

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Cutty Sark To Star At Excel

National Boat Shows (NBS) has announced the Cutty Sark as another crowd puller for the 2008 London Boat Show at ExCeL in January.

The formal partnership with The Cutty Sark Trust means the vessel is likely to have its own ‘significant area’ at the show, where the trust will work on elements of the conservation project at the show.

The public will get the chance to see some of the techniques behind the mix of cutting-edge science and time-honoured craftsmanship that the project involves. In addition, screens around the

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Qe2 Set To Become Floating Hotel

Dubai is to buy the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship for $100m (£50.5m) and turn it into a floating hotel off the Gulf emirate's man-made islands.
The 70,000-tonne vessel, launched by the Queen in 1967, is to be sold to the Dubai World firm by Carnival, the world's largest cruise operator.

Dubai government-owned real-estate developer Nakheel is building three palm-frond shaped isles off its coast.

The ship will be berthed from 2009 at a pier at the Palm Jumeirah development.

'Maritime nation' <

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Swinging Wave Device To Be Tested

A wave energy system which operates at least six metres (19ft) below the sea's surface will be tested off Orkney.
AWS Ocean Energy will have a demonstration version of its Archimedes Wave Swing installed by the European Marine Energy Centre (Emec).

The Ross-shire manufacturer's device is a cylinder-shaped buoy which is moored to the seabed.

Passing waves move an upper casing against a lower fixed cylinder and the movement is converted into electricity.

The Archimedes Wave Swing will be insta

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Ouzo Sunk By P&o Ferry Says Maib

The yacht Ouzo, which disappeared at night with the loss of its three crew members, was either hit or swamped by a P&O cross-Channel ferry, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) decided last week.

According to a Reuters report, Ouzo went missing off the Isle of Wight in the early hours of August 21 last year, after leaving Bembridge, bound for Dartmouth, Devon. Its wreckage has never been found.

The MAIB said it was ‘of the firm opinion’ that the yacht had either collided with a P&O passenger ferry, Prin

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Tags To Reveal Walrus Migration

Scientists are closer to solving the mystery of where walruses head to in the summer months after attaching satellite tags to eight of the beasts.
Until now, the Arctic animals' migration route and destination have remained a mystery to researchers.

A Danish-Greenlandic team had to spend five days off the west Greenland coast in harsh conditions to tag the mammals.

They also hope the devices will shed light on how hunting, oil exploration and climate change affect walruses.

The tags were deplo

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Thames 'clean Enough' For Salmon

Salmon have been introduced to the River Thames after experts declared the water clean enough for the fish to breed - after almost 200 years.
The young salmon, were released into the Thames tributary, Lambourne river, at Welford, near Newbury, Berks.

Thames salmon died out in the 1830s, with salmon from other sources, which do not breed there, present from 1974, the Environment Agency (EA) said.

It is hoped a salmon population will be back in the River Thames in 5-10 years.

An EA spokesperson

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Unmanned Sub Used To Clear Mines

An unmanned submarine which detects and destroys unexploded mines has been unveiled in Hampshire.
The Talisman, which is size of a small family car, was built in Waterlooville by BAE Systems.

The mini-submarine can operate at depths of more than 490ft (150m) and detonates unexploded mines using remotely-controlled robots.

The device will be used to carry out the dangerous role of mine-clearing currently performed by divers.

Futuristic technology

The design goes on show at the Oc

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Radical Keel Offers Speed And Handling

A radical keel design that promises speed and seaworthiness has been patented by Cambridge-based Howes-Macnaghten Technology (HMT).

Designed by Jonathan Howes, an aeronautical engineer and keen sailor, the new Loop Keel will, says HMT, outperform a fin keel of the same area and mass. This makes it a compelling case for every new cruising yacht to be fitted with our product, says the company.

Benefits include extra power from dynamic righting, improved keel efficiency and enhanced resistance to broaching. It

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Tributes After Diver Quarry Death

Tributes have been paid to an experienced woman diver whose body was recovered from a disused Gwynedd quarry early on Thursday.
Paula Blakemore, who was 43 and from Congleton in Cheshire, failed to surface at Dorothea Quarry on Sunday.

The mother-of-three, a diving instructor, got into difficulties underwater while with a companion.

A colleague described Mrs Blakemore as an "inspiring and dedicated instructor in and out of the water".

Jeff Kemp, from New Frontier Diving, said the instructor

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Complexity Of Regulating The Sea

The sea has shaped Britain in almost every imaginable way. For almost 1,000 years it has protected us from invasion, from becoming part of Napoleon or Hitler's Europe.

In the words of the 17th century jurist, Lord Coventry: "The dominion of the sea, as it is an ancient and undoubted right of the crown of England, so it is the best security of the land - The wooden walls [the country's sea fleet] are the best walls of this kingdom."

Angry seas, lashing at the rocks from the Lizard to Peterhead, have helped form th

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Marine Bill To 'protect Uk Seas'

The government has launched its long-awaited Marine Bill which aims to protect Britain's seas and marine life.

As well as creating protected areas, ministers plan to improve the regulation of inshore fisheries and ease planning for offshore industry.

Environment groups have generally given the move a guarded welcome.

The bill, a manifesto commitment at the 2005 general election, goes out for consultation with the aim of passing legislation next year.

Protecting our seas is one of the bi

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Kirby Morgan Dive Systems, Inc. – Safety Notice #1 Of 2007

A KMDSI dealer recently received three SL-17B helmet shells for insert repair. Upon receipt it was noticed that the shells had been painted. Because there was no documentation of previous repair or refinishing, the dealer informed the customer that no work could be done until all the paint had been removed and a complete inspection performed.


A visual inspection inside of all three helmets showed an obvious irregular finish around the regulator mount area. Once the paint was removed around the

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Women Divers Hall Of Fame Announces 11 New Inductees

Newly-elected members include Madam Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines, and Model/Actress Lauren Hutton

The Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF), the non profit organization whose members are the most accomplished and renowned women divers in the world, has just selected eleven new Members:

• Madam Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines;

• Lauren Hutton, the model and actress who is an active shark conservation spokesper

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Japanese Whale Hunt Ended Early

Japan's whaling fleet has cut short its hunt in the Antarctic after a fire two weeks ago crippled the main boat.
The controversial annual hunt, which Japan says was carried out for research purposes, was meant to continue until the end of March.

But Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research said the Nisshin Maru boat could not be fully repaired at sea.

Japanese government officials said the fleet had caught 508 of this season's target of 860 whales.

The six-vessel fleet had been dogged by anti-wh

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Nz Fishermen Land Colossal Squid

New Zealand fishermen have caught what is expected to be a world-record-breaking colossal squid.
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the squid, weighing an estimated 450kg (990lb),took two hours to land in Antarctic waters.

Local news said the Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni was about 10m (33ft) long, and was the first adult colossal squid landed intact.

One expert said calamari rings made from it would be like tractor tyres.

"I can assure you that this is going to draw phenomenal interest. It is

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Threat To Ocean Sharks Increases

The threat to ocean-going sharks is more severe than previously thought, according to conservation experts.

Scientists with the World Conservation Union, which publishes the Red Lists of Threatened Species, have upgraded the "threat" category of several sharks.

Those now considered "vulnerable to extinction" include the shortfin mako, a favourite of recreational fishermen, and the long-tailed thresher shark.

Scientists say over-fishing is a principal reason for the decline.

The World C

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Robo-sub Takes Antarctic Plunge

A voyage to Antarctica's icy depths has revealed a rich array of marine life and geological features that may shed light on the region's past and future.

Isis, the UK's first deep-sea remote operated vehicle, combed the area's sea bed, diving down to 3.5km (2.2 miles).

The vessel imaged diverse animals, such as king crabs, anemones and sponges.

It also gave the first view of ancient "meltwater channels", which will aid understanding of how the Antarctic ice sheet might change in the years ahead.

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Large Squid Lights Up For Attack

Big deep-sea squid emit blinding flashes of light as they attack their prey, research shows.

Taningia danae's spectacular light show was revealed in video footage taken in deep waters off Chichijima Island in the North Pacific.

Japanese scientists believe the creatures use the bright flashes to disorientate potential victims.

Writing in a Royal Society journal, they say the squid are far from the sluggish, inactive beasts once thought.

In fact, the footage, taken in 2005 - the first ti

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Government Urged To Create Coastal Corridor

Shorelines that people have been barred from for centuries or which are only accessible when landowners choose to allow walkers onto them should be designated as part of a coastal corridor open to all, the government will be advised today.
Natural England, the government's statutory adviser on the environment, has spent two years considering the best way to improve access to cliffs, beaches, dunes and shorelines.

It says the coastline and foreshores of Britain are a muddle of complex ownerships, with impermanen

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Size Matters In The Science Of Sexual Attraction

LONDON (Reuters) - Size matters in the science of sexual attraction -- especially if you are a fish.

Scientists at the Universities of Exeter and Glasgow have found that female green swordtail fish mature more rapidly if they spot a male with a big tail.

Likewise young males retard their sexual development for several months if they spot a better-endowed male, waiting for there to be less competition in the mating game.

"This is the first evidence that a species adjusts its rate of sexu

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Worldwide Shark Attacks Continue To Fall

The number of shark attacks continues to fall, as only four fatal attacks around the world were recorded for 2006. The International Shark Attack File annual report revealed that 58 people around the world were bitten by sharks last year, which continues a downward trend in attacks since 2000.

The number of attacks worldwide in 2006 increased from 61 to 62 on the previous years, but fatalities remained unchanged at four. However, researchers said this figure was significantly lower than 2000 when 79 attacks were record

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Warning Over Antarctic Whale Skirmish

The New Zealand government intervened in the skirmishes between pro and anti-whalers in the Antarctic last night, warning that lives could be lost and the protesters' cause damaged.
Two people were found after being lost at sea following a collision, and both the Japanese whaling fleet and Sea Shepherd Conservation society boats were seriously damaged.

Chris Carter, the New Zealand conservation minister, said: "Sea Shepherd's protest has gone too far. Any further action risks the loss of human life, and severe damage

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Us Navy Could Deploy Dolphins To Patrol Military Base

Dozens of dolphins and sea lions trained to detect and apprehend waterborne attackers could be sent on a mission to patrol a military base in Washington state, the U.S. Navy said.

In a notice published in this week's Federal Register, the Navy said it needs to bolster security at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, located on the Puget Sound close to Seattle.

The base is home to submarines, ships and laboratories and is potentially vulnerable to attack by terrorist swimmers and scuba divers, the notice

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Lochs Studies Reveal Pink Reefs

Life on brightly coloured reefs that lie beneath two Scottish sea lochs have been catalogued for the first time by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Surveys of Loch Creran in Argyll and Bute and Loch Maddy in North Uist found they support dozens of habitats and hundreds of species.

It includes red, pink and orange reefs created by pencil-sized serpulid worms.

SNH said information and images gathered support the lochs' being classed as internationally important.

In Loch Creran, serpulid worms we

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Winter Weather 'confuses Salmon'

Irish salmon stocks are being hit by the effects of climate change with scientists on the river Bush in north Antrim discovering warmer winters are triggering a false start to the annual migration with disastrous consequences.

It is the king of fish but even the mighty

salmon is feeling the heat generated by climate change

And on the river Bush scientists say that warmer winters are confusing the young salmon.

Believing it is springtime, the juvenile fish are leaving the safety of the r

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Marathon Swimmer Takes On Amazon

A swimmer who has tackled the Yangtze, Mississippi and Danube is starting a bid to become the first person to swim the entire length of the Amazon.
Martin Strel, known as the "fish man", plans to swim the nearly 5,400km (3,375 miles) from Peru to Brazil, despite the dangers lurking beneath.

The Amazon, the world's biggest river, is home to piranha fish and crocodiles.

Mr Strel, 52, who is from Slovenia, acknowledged there were risks but said that it was his dream.

There are many potential pitf

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Killer Whale Pod Spotted In Forth

A pod of killer whales has been spotted in the Firth of Forth, killing and eating seals.
The Orcas have been seen near the Forth Bridge and close to Hound Point.

Wildlife experts believe the mammals have been enticed to the area by seal pups but are surprised they have come so far inland and so far south.

Rab Harrower, who was working on the Forth Rail Bridge and saw one of the Orcas, said: "We have seen Minke whales and dolphins but never killer whales."

Mr Harrower, a safety inspector, has

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Diver With Muscular Dystrophy Conquers The Underwater World Thanks To Help From Industry Sponsors In

Matthew Johnston, the 29-year old from Woodbury, Minnesota who has been chasing his dream of becoming a scuba diver for three years, became the first-ever ventilator dependant person ever to scuba dive late last year. His exciting adventure was chronicled by the NBC television TODAY show. The segment appears last week.

Click here to view the segment: http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=2829ed99-9682-4d46-a801-23d93a867060&f=05&fg=email

Johnston’s

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Four Dead As Uk Struck By Storms

Four people have died and travel has been severely disrupted as gales and heavy downpours hit parts of the UK.
The Met Office has reported gusts of up to 70mph and Scotland has seen its first snowfalls of 2007.

Speed restrictions have been brought in by Network Rail and motorway sections on the M1 and M18 have been closed.

High winds lead to the drivers' deaths in Berkshire, Shropshire and North Yorkshire, and a woman was killed by a toppled wall in Greater Manchester.

The managing director o

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Uk Reefs Need Urgent Protection

Plymouth's offshore reefs are one of the most important marine locations in the UK in urgent need of protection, according to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report published this week. The charity said this part of the Devon coast was identified by scientists as one of eight 'biodiversity hotspots' around Britain deemed priority areas for protection.

The WWF together with Plymouth-based Marine Biological Association judged sites on their diverse populations of wildlife habitat richness that include rare and threatened species. The

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Suit Too Big For Diver, Coroner Told

A 23-year-old nursing student who died in a diving accident off the Devon coast, drowned because her semi-drysuit was too large for her, an inquest has heard. Carina Beer, a 5ft 4in and 8st London King's College student, wore a men's size 7mm semi-drysuit when she lost consciousness during the shore dive at Brixham Breakwater in Devon in March last year.

The second-year King's College London student from Oxford was diving with the university's dive club in 7ºC water temperatures. South Devon coroner Ian Arrow was told that

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Two New Us Static National Records Set At Aida Team Freediving World Championships

Deron Verbeck and Jessica Wilson each record new records at recent event in Hurghada, Egypt.

The United States Apnea Association (USAA) is pleased to announce that Deron Verbeck, a USAA member, set a new national record in the freediving discipline of static apnea with a breath hold of seven minutes and twenty-two seconds. This performance surpasses the previous record of seven minutes and twenty-one seconds held by Bill Graham. Jessica Wilson set a new US mark with a performa

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Search For Red Sea Divers Called Off

The search for four divers who went missing near the southern Egyptian Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam has ended without success. Two Russians, a Dutch diver and their Egyptian dive guide became separated from the boat during a dive on Saturday morning 13km north of Marsa Alam.

Dozens of boats, including navy vessels and helicopters assisted in the search, which ended Tuesday evening. The Red Sea Association for Diving and Watersports said it had given up hope of finding the divers. The water temperature in the southern resor

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Red Diesel Update

21 December Update

The BMF has received a letter from HM Treasury Minister, John Healey MP which confirms that there will be no immediate change from 1 January 2007 as the Government will need to take time to implement the decision taken by the European Commission. A copy of the Minister's letter is attached together with a statement issued by the BMF (below).

Some members have had confusing messages from their fuel suppliers suggesting that they will not be able to supply red diesel at a lower rate of duty from 1 January. That i

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Record Numbers Of Orphan Seals Take Shelter After Storms

The New Year storms have taken their toll on Britain's seal population, conservationists revealed.Record numbers of grey seal pups are being cared for at the National Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall after they were washed up on beaches.

Rough seas are thought to have separated the pups from their mothers at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.
The centre has already taken in 34 seals from local beaches this year -the busiest first week of January since it opened in 1975 - and there have been

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Too Few Fish In The Ocean To Keep Humans In Good Health

The official advice that Britons should eat more fish as a health benefit may be altered amid growing fears that the policy is threatening efforts to conserve diminishing stocks of cod and other popular species.
The Food Standards Agency currently recommends that everyone should eat at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines as the omega-3 fatty acids and minerals found in fish can help combat heart disease.

The message, promoted widely sin

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2007 To Be 'warmest On Record'

The world is likely to experience the warmest year on record in 2007, the UK's Met Office says.
An extended warming period, resulting from an El Nino weather event in the Pacific Ocean, will probably push up global temperatures, experts forecast.

They say there is a 60% chance that the average surface temperature will match or exceed the current record from 1998.

The scientists also revealed that 2006 saw the highest average temperature in the UK since records began in 1914.

The global surface

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Teenage Sailor Closes On Record

A British 14-year-old is set to arrive in Antigua and become the youngest person to sail the Atlantic single-handed.
Michael Perham, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, is set to arrive at the Caribbean island at 1400 GMT.

Michael, who has been sailing dinghies since he was six, will take the record from Isle of Wight teenager Seb Clover, who was 15 when he made the crossing.

The journey, which started in Gibraltar, has lasted six weeks.

Michael's yacht, Cheeky Monkey, is being shadowed by his fa

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Robo Dolphin

Two water sport fanatics have built a unique craft that surges along under water and can leap into the air, just like a dolphin.

Rob Innes and Dan Piazza built the 15ft long Seabreacher using the discarded canopies of US fighter jets.

Designed to replicate the sleek lines of a dolphin, it can carry two people at speeds of up to 15 miles an hour.

Powered by a 175 horsepower engine and incredibly light, it can leap 10ft into the air.

Designer Rob Innes describes it as a 3D jet ski, but admits it is quite compli

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Don't Get Comfortable, There's Snow On The Way

Snow and severe cold weather could hit Britain within weeks, the Met Office has warned.

Forecasters said that while temperatures this winter have been mild on average, some freezing weather is expected.

A spokesman said: "By the end of February there could be some short, sharp cold snaps lasting a few days and we think there is also a high chance of snow."

The Met Office was issuing its new winter forecast today, warning of the potential for ice and snow on the roads. Some forecasters

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Seal Pups Suffer In Winter Gales

Newborn seal pups are getting into difficulties along the Irish coast because of stormy weather.
Seal sanctuary staff at Exploris, the Northern Ireland Aquarium based at Portaferry on Strangford Lough, said it was running at full capacity.

Marketing manager Rory Martin said the sanctuary was coping with a record number of seals - 19 at present.

"The demand has been so high that we have had to send seals to Wales," Mr Martin said.

The period between September and December is pupping season for

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Fishing Quota Deal 'good For Uk'

The EU's fish quota deal - which includes cuts to the UK's cod catches - represents "a good deal", the government has said.
Cod quotas will decrease by between 14% and 20% next year, with the number of days allowed for fishing also reduced.

But permitted prawn, haddock, mackerel and monkfish catches will increase.

Fisheries minister Ben Bradshaw said UK fleets would not lose out. However, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation called the deal "far from satisfactory".

Total ban calls


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Marine Reserve U-turn

Leaked documents suggest the government may make a U-turn on its promise to safeguard marine species in a network of protected 'no-take zones'.

Instead of creating a network of fully protected areas where fish populations can regenerate in safety, the plans are that only certain species will be protected under the zones. Under such a scheme, supposedly protected species would still be impacted as bycatch, whether or not fishing vessels are allowed to land the species.

The leak reportedly comes from a presentation given to c

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Arctic Ice Could Melt Clean Away During Summer By 2040, Say Scientists

Almost all the ice in the Arctic could disappear during the summer within 35 years because of global warming, alarming new research reveals.

Scientists have warned that sea ice may start to retreat four times faster than in the past in around 20 years time.

By 2040, this could mean the Arctic Ocean being left virtually empty of ice during the summer months.

That would have a devastating impact on creatures such as polar bears whose future survival could be put i

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Award-winning Underwater Photographer Dies

Italian underwater photographer Alessandro Dodi has died while diving in Lake Como, near Argeno, Italy. The 48-year-old diving instructor and photographer was reported to be diving at a depth of around 8m, but failed to surface.

The exact circumstances of his death are not yet known, but initial reports suggest that Dodi may have suffered a heart attack while underwater. It has not been confirmed whether or not he had been taking part in a rebreather course when the incident happened.

A lawyer from Mila

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New Zealand To Protect Great White Shark

The great white shark is to be given full protection status in New Zealand from April 2007. The new legislation will make it illegal to hunt, kill or harm great whites within New Zealand's 200 nautical mile zone.

Anyone found trading or possessing any part of a great white shark in the country will face up to £90,000 in fines or six months imprisonment. New Zealand's conservation minister Chris Carter said the government wanted to discourage trophy hunters.

A shark's jaws can fetch up to £5,000 on the mar

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