SCUBA News - #292 - November 2024

SCUBA News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 292 - November 2024 https://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to November's SCUBA News. It's snowing here - hope the weather is more diveable where you are. Some ideas for trips to sunnier climes are below. Any questions and comments to news@scubatravel.co.uk, I look forward to hearing from you. Contents: What's new at SCUBA Travel? Creature of the Month: Fireworks Anemone Liveaboard diving for under $1000: Save up to 50%! Diving news from around the World You can download this SCUBA News issue as a pdf. What's New at SCUBA Travel?

Discover Bonaire Bonaire has protected its waters since 1979, with turtles being protected since 1961. Not only are its reefs in good conditions, it also boasts the wreck of the Hilma Hooker, voted one of the best wreck dives in the world. LEARN MORE… 10 Great Dive Sites For Macro Photography In Southeast Asia Southeast Asia offers some of the world's best dive sites for underwater macro photography. From pygmy seahorses and colourful nudibranchs to rare crustaceans and frogfish, these sites are a dream for divers with an eye for the minute details of the underwater world. READ MORE… Diving in Saudi Arabia is opening up With more liveaboards visiting little dived areas like Farasan Banks, where hammerheads, tiger sharks, manta rays and whale sharks, amongst other, visit. READ MORE…

6 Fantastic Liveaboard Deals - Save up to 52% More great liveaboard diving deals, to some of the best diving destinations in the world, specially selected for us by Divebooker.com, the liveaboard specialists. Find diving deals for New Year and Christmas dates, some under $1000! Samira, Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, SAVE 50% on some fantastic Red Sea diving with a chance to see hammerheads and oceanic whitetips plus beautiful coral. Price from GBP 481. More Info or Book The Junk, Thailand, SAVE 20%, Price from USD 800 in December. Visit the Similan and Surin islands on this beautiful, teak wood, boat. More Info or Book Sokaraja, Komodo, From USD 707 to dive Komodo, which, in my opinion, has some of the very best diving in the world. Caters for just 10 divers for empty dive sites. More Info or Book Princess Dhonkamana, Maldives,, Spend Christmas in the Maldives and SAVE26%. Price from just USD 2287 $1703 per trip per person. More Info or Book Galapagos Master,, SAVE 20% in November and December More Info or Book Royal Evolution, Deadalus and Sudan border , From just GBP 903. Visit the little dived Elba reef on the Sudanese border. Board at Port Ghalib in Egypt More Info or Book Creature of the month: Fireworks Anemone Those of us in the UK celebrated the 5th of November this month with bonfires and fireworks - commemorating a foiled plot to blow up the houses of parliament. So this month our creature is the rare Fireworks Anemone. Taken on Harris in the Outer Hebrides by Tim Nicholson The Fireworks Anemone, scientifically known as Pachycerianthus multiplicatus, is a captivating marine species primarily found in the chilly waters of the North Sea and northeastern Atlantic. Known for its striking appearance and large size, this anemone graces the coasts of Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. However, in recent years, it has surprised scientists by appearing as an invasive species in the warmer waters of the Turkish Mediterranean, likely transported by ships from the Northeast Atlantic. Large burrowing anemone Unlike typical anemones, the Fireworks Anemone can reach impressive sizes, growing up to 30 cm tall and 30 cm across, making it one of the largest anemones in temperate waters. It lives in a burrow it creates in muddy seafloor bottoms, where it can extend and retract into a long tube over a meter in length. This tube offers protection as it anchors the anemone securely, allowing it to withdraw when threatened. Unfortunately, this burrowing habit makes the species vulnerable to human activity, particularly bottom trawling, which can destroy its habitat. Bernd Boelsdorf/DepositPhotos Named for its spectacular appearance, the Fireworks Anemone features two distinctive rows of tentacles that resemble a radiant firework display. The outer row of tentacles is typically white, forming a striking perimeter around the anemone, while the inner, shorter row of tentacles are darker. No cloning Unlike many other anemones that reproduce asexually, the Fireworks Anemone relies solely on sexual reproduction. Males release their gametes first, which triggers nearby females to release eggs. This synchronized spawning enhances the likelihood of fertilization in the open ocean. The Fireworks Anemone is more than just an underwater beauty; offering shelter to other species and contributing to the biodiversity of its habitat. As an unexpected newcomer to the Mediterranean, it highlights the impact of human activity on species distribution and emphasises the importance of protecting fragile marine habitats. The Fireworks Anemone is part of the Cerianthidae family, closely related to the Cerianthus anemones. Tim Nicholson References L. G. Jonsson et al, Symbiotic associations between anthozoans and crustaceans in a temperate coastal area. Mar Ecol Prog Ser Vol. 209: 189-195, 2001 M. E. Cinar et al, Checklist of Cnidaria and Ctenophora from the coasts of Turkey Turkish Journal of Zoology Vol 38 (2014) Taxonomy Phylum: Cnidaria > Class: Anthozoa > Order: Spirularia > Family: Cerianthidae > Genus: Pachycerianthus Diving news from around the World Another Red Sea liveaboard sinks Red Sea Explorers liveaboard, MV Nouran, caught fire near Daedelus reef. All crew and divers safely evacuated. Coast guard shows dive boat location of missing divers Five scuba divers who were drifting for hours were finally rescued by their dive boat after being spotted by a yacht in waters off Hawaii Kai and reported to coast guard. The dive boat only found them by following the coast guard helicopter. World's largest coral colony found in the Solomon Islands The mega coral - which is a collection of many connected, tiny creatures that together form one organism - could be more than 300 years old. Southern right whale numbers increase in Great Australian Bight Marine Park but new threats emerge Southern right whale numbers have recovered under the protection of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park. While whale migration numbers are up, scientists are puzzled by how much birth rates have slowed. Young again: study shows that comb jellies can age in reverse The remarkable discovery began by chance. Plastic on beaches can now be seen from space Plastic on beaches can have severe impacts on wildlife and their habitats, just as it does in open waters. New Zealand trawler hauls up 37 kg of coral The coral catch while fishing in international waters triggered an immediate suspension of all fishing in the area until at least 2026. Plastic junk sounds like tasty food to some whales To whales that hunt with soundwaves in the lightless depths of the ocean, a torn plastic party balloon and a delicious squid seem to be remarkably similar Chlorine and cocoa butter could protect corals from disease and decrease antibiotic pollution of the oceans In the tropical Atlantic, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is particularly severe, Researchers found that chlorine mixed with cocoa butter is effective at treating diseased corals, which could reduce negative side effects of antibiotic treatments on ocean ecosystems Chlorine and cocoa butter could protect corals from disease and decrease antibiotic pollution of the oceans In the tropical Atlantic, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is particularly severe, Researchers found that chlorine mixed with cocoa butter is effective at treating diseased corals, which could reduce negative side effects of antibiotic treatments on ocean ecosystems

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