SCUBA News - #314 - September 2026

SCUBA News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) Issue 314 - September 2026 https://www.scubatravel.co.uk ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This month, updates on diving Chuuk Lagoon and Barbardos, new liveaboard deals plus a closer look at the pantropical spotted dolphin and its continuing conservation challenges. And, as always, I round up the latest marine-life discoveries and environmental news from around the world. Contents: What's new at SCUBA Travel? Liveaboard deals & destinations Creature of the month is the Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata Diving news from around the World You can download SCUBA News as a pdf. What's New at SCUBA Travel? Wreck diving in Chuuk Lagoon Better known by divers as Truk Lagoon, nowhere else in the world can you find so many wrecks in such clear water. WHEN, WHY AND HOW Barbados: wrecks, reefs, rays, turtles Barbados is home to the second-largest hawksbill turtle nesting population in the Caribbean. It's also good for wreck diving. GUIDE TO DIVING BARBADOS Liveaboard Deals and Destinations Handpicked offers to save you money on liveaboard trips. Turks & Caicos Explorer II, SAVE UP TO 43%. Price from $3,495 $1,995 per trip per person. A 20-guest boat exploring the walls and reefs of Turks and Caicos. Also offers trips to Silver Bank in the Dominican Republic and snorkelling with humpback whales. 43% OFF! Krishna 2, Thailand SAVE 20%. Dive the southern Andaman Sea, including what I consider two of the best dives in Thailand: Hin Daeng and Hin Moang. 6 days from just £569! More Info or Book Iceberg, Egypt. Just 8 guests on this intimate wooden mini-safari boat exploring the northern Red Sea. Price from £456 per 5-day trip. Just £456 Mari, Indonesia. Diving the fabulous Triton Bay, Misool and Raja Ampat. A maximum ratio of 4 divers to 1 guide keeps dive groups small. 12% off 13-day trips in November and December 2026. 13 Days in Raja Ampat Adora, Maldives. SAVE 20% in 2026, 10% in 2027. Non-divers can join the cruise and take part in snorkelling or an introduction to scuba diving. Time away from diving may include island hopping, sandbank visits, island visits, island barbecues, and a picnic on an uninhabited island. Children are welcome. Children welcome Oceania, Papua New Guinea, SAVE 40%. Price from $4,990 $2,994 per trip per person. A small, intimate catamaran taking just 16 guests in 8 cabins to the coral-rich reefs and shark-filled waters of Kimbe Bay. West New Britain Itinerary, 3 Dec 26. 40% OFF! See more liveaboard deals to some of the best diving in the world - Micronesia, Philippines, Galapagos, Indonesia, Socorro, Cocos Islands... Spotted Dolphin - Stenella attenuata There are two types of spotted dolphin, the Atlantic and the Pantropical. We are concentrating today on the Pantropical, Stenella attenuata, found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, including the Red Sea. Tim Nicholson Victims of Tuna Fisheries Spotted dolphins often swim with yellowfin tuna. Sadly, this means that they are the species to have suffered the most as bycatch in the purse seine nets of the tuna fishery. Tuna fishermen used to watch for the dolphins, then set their nets and encircle both dolphins and tuna, killing dolphins in the process. Historically, millions of dolphins have been killed in this way, with the spotted dolphin accounting for 80% of the casualties. The bycatch, though, has reduced from hundreds of thousands per year in the 60s and early 70s to around a thousand dolphins a year now. Much better, but still too many. Taken in the Red Sea by Tim Nicholson The fishers are still catching many dolphins in their purse seine nets but now employ methods to release them. For example, backing the ship up to release the dolphins, and if this does not work having swimmers manually release them. This can cause stress to the dolphins and lead to separation between mother and calf. In many dolphin schools encircled by nets, the calves are missing. Because the fishing chase is a fast-moving, chaotic environment it may be difficult for mothers and calves to maintain their normal swimming positions. Fishing has also been shown to reduce reproductive rate. Tim Nicholson Different diets for mothers Spotted dolphins feed on many varieties of fish and squid found near the surface of the water. Pregnant females prefer squid, nursing mothers fish. Females reach maturity between 6 and 8 years of age or when the animal is about 2 m long. Males take longer to mature, between 10 and 14 years. The dolphins mate and calve throughout the year. Pregnancy lasts 11.5 months and then the mothers nurse their calves for 11 or more months. Young spotted dolphins are playful and leap high into the air out of the water. They are not spotted at birth: the spots appear as they grow older. Tim Nicholson Where to see them In warm water around the world, especially the Bahamas and the Eastern Tropical Pacific. A dolphin encounter underwater is a really memorable experience. But everyone loves to see a dolphin, whether on or beneath the surface. Sources and References: American Cetacean Society Fact Sheet Hohn, A.A. et al (1985), Reproductive maturity and seasonality of male spotted dolphins, Stenella attenuata, in the eastern tropical Pacific. Marine Mammal Science, 1: 273-293. Toshio Kasuya et al, Growth and reproduction of Stenella attenuata in the Pacific coast of Japan, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo Ballance et al, A History of the Tuna-Dolphin Problem: Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned 2021 Frontiers in Marine Science Dolphin Talk - what are they saying?, Poppy Reay-Robinson Dolphins and humans have similar personality traits, Jill Studholme Class > Mammalia, Order > Cetacea, Suborder > Odontoceti, Family > Delphinidae, Genus > Stenella, Species > Stenella attenuata Diving news from around the World Bird flu jumps to dolphins in Australia Cetacean researcher Mike Bossley is concerned about how quickly a dolphin contracted the disease. In a news report, he called it both "shocking ... and very worrying". Removing bird carcasses safely is crucial. Sea dragon populations decimated in mind-blowing mass mortality event caused by South Australian algal bloom Thousands of sea dragons, pipefishes and seahorses have washed up along the state's coastline, according to analysis of citizen scientist records. Yellowbar angelfish invades Brazil When a male, non-native, yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus) was spotted in Brazilian waters, scientists set to work to determine from where he came. Scientists call for emergency measures to save sea life from El Nino Reducing fishing quotas, rescuing endangered species from the water and testing geoengineering could help soften ocean heat impacts from the record El Nino. Can we stop ships from killing the Mediterranean's last great whales? In 2025, thousands of vessels travelled through the Mediterranean's key whale habitats at speeds above 15 knots, the threshold at which vessel strikes are almost always fatal. Vessel speed restrictions, rerouting ship traffic and whale alerts would all help. Offshore wind may be good for the climate but can it be good for the ocean, too? Offshore wind farms can create mini marine protected areas by prohibiting harmful practices like bottom trawling and could eventually enable restoration of depleted habitats like oyster reefs. But they also bring notable challenges. Three-year project to lift lid on Britain's little-understood sharks Anglers will help scientists investigate the porbeagle, tope and blue shark to boost knowledge and conservation. Climate change won't simply shrink marine life Global study of more than 23,000 marine mollusc species projects major shifts in body size, including surprising growth in some animals and ocean regions. Probiotic and postbiotic treatments revive heat-stressed corals A 15-day experiment during a marine heat wave in the Red Sea has shown that both live probiotic and inactivated postbiotic treatments can improve coral health, offering a new tool in the fight to protect reefs from climate change. Damselfish-assisted repair of wounded corals surprises scientists 55% faster recovery rate from larger coral wounds in the presence of damselfish and a 38% faster rate of healing for smaller wounds. Focusing more attention on preserving fish habitats would better protect corals. Manta Rays, Marine Parks and Your Next Dive Holiday: What New Research from Nusa Penida Means for Divers If you've ever dived with manta rays off Nusa Penida in Bali, you already know why this place is special. New research helps explain what makes a manta-ray dive trip worthwhile for visitors SCUBA News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. This means we are happy for you to reuse our material for both commercial and non-commercial use as long as you: credit the name of the author, link back to the SCUBA Travel website and say if you have made any changes. Most photos though, are copyright the photographer. Please get in touch for details. Photo credits: Tim Nicholson; Jill Studholme; Albrecht Fischer; Heidi Bruce; Andrea Izzotti/DepositPhotos; NMFS, E. Hoffmayer, S. Iglesias and R. McAuley, Public domain; divebooker.com UNSUBSCRIBING Visit https://c.emailsend20.co.uk/profile/S-60344@J7sllRUwYQNkRwrI93C6yQ4F0xqxNQi6gZV3_N2Z6zU.@1 to remove yourself from the mailing list. Any problems contact news@scubatravel.co.uk. ADVERTISING Should you wish to advertise in SCUBA News, please see the special offers at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/newsad.html Other advertising opportunities are at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/diving-advertising.html CONTACTING THE EDITOR Please send your letters or press releases to: Jill Studholme SCUBA News The Cliff DE6 2HR UK news@scubatravel.co.uk