Corals rank as one of the most important animals on the planet. The “underwater cities” they build — coral reefs — dwarf the cities that humans have built.
Our wetnotes section is full of stories from above and below the sea, with many contributions from valuable members of the diving community and beyond. We bring you the latest news on what really matters to you, and to us.
Currently an estimated 1 million new divers are certified each year with millions more snorkelling worldwide on coral reefs. While well-managed tourism can present an economic opportunity, expansion of global coral reef tourism has resulted in growing concern about associated environmental impacts.
On New Year’s Eve 2018, ninety excited women boarded a ship to Antarctica for three weeks as part of a global leadership programme for women in science.
These caves are underwater, their formations stopped in time by the rising of the ocean levels, their growth resumed following another ice-age, in tune with the worlds’ passing of time. They are the history of this planet carved in underwater passageways and reveal how it was and how it came to be. They might be considered as an ancient piece of knowledge, but they also teach us about the present, the actions and inactions we might take as human species.
In the autumn of 2016, Nicole Edensbo started with freediving and in less than 18 months of dedication, she reached the level of a professional elite athlete. Nicole is the holder of Swedish national records and 2018 and 2019 Freediving Pool champion.
It is integrity—something that is often missing in today’s busy, just-in-time, retail-strategy. But Jim, Paul and Fourth Element know it is more important to run an ethical business. Some of their programs would make a business manager cringe due to the high-probability of losing money. But how can you change the world if you won’t invest in it?
I have known Jim and Paul for over 15 years now and am proud to have been associated with them not only in business but also as friends. There are few manufacturers who bring such integrity, honesty, loyalty and total dedication to customer service, in our diving industry.
From the first test dive in a prototype Xerotherm I knew I had found a quality high performance product from a manufacturer that cared about the divers needs and listened to the divers feedback.
There is a whale, a young sperm whale, who lives with her family in the waters off of Dominica; her name is Digit. She is remarkable and her birth was celebrated by researchers who’ve known the enormous struggle these resident sperm whales have endured to survive in the increasingly harsh environment of our current oceans.
There are two types of people who watch films - those who “just” watch it and get submerged (pun intended), and then the ones who think about the bigger picture - how it came about and how it was made.
Pascal van Erp dedicated his diving exclusively to environmental protection by starting the Ghost Fishing Foundation — an international non-profit executed by volunteer technical divers which initiates, supports and promotes lost fishing gear removal initiatives.
