Belize’s coral reef is threatened

by Iva Skoch on

Belize has been on my “places to dive” list for years. At the same time, I get anxious every time I think about diving in Belize. Years ago, I knew somebody who died while diving the Blue Hole, the infamous collapsed limestone cave more than 400 feet deep. She was an experiences diver, but panicked. Ever since then, the Blue Hole has sounded a little scary to me.

After reading this USA Today article, it sounds like I should get over myself and finally go there soon because Belize’s coral reef is vanishing quickly. A potent mix of coastal development, tourism, overfishing, pollution and climate change has apparently damaged an estimated 40% of the Belize reef system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Western Hemisphere’s largest barrier reef, that attracts more than a third of Belize’s 850,000 annual visitors. Ouch.

Underwater pumpkin carving

by Martha Edwards on

I don’t know about you, but I often have a heck of a time trying to carve a pumpkin. Even the best-laid design is at the mercy of how well you can make a precise incision in the shell of that orange, goopy mess. So I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to do what these people are doing — carving pumpkins underwater.

Ok, so the lubrication of water might make cutting the pumpkin slightly easier, but consider this: Pumpkins float. And I’m not a diver but I suspect if I tried something like this, I might be too focused on, oh I don’t know, breathing than forming perfectly shaped eyebrows. But that’s just me — and I’m the farthest thing from a qualified Scuba diver.

Intrigued? Here are some instructions. And here are some great photos too!

(via Intelligent Traveler)

Budget Fares from New York to Egypt

by Grant Martin on

Airfare Watchdog is reporting the latest in a string of strange USA-LON-XXX flights that are remarkably cheap for this time of year. This week, the Egyptian port of Sharm el-Sheikh is on sale from New York City for the paltry sum of about 600USD.

Availability appears to be anywhere between November and March, and AFWD has created a series of handy dandy links to help you search throughout an entire month of availability. The trick with booking this flight is to be flexible. Most dirt-cheap tickets are going to require a little bit of leeway on your part — leaving on a weekday or flying out of your way to get to where you need to be. Just remember that you’re getting a steal on airline tickets and any deal you can work out and book is a gift.

Another thing to remember is that deals like this often don’t last long. Gadling readers searching for this fare on Wednesday may already be too late; often times you may have a few hours to research, book and confirm your tickets. I won’t advocate making any snap decisions on international travel, but it may be a good idea to check the cancellation policy on your favorite booking engine’s FAQ. Many have a clause where you can cancel a ticket within 24 hours without penalty. That way you can book a ticket for you and your girlfriend from work right now and ask for her permission when you get home.

Trans-Atlantic legs appear to be mostly on British Airways, a oneworld alliance member earning you miles on American, British, Cathay and Quantas among others.

With regard to Egyptian travel, you can pay for a visa at the border (nifty postage stamp visas that you can paste into your passport yourself) for a reasonable price. Sharm el-Sheikh is a fabulous city at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula well known as a tourist destination and home to excellent scuba diving and western hobnobbery.

Don’t forget your Cipro.

Take a Dip in the World’s Deepest Indoor Pool

by Jonathon Morgan on

Scuba diving in a pool seems a little pointless, right? Maybe not, if the pool is 33 meters deep.

That’s what you’ll find at NEMO 33 — the world’s largest indoor pool. Not only is it an exceptionally long distance from the surface to the bottom, once you get down there, you’ll find a number of interesting rooms and passageways to explore.

The pool, located in Brussels, was designed by John Beernaerts, a diving expert, both as a unique space for Belgian divers, and also as an underwater film set.

These days, anyone can hop in and take a dive for €10 to €20 (depending on when you dive). You don’t even need your wetsuit — as NEMO 33 provides suits, masks and fins. After the first 15 minutes or snorkeling or freediving, you’re set loose to explore.

If you do end up checking it out, take an inside tip from blogger Amy at Wolfstad.com: “Get in the water fast and descend to your maximum depth quickly, before it gets too crowded.”

Sounds like a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.

[via MetaFilter]

SUBIOS, Seychelles’ Annual Underwater Film and Image Festival

by Jamie Rhein on

If you love the ocean, scuba diving, movies, island living and luxury than here is the perfect place for you. From March 19-25, SUBIOS, Seychelles’ annual underwater film festival will take visitors on a unique excursion to the deep.

Expert cinematographers and photographers from around the world will guest speak about the work they do to capture underwater images in documentaries and exhibitions. This is a chance to be awestruck and inspired to do your own work–or simply marvel at other people’s.

A photography and video competition are also part of this event. Unfortunately, the deadline for this year’s entries was yesterday, but you can keep this in mind for a next year possibility as a way to showcase your talents. Use this year to get an idea of what kind of talent you are up against. From the looks of the photos on the website, the competion looks steep. Did I say breathtakingly gorgeous?

If you can’t make it to the Seychelles in the next few weeks, April/May and October/November are the best months for swimming, snorkelling and diving.