Diver on wreck

Diver on wreck, originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

Going to Honduras !!! 7 April - 14 April

I am preparing myself for my first liveaboard ever. Unfortunately I will not be able to share this experience with my other half. For this first I chose the Agressor Utila liveaboard. Utila is considered the Whale Shark Capital of the Caribbean. I will be travelling from the 7th April 2007 - 14th April 2007.


Local fisherman and the older scuba divers in Utila tell stories of "Old Tom", a legendary barnacle encrusted Whale Shark reputedly cruising the waters around Utila since Adam was a boy. Old Tom has been variously estimated at 40ft, 50ft and even 60ft in length, depending upon who's telling the story. In reality, the most common size seen in the waters surrounding Utila is between approximately 6m and 10m (20ft and 33ft), weighing around 15 - 20 tons.

Dolphin Swim Programs & Slaughter

WASHINGTON - January 18 - Environmental organizations revealed today that two American aquarium specialists are poised to transfer of twelve bottlenose dolphins from Japanese slaughter pens to a Dominican Republic aquarium, Ocean World Adventure Park.

The environmental groups of the Save Japan Dolphins Coalition are attempting to stop transfer both because it is grossly inhumane and because it violates provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The twelve dolphins are being held in Taiji, Japan pending the granting of import permits to the Dominican Republic. Stefan Meister, (a German national and vice president of the Ocean World Adventure Park in the Dominican Republic), Dr. Michael Briggs DVM, (an American citizen associated with the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago), and Dr. Ted Hammond, (an American dolphin dealer and marine mammal veterinarian) are brokering the sale and transfer of the twelve dolphins.

The Save Japan Dolphins Coalition has obtained rare broadcast-quality video footage of the cruel, bloody capture of these twelve dolphins in Japan's waters in the port of Taiji.

Further info on the Save Japan Dolphins Coalition is available at:
www.SaveJapanDolphins.org

Double click on the play button in the clip below to see the video of Japan's brutal capture of bottlenose dolphins.

Diver Silhouette

Diver Silhouette, originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

First test with my EF-S 10-22mm lens and the glass dome port. Visibility was very poor. This is a shot of my dive buddy Frans in Vinkeveen.

Sea bottom in Zeeland

Sea bottom in Zeeland, originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

Underwater Parking Meter in Vinkeveen

Parking Meter in Vinkeveen, originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

This one is still from the good old times with prices that are actually affordable.

European Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

European Perch (Perca fluviatilis), originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

Common litoral crab (Carcinus maenas), Zeeland

Common litoral crab (Carcinus maenas), Zeeland, originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

Anemone (Zeeland)

Anemone Zeeland, originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

European Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

European Perch (Perca fluviatilis), originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

DuikVaker 2007 - Utrecht this Weekend

For the 15th time divers will come together on the 10th and 11th of February, 2007 at the Voordorphal at the Veemarktcomplex in Utrecht.

Duikvaker is the largest platform in the Benelux dive industry. The focus of the event lies on the supply of information on high quality dive equipment, professional dive training programmes, and a variety of dive destinations. Companies have the opportunity to offer their underwater cameras and accessories, swimwear and other apparel, books, magazines, jewelry and other products at a specially designated plaza. For the purchase of dive equipment, visitors will have the opportunity to make an appointment with the retailers to visit their shop.

Common litoral crab (Zeeland)

Common litoral crab (Carcinus maenas) Zeeland , originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

Anemone (Zeeland)

Zeeland Anemone, originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

First Test Dive

Velvet crab (Portunus puber), originally uploaded by Nuno Sanches e Silva.

I finally made my first real test dive with the S&S housing and macro port. I went to Zeeland with my buddy Frans to join a get-around with GODD. The weather was nice but the viz was very bad underwater. Still I was able to take a few shots. This is one of the shots I took.