Marine Life & Conservation
A Straw Poll
A warm welcome to our latest bloggers, the Scuba Genies – aka John & Mona Spencer-Ades…
In April this year, Mona and I had the pleasure of diving with our friends and dive buddies Rob and Susie at Magic Oceans Dive Resort on Bohol in the Philippines. This is a place that has received loads of press of late, as Nick and Caroline recently penned for Scubaverse, and it is well-deserved press. But we’d like to cover this from a different angle.
Firstly, it is safe to say that this was the very best diving we have ever done, and we are no strangers to scuba travels. The waters were immaculate – not a single bit of flotsam or jetsam that shouldn’t have been there, and therefore, very, very healthy reefs that are full to bursting with marine life.
Sitting with our friends at meals we were inspired as they refused the plastic straws that were provided with drinks and other guests started to do the same. Later in the week, we found ourselves deep in conversation with Eef and Arie of Magic Resorts discussing the impact of single use plastics and what they might be able to do to help the effort. I doubt that we are the only ones that have seen the video of the turtle having the straw removed from its nostril.
The conversation turned to solutions for the “straw issue.” We have seen pasta replacements, but these taste funny. Paper straws go soggy, and use trees. The glass ones could be dangerous. Then there are bamboo ones, silicone and acrylic. Eef and Arie were excited at the options and went straight to work. As we’re writing this, Magic Island Dive Resort is using reusable silicone straws and Magic Oceans is providing guests with stainless steel straws. And Nick shared with us that other resorts and local establishments in the Philippines are doing the same!
Mona and I were spurred into further action – we have been evaluating various branded ‘gifts’ for some time, but could not decide completely on one single object. We wanted something useful, and really wanted something that would have a positive environmental effect too.
We have now made our decision! The Scuba Place will be providing every client that books a trip with or through us with a BPA-free, aluminium water bottle, complete with carabiner clip and screw top lid. We hope that our clients will find them useful and that it might help to reduce the amount of plastics ending up in the oceans.
Surprisingly picking a reusable water bottle was more difficult than we expected. So many vendors use plastic bags as packaging and we don’t want those blowing overboard into the sea! We’re delighted with our final selection and can’t wait to see them on dive boats around the globe. Our next hosted ‘Come Dive With Us’ trip is to Jardines de La Reina in Cuba this coming September (spaces available!) and we’ll be taking some of our bottles out for the dive staff.
We are pleased to be doing our bit for our Oceans – Come Dive with Us!
Contact: reservations@thescubaplace.co.uk
Tel: 0207 644 8252
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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