Marine Life & Conservation
Camel Dive Club & Hotel goes plastic straw FREE
Camel Dive Club & Hotel have been pioneering eco-friendly ideas in Sharm el Sheikh for a number of years thanks to their owner, Mr. Hesham Gabr who cares greatly about environmental issues in the local area.
This revolutionary move, which was driven by the amount of non-biodegradable plastic straws that were found during the companies regular underwater clean ups, caused research to begin into reducing plastic straw use at all Camel Dive Club & Hotel Food & Beverage outlets (Camel Bar, Pomodoro restaurants and Vanilla Café). During this deep research, Camel Dive Club realized that their outlets had used 32,150 plastic straws in 2017. In the words of owner Mr. Gabr, “This has to stop”.
The fact that there are no reusable or biodegradable straw suppliers in Egypt limited Camel in their choice of alternative. Their final decision was to only provide stainless steel straws on request by the guest or for drinks that maybe tricky to drink without a straw, for example milkshakes or certain cocktails.
The small boutique hotel for divers, located in the heart of Na’ama Bay, also features solar panels on the roof that provide energy to heat their swimming pool that was designed especially for scuba training.
Another unique feature in Sharm el Sheikh, is that all the rooms feature double glazed windows as opposed to the standard single glazed. This helps maintain a low noise level but more importantly when we are discussing the environment, it helps to maintain an even temperature in the rooms, therefore making air-conditioning units in every room more energy efficient.
The attached dive centre, Camel Dive Club noticed that another major contributor to underwater debris was the electrical tape that had been used to indicate whether the scuba cylinders were full or not. Camel Dive Club decided to remedy this issue by using pieces of plastic hose; by tying them to the tanks, these original looking caps are a reusable and reliable method for marking the cylinders and reducing the amount of debris that ends up ultimately in the Red Sea.
The waste noticed in the surrounding Sinai desert, mainly caused by one-time use water bottles inspired the Camel Tribe Boat. Designed purposefully with divers and the environment in mind, she not only features solar panels to charge onboard electronics but also features a reusable water bottle system. Guests on board are provided with one bottle of water and a water bottle cover with a number (made from up cycled wetsuits). Guests are then encouraged to drink as much as possible to stay hydrated in the beautiful sunshine of Sharm el Sheikh and once their bottle is empty, to refill it from the chilled water cooler on the dive deck.
To celebrate this innovative outcome of reusable straws in Sharm el Sheikh and Egypt as a whole, Camel Bar will be hosting an event on World Oceans Day, June 8, 2018.
The evening will start at 6pm in Camel Bar as part of the regular Divers’ Night. The evening will start at 6pm and guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a Quiz (in aid of Project AWARE), FREE PEANUTS with every drink, FREE Finger food buffet and Happy Hour from 6pm – 8pm.
Camel Dive Club & Hotel hope to see you there.
Hate Plastic Straws? Love Camel!
For more information about Camel Dive Club and Hotel, visit their website by clicking here.
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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