News
Curaçao Women of Ocean Conservation
Making Women’s Dive Day 2019 and Every Day Count for Ocean Protection
This Women’s Dive Day, July 20th, the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao is celebrating women who are leading community actions, fins on and fins off, for a clean and healthy ocean. The ladies from The Dive Bus Curacao, Ocean Encounters Diving and Atlantis Diving to share with us what they are doing and why they do it.
Suzy Pinnell, Co-Owner of The Dive Bus
“Keeping Curacao’s reefs trash free and healthy has been a priority since the start of The Dive Bus,” says Suzy Pinnell, one of the founders of Curacao’s first dive center to adopt the Project AWARE 100%AWARE and Adopt a Dive Site initiatives, and become a PADI Green Star dive center.
“Ocean protection and conservation is something that Mark and I both care about. As divers, we have a responsibility to take care of our reefs and oceans. And as dive shop owners, we’re in the privileged position of being able to influence divers to do the same and make a difference.”
“Over time, we’ve integrated simple conservation-related actions and habits into daily dive shop life, with minimal effort and maximum fun!”
“It’s really important to us that our Crew believe in and support what we’re doing too, so they’re genuinely motivated to influence our divers to do the same. They come up with plenty of their own ideas of their own, and are the reason why the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris Specialty is consistently our top-selling Specialty. They do a great job, we’re super-proud of them!”
KarenMaike Van Asperen Vervenne, Manager at Ocean Encounters Diving
At Ocean Encounters Diving, they not only endorse safe diving practices but have an expectation of environmental conservation during all dives. This is underlined by the companies pledge to sustainability.
KarenMaike says, “I love explaining to our guests the importance of coral conservation here on Curaçao and teaching the Coral Restoration Diver specialty every chance I get. I consider myself a passionate caretaker of our underwater environment. I have come to realize that this is our responsibility to educate and continually increase awareness so future generations can appreciate the incredible world we have, just below the waterline.”
KarenMaike went on to say, “Some of my favorite dive memories are the ones I made with my fellow women divers, both in and out of the water” and that she appreciates PADI’s commitment to highlight the amazing women that are a part of the global Dive Industry.
Nanda de Loos, Manager at Atlantis Diving
At Atlantis Diving, conservation is a cornerstone for everything they do. They believe in being “Eco-Active” to instill a sense of pride for our environment through initiatives such as their monthly Reef Dive Day, regular Lionfish educational awareness activities, upcycling old wetsuits and being a proud partner of the Coral Restoration Foundation Curaçao.
Nanda says, “Due to our overall environmental commitment and our need to have top quality scuba and snorkeling equipment, this is the reason why we have chosen only to use Scubapro as our preferred supplier. Scubapro CARES underlines this commitment to our industry and to the protection of the world’s oceans that provide us all with so much of our enjoyment, exploration and adventure.”
Nanda went on to say, “It’s important to highlight the role that women play in the diving world, because without us, it’s just not as much fun! Besides that, I think women have a strong voice in conservation and I truly believe that it is absolutely important to enable more women to be involved in sustainable tourism and ocean conservation because the future depends on the choices we make today.”
According to Jack Fishman from Project AWARE, “Scuba divers have a deep connection to the ocean and a desire to want to protect it. We love to mix the passion for ocean adventure with conservation and the community of Curaçao are true leaders in the fight to protect what we love. Together dive centres on the island have united to protect their local dive sites because they realise that conservation cannot be done in isolation – it takes the collaborative efforts of all to really make change.”
Find out more at www.divecuracao.info.
Whether you are a beginner or a professional diver – with the three new main regulators from DYNAMICNORD, everyone will find their favourite regulator. They all look super stylish.
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Quality and performance are the be-all and end-all for regulators. It is not for nothing that the TR stands for Tec Reg. The innovative design of the TR-80 guarantees absolute reliability – even in ice-cold waters.
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Amazing underwater adventures with the IR-50
The IR-50 is the top regulator for advanced and experienced divers. Natural breathing is the essence of this regulator.
Ideal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /certified for diving in waters below 10 degrees / compensated membrane / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) and adjustment knob for individual inhalation comfort/ outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 2 HP and 4 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
The Workhorse – our CS-30
For diving centres and diving beginners – the workhorse stands for strong construction, reliability and robustness. Perfect for your training.
Optimal breathing effort at 0.8 J/l /recommended for diving in waters above 10 degrees / non-compensated piston / adjustable venturi (dive/predive) / outlet valve and deflector for minimum exhalation effort and reduction of bubbles on the face / design made of sandblasted brass, matt chrome finish / 1 HP and 3 NP outlets / mouthpiece made of high-quality, anti-allergic silicone for maximum comfort.
Octopus OP-30
The OP-30 is the ideal addition to all DYNAMICNORD regulators. It is identical in construction to the CS-30.
The TR-80, IR-50, CS-30 (DIN & INT) regulators and the Octopus OP-30 are available from DYNAMICNORD dealers and in the online store.
DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
Renowned anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has been released from custody in Greenland after spending five months in detention. Denmark’s Justice Ministry rejected Japan’s request for his extradition, citing insufficient guarantees that his time already served in custody would be credited against any potential sentence.
The 74-year-old Canadian-American was arrested on July 21 in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, when his ship docked to refuel. His arrest was based on a 2012 Japanese warrant related to a 2010 encounter in Antarctic waters. Japan alleged Watson obstructed operations and caused damage to a whaling research ship during efforts to disrupt illegal whaling. Watson has consistently denied these claims, maintaining his commitment to marine conservation.
Denmark, which oversees extradition matters for Greenland, concluded that while the legal conditions for extradition were met, the lack of assurances from Japan regarding time-served credit made extradition untenable.
In a video shared by his foundation, Watson expressed gratitude and relief, saying, “After five months, it’s good to be out… and good to know they’re not sending me to Japan.” He added that the most difficult part of his time in custody was being separated from his two young sons.
Watson is a pioneering figure in marine conservation, known for founding the Captain Paul Watson Foundation in 2022 after decades of activism with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His bold efforts to defend marine life have earned him widespread support, including from celebrities and conservationists. His work has also been featured in the acclaimed reality TV series Whale Wars.
Watson’s lawyer, Jonas Christoffersen, praised the decision, stating, “We are happy and relieved that Paul Watson is now free.” He added that Watson is eager to reunite with his family and continue his vital work.
The arrest occurred while Watson’s vessel, the M/Y John Paul DeJoria, was en route to the North Pacific with a team of 26 volunteers to intercept a Japanese whaling ship. His foundation described the arrest as politically motivated and emphasized that Watson’s actions were focused on ending illegal whaling practices.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after leaving the International Whaling Commission, asserting that whale meat is a cultural tradition. Conservationists, however, continue to challenge these practices, highlighting their impact on marine ecosystems.
Despite the challenges, Watson remains steadfast in his mission to protect marine life and bring attention to whaling practices. His dedication to ocean conservation has made him a globally respected advocate for the environment.
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