News
The Fiji Siren is Back
On the morning of February 20, Fiji encountered the most powerful cyclone in the Pacific nation’s recorded history.
Thanks to the bravery of the captain and crew on board and the following hard work of the Fiji Siren crew and the Siren family ground support, the Fiji Siren is now back in action.
Since the cyclone, all the dive shops around Fiji have been checking the reefs in their area and everybody is happy to discover that most of the reefs haven’t been damaged or, if they have, then only suffering minor damage. The feedback from the first trip was kind of great too; mantas on almost every dive, plenty of sharks, beautiful corals with plenty of macro life and schooling of fish.
- Midway: This area is almost unharmed and the underwater life keeps swimming around the sea fans and hard corals as if nothing has happened: nudibranch, lizard fish, starfish, spotted eagle ray and countless schooling pelagics such as blue fin trevally, jacks, and barracuda are all still in attendance.
- Vatu-I-Ra Passage: This area has no damage and you wouldn’t know a massive storm had recently passed by. The soft corals are out en mass, as are the fish life with black tip, white tip and grey reef sharks, huge schools of giant trevally, jacks, unicorn fish and groupers all cruising around.
- Vatu Lacu: The healthy reefs and prolific fish life are everywhere. Lots of sharks, plenty of nudibranch, cheeky blennies, everyone’s favorite Nemo and antheas in schools way too big to count.
- Tavenui: Most of the area is just as before. The hard corals, soft corals, giant trevally, whitetip reef sharks, pipefish, nudibranchs, garden eels, schooling fusiliers, unicornfish, schools of fish are in full bloom in all colours of the rainbow.
- Beqa Lagoon: The entire Coral Coast between Nadi and Suva including Pacific Harbour were relatively unaffected by the cyclone. There was only minimal damage.
The Fiji Siren offers affordable luxury liveaboards in Fiji all year round with a choice of 7 or 10 night itineraries, with 4 guided dives per day in small groups. All this surrounded by their professional, experienced and friendly crew.
The vessel features a/c cabins with en-suite facilities and plenty of space for you to relax and enjoy your time onboard, as well as a dedicated camera set-up and charging station with plenty of additional storage for all your extra lenses, strobes and batteries. It is thoughtful touches such as these that make Siren Fleet the best choice for both professional and amateur photographers. The Fiji Siren offers free essential scuba equipment rental and free Nitrox.
If you would like to support this country of happy and welcoming people, then choose Fiji Siren when you book your next diving holiday. 10% of the value of all Fiji bookings made in May 2016 will go to help the people in Fiji, through Worldwide Dive and Sail’s campaign with Sea Save to rebuild homes and lives. Sea Save will redistribute the money directly to the people in need.
For more information or to book, email info@sirenfleet.com or visit www.sirenfleet.com.
Last Thursday, Oyster Diving transformed Mercers Lake into a hauntingly unforgettable underwater realm for their inaugural Halloween Scuba Party. Approximately 20 intrepid divers plunged into the darkness, weaving through a mesmerising scene of spectral decorations, glow sticks, and eerie underwater pumpkins.
After the thrilling night dive, participants gathered to feast on a ghoulish spread of pumpkin soup, chilli con carne, and decadent fudge brownies, perfect fuel for the frightful festivities.
With a resounding success, Oyster Diving is excited to announce plans for this event to become an annual tradition. Next year, look forward to a fully licensed bar and live music, promising an even spookier celebration under the moonlit waters.
Join us next Halloween for an experience that promises to be a haunting delight!
Find out more about Oyster Diving at oysterdiving.com.
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
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