News
Holidays inspired by Blue Planet Live
Buoyed by the success of 2017’s Blue Planet II, this March sees a new Blue Planet Live series arrive on BBC One.
Hosted by Chris Packham, Steve Backshall and Liz Bonnin and coming live from the Bahamas, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the USA’s east coast, the week-long show will take viewers to the depths of the world’s oceans bringing them closer to the marine world than ever before. Here’s a couple of trips from specialist dive tour operator Dive Worldwide inspired by the forthcoming programme.
BAHAMAS
The Bahamas is a diver’s paradise with over 1,000 regularly-visited sites offering pristine reefs, a multitude of exciting wrecks, spectacular walls, blue holes, caves and the chance to dive with dolphins and sharks. Just outside cosmopolitan Nassau, guests stay at Orange Hill Beach Inn, set on a hilltop overlooking the ocean, just 50 steps from a white sandy beach. Accommodation comprises 32 rooms, ranging from cosy studio rooms to a spacious cottage complete with kitchenette. Facilities include a swimming pool and small restaurant and bar. Diving is with world-renowned Stuart Cove’s Dive Centre and includes six days’ diving, guests will look out for the James Bond wrecks and Caribbean reef sharks as well as Nassau grouper. This is a great destination for divers of all abilities, as well as non-diving partners.
Price: from £1,875pp sharing, including 7 nights’ room only accommodation, return flights from the UK, 6 days diving (12 boat dives), and tanks and weights.
AUSTRALIA
Stretching over 3,000km off the coast of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the natural world’s most remarkable, and threatened, structures. Explore the very best of the Reef on this luxurious liveaboard adventure, departing from Cairns. The first stop is the Ribbon Reefs, a collection of coral reefs well beyond the reach of day boats where, at the famous Cod Hole, divers come face-to-face with huge groupers. Two days are spent in the remote Coral Sea, where there are incredible shark encounters, including with hammerhead, and plunging drop-offs down to 1,000m. The trip ends with a final day on the Barrier Reef, with the possibility of heading to Bougainville Reef, home to impressive caves, canyons and the wreck of the Antonio Tarabocchia.
Price: from £2,275pp sharing, including 7 nights’ full board liveaboard accommodation, 26 dive package, tanks and weights and transfers from Cairns. International flights extra.
For further information contact Dive Worldwide via www.diveworldwide.com or telephone 01962 302 087.
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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