March 2011

Monday 8th Febuary

So, for the hundredth time, “The Turtle Whisperer” Natalie Quinn piped up again this afternoon! Nat, who has been doing her SSI Dive Control Specialist training here over the last few months, has the unusual ability of spotting turtles on EVERY trip she goes on! It’s a clear indication that the turtles around here are still hanging in there and with the Koh Tao Festival right around the corner we’re looking forward to a fresh injection of little turtles to join them! This year Save Koh Tao will be releasing 100 turtles into the waters around the island and with a bit of luck they will make it back to lay their eggs. Turtles navigate using the earths magnetic field as their own Global Positioning System (GPS). By sensing the field, they can work out both their latitude and longitude and head in the right direction enabling them to return to the beach in which they were born to lay their eggs. The Festival will be taking place on 25th-26th March…and yes, once again we’re going to be doing are own little show! This time it’s a secret though, so wait and see… Be there or be square people!

Big Blue Tech has now started running technical diving liveaboards off the coast of Cairns on a purpose diving built vessel the Spirit of Freedom. Spirit of Freedom is one of Australia’s most comfortable and well appointed live-aboard dive vessels. At 37 metres in length, with three decks of living space, generous cabins with private bathroom, the Spirit of Freedom offers all the amenities of a hotel, complimented by first class meals and outstanding service. A large dive deck with nitrox and photo facilities, houses every convenience to ensure comfort, safety and freedom in your diving.

Trips varied in length from 4 to 7 days are available most year round. Contact info@bigbluetech.com.au for more information.

So it looks like it’s not without consequence once again for our friends at Sea Shepard… “For the fourth year in a row, federal police have raided Sea Shepherd ships despite repeated failures to find legal grounds to pursue the anti-whaling group at Japan's request.

The Greens leader, Bob Brown, said officials were being pressured by the Japanese government to act against Sea Shepherd, and he urged the Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, to lodge a complaint with Tokyo.

Sea Shepherd's flagship, Steve Irwin, and the group's long-range vessel, Bob Barker, docked in Hobart after forcing the whaling fleet to withdraw from the Antarctic halfway through its season having taken less than one-fifth of its quota.''I'm actually quite convinced, about 75 per cent certain, that they won't be back again,'' the group's leader, Paul Watson said. ''But if they are we will be ready to go back.''The fisheries agency of Japan regards the prospect of returning to the Antarctic as ''extremely gloomy'', according to the national newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun. However, no public statement of permanent withdrawal has been made by the Japanese government.

The police confirmed it had received referrals to investigate incidents in the past four seasons. Its 2007-08 investigation focused on clashes between the Steve Irwin and whale chaser Yushin Maru No. 2. ''These matters were finalised on September 21, 2009, following advice from the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions that there was insufficient evidence to commence a prosecution,'' a police spokeswoman said.

She said investigations into seasons 2008-09 and 2009-10 were continuing.” Well, who gives a monkeys what they say! Good job boys and a huge pat on the back from everyone who DOES give a monkeys about the future of these magnificent creatures and the future of our oceans! HORAH!