Hotel Sedona Manado has recently opened its doors, as the first and only 5-star hotel in Manado. The hotel is set on 24-hectares of beautiful beachfront land, with a private lagoon, a nice house reef and many of Manado’s and Bunaken’s world-renowned dive sites just a few minutes away by speedboat.

Hotel Sedona Manado is the perfect place to go for a dive vacation and a bit of pampering. In between dives, relax at the spa, chill out by the spacious pool, or take part in any number of recreational activities available at the hotel. For those of you who absolutely need to stay connected, Wifi is available.

Diving + 5-star facilities. Who says you need to rough it to go diving?

Click here for more information.

This year’s event will be held over the weekend of 10-11 February in Thian Org bay. The festival promotes environmental practices, marine conservation, local education and awareness.

Events include a baby turtle release, removal of chemical waste and batteries from around the island, tree plantations, marine mooring installations, and a massive island clean up both underwater and on land.

Other fun-filled events include beauty pageants, competitions and a “Save Our Island and Seas” exhibition by school children of the island.

For more information, please visit http://www.koh-tao.ws/koh-tao-underwater-world-festival-2007.

Nemo Travel has put together a selection of choice liveaboard trips at the end of March. Join Nemo’s adventure to the Maldives aboard the MV Southern Cross from 16 to 24 March 2007 or between 23 and 31 March 2007. Grab this chance to dive with the Maldives’ famous mantas and whale sharks for only S$2245!

Also don’t forget Nemo’s exclusive Lembeh Strait photo workshop with award-winning photographer Tony Wu as your host on the luxurious Archipelago I liveaboard. Be one of only six guests getting hands-on photography instruction from one of the world’s top photographers for only S$1580 (Subject to V class availability).

So what are you waiting for?! Get in touch with Nemo Travel today on +65-6396-5181 or info@nemotravel.co.sg.

… To take a free trip to the beautiful Siladen Resort & Spa, pamper yourself on the luxurious Archipelago Adventurer I, or escape from it all on Bunaken or Lembeh Island with Two Fish Divers? Answer a few questions, and you might win one of these fabulous trips to North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The contest closes 31 January, so act fast and you just could be on your way to one of Asia’s top dive destinations. Click here to take part now!

Scubapro’s T Flex can be donned under diving suits for added warmth or simply worn on its own while snorkelling. The shirt is made of ultra stretchy 50 TPF rated UV lycra for maximum protection, freedom of movement and easy donning. Comes in black/ grey and white/ grey for men, and black/ blue and white/ blue for women.

Please visit www.scubaproasiapacific.com for more information.

There’s an excellent review on Wetpixel of The Art of Diving, which features photography by FiNS Contributor Alex Mustard, who writes our Talking Megapixels column. Alex is an innovative photographer who’s been at the forefront of exploring new techniques with digital photography, and many of the images in this book show off his unique talents. If you’re looking for a present for a diving friend or even a treat for yourself, check out this review!

Check out this video of a frilled shark just sighted in Japanese waters. Frilled sharks are deepwater, prehistoric sharks, so sightings are rare, and they have a bizarre appearance.

A new report by the Swiss-based World Conservation Union suggests that reefs in Asia are being strip-mined of fish due to overconsumption by consumers in the Greater China region, with escalating demand for live reef fish being one of the major problems highlighted. If you’re concerned about the pace at which fish are disappearing from our reefs, this article illustrates the impact of our eating habits. Read more…

We’re happy and proud to announce that we’ve opened an office in Bangkok! In addition to being a wonderful dive destination, Thailand is home to a rapidly growing dive community, and we’re happy to welcome on board our new Thai team to help us reach out to our many readers and friends in Thailand. With our head office in Singapore and sales office in Phuket, the addition of our new Bangkok office gives us a truly regional presence. Watch for more exciting developments in the coming months!

12 dolphins recently captured in Taiji, Japan as part of the annual dolphin hunt are awaiting export to the Dominican Republic. This video documents the brutal annual dolphin hunt, and gives the background behind the international trade in dolphins that funds the practice. The video also highlights the high levels of toxins in the dolphin meat that is sold for consumption in Japan, and the dangers that poses to consumers.