Scheduled for 7 to 9 September 2007, the next Reefcheck Instructor Training Program in Thailand is being held off the Island of Racha Yai, to the south of Phuket Island. The program is being held in conjunction with Scubacat Diving.

Participants will spend two nights/ three days learning the Reefcheck system of coral reef monitoring aboard Scubacat’s spacious liveaboard MV Scubacat. The course is being conducted by Dr. Apple Suchanna of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, who is also the National Coordinator for Reefcheck in Thailand.

Although Dr Suchanna is a scientist, you don’t have to be one to join the fun! The course includes accommodation for two nights, meals, tanks and weights.

Space is limited to eight participants. For more information contact Ian Shaw or Sarah Kench.

Attention dive trade! Mark 8 September 2007 on your calendar. Dive Supply Co., Ltd. will be holding its second in-house exhibition for trade customers at its headquarters in Phuket.

At the first in-house exhibition last October, representatives from more than 120 dive shops from around Thailand participated, getting an opportunity to enjoy great food, drink and company, as well as to talk with attendees from major dive manufacturers, participate in equipment training sessions, take advantage of promotional offers and even win fantastic prizes like Scubapro BCDs and regulators, Suunto dive computers and more. No doubt this year’s event will be even bigger, with entertaining and educational activities for everyone, plus the introduction of new products from several manufacturers.

Brands being represented include Scubapro, Suunto, SeacSub, Luxfer, Bauer, OMS, and Dive Supply’s own brand of gear “Deep Blue”. And of course, there will be plenty of great food, drink and lucky draws.

Don’t miss out.
What: Dive Supply In-house Exhibition
Where: Dive Supply, Phuket
When: 8 September 2007, 14:00-20:00
Who: Trade customers
Contact: www.divesupply.com

Losin is a small island located 106 km from the mainland of Narathiwat, Thailand, where the diving is great and your chances of seeing big pelagic life (whale sharks, mantas, guitarfish, eagle rays, etc.) are high.

The only way to get there, however, is via a liveaboard. The good news is that once a year,many liveaboard operators in Thailand run dedicated trips to this beautiful remote island…and that time of year is approaching soon!

If you’d like to visit Losin, contact diveindeed in Bangkok. They’re running a trip to this unique destination on 15-16 September 2007 with MV Scubanet.

Austasia Airlines is pleased to announce that effective immediately, the governments of Singapore and Australia have approved a weekly regularly scheduled passenger flight between Singapore and Christmas Island in cooperation with SilkAir.

Managing Director of Austasia Airlines, Ed Turner said: “This flight now opens up one of the most pristine diving locations on the planet with spectacular sea life, and the high standard of flight services offered by Silk Air”.

The pristine destination of Christmas Island, world-famous for its excellent scuba diving, encounters with whale sharks, red crab spawning and more is now just two hours and 15 minutes from Singapore, with flights departing Singapore every Thursday at 16:50 (arriving back in Singapore at 22:05 on the return leg).

One-week, all-inclusive travel packages to this jewel of the Indian Ocean start at A$ 1,965 for divers (A$ 1,110 for non-divers). For more information, contact Austasia Airlines or Eco Adventure.

Note: There’s still time to enter the lucky draw for a free trip to this fabulous destination!

Euro-Divers Indonesia and recently opened Hotel Sedona Manado have initiated a reef ball project in the house lagoon of Hotel Sedona Manado. The hotel and dive operation recently placed four reef balls into the lagoon, with the objective of fostering a healthy marine community for visitors to enjoy.

Stay tuned for updates as the new reef takes life.

For More information please visit Manado Reef Ball Project Blog

FiNS Magazine contributors Tony Wu and Takaji Ochi are in Tonga photographing humpback whales. They found the first baby whale of the season, and named it “Hina Hina”, which means white in Tongan (”White” is actually “Hine Hina”, but they liked “Hina Hina” better.) See Tony’s blog for regular updates.