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Skeletal Remains of Scuba Diver Found in Spain Identified

Published

12 years ago

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Police have now officially confirmed the identity of the skeleton, wearing a neoprene scuba diving suit, found off the coast of Calpe in the Mediterranean sea in July 2013.

The gruesome discovery was made by the occupants of a yacht called “Yaiza”, just 40 miles off the coast of Calpe.

The skeleton was still wearing scuba diving gear and a backpack containing 540 euros in cash, a cellphone and a passport in the name of Abdelaziz Elfayafi, born on January 8, 1989 in Imzouren in the Rif region of Morocco.
As the body was so badly decomposed, it was at first impossible to confirm whether the diver was the owner of the passport found in the backpack.
Following a DNA test, the Civil Guard have now solved the mystery and have confirmed that the body did, in fact, belong to Abdelaziz, and his family have been contacted.
Farah Elfayafi, sister of the deceased, has also confirmed that the body belongs to Abdelaziz, or Abdel as he was known to his family and friends. He was buried on Sunday in the Berber village of Boukidan, where he had lived with his parents, Hafida and Hammadi.
The Moroccan consulate in Valencia paid for the transportation of the body from Spain to Tangier, and the transfer to his family’s village, where they buried him according to Muslim rites.
This is not the first tragedy to strike the family, as, at only 21-years-old, Farah has now buried two siblings, with another five remaining. The family’s first loss occurred in 2011, when their 27-year-old son Mohammed, a university professor, was found dead inside his apartment.
“He died of natural causes, because he had a heart condition,” explained Farah. And now in June 2013, it was the turn of brother Abdelaziz.
Farah said that Abdelaziz had degrees in both computer administration and accounting. He spoke four languages – Arabic, French, English and Dutch.
He was also involved in a course in humanities at Oujda University and loved travel, swimming, music and sports.
He had been performing clerical work at a couple of businesses, one owned by a relative, and was seeking employment in the months leading to his death.
Abdel’s mother was the last person to see him alive on May 27. Farah explained: “He left the house like any other day, and said he was going to Tangier.”
“A while later he called home and told her that he was at the port of that city because of a project,” she added.
Farah feels that Abdel may have been visiting Tangier as part of plans to start a business with his older brother Ahmed, who lives in Belgium. The two brothers were investigating the possibility of importing spare car parts to Morocco and Tangier would be the ideal port for delivery.
However, this does not explain why Abdelaziz jumped into the sea in a diver’s suit. Farah, who is now caring for her distraught mother says, “I think there is a secret behind my brother’s death.”
Speaking of her mother, she added, “She says that nothing matters to her anymore, but in time she will forget. Such is life.”
Some people had suggested that drugs were involved in the diving incident, but Farah rules this out, saying: “I know what it might look like, but he wasn’t like that.”
“He was an extraordinary guy, very good with computers, and shy – he didn’t talk much. He was looking for a job but did not need money, and he was a good diver. We all are, because we were born right by the beach.”
And while the Spanish Civil Guard initially thought that Abdel may have been an immigrant trying to reach Spain by sea, Farah disagrees.
Spanish police have concluded that the death is by natural causes.
“Spanish authorities gave us no information, they just said that since the body showed no signs of violence, they would not be investigating any further,” said Abdel’s brother Ahmed, who has decided to launch his own investigation into the mysterious death of his brother.
The Facebook account of Abdelaziz Elfayafi, showing a photo of him smiling, young and carefree, has now been cancelled. Until then, on the wall was a message from his sister Farah of only three words, “Where are you?”

 

Source: www.digitaljournal.com

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Jane Morgan Joins Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Team

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2 hours ago

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April 23, 2025

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jane morgan

Scubaverse is proud to announce that renowned underwater photographer Jane Morgan is the first to join our newly launched underwater photography team, alongside team lead Saeed Rashid.

With a career spanning over two decades, Jane brings a wealth of experience, creativity, and passion for the ocean. After learning to dive in 1991, Jane’s early work in marine conservation and scuba instruction in the Philippines and Borneo laid the foundation for what would become a distinguished career in underwater photojournalism.

A chance encounter with a film camera in Egypt in 2001 sparked a lifelong passion for underwater photography. Since then, Jane’s captivating imagery has been featured in top publications around the world, from major magazines and newspapers to books and exhibitions. She has worked with the BBC, judged prestigious competitions, and earned accolades including the Plongeur d’Or at the Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous-Marine.

Now based in Cornwall, Jane dives the UK coast year-round, championing its often-overlooked marine biodiversity. She is also a proud ambassador for DYNAMICNORD and Fathoms Free, lending her voice and lens to ocean conservation efforts.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Scubaverse underwater photography team,” says Jane. “It’s an exciting opportunity to share stories from beneath the surface and connect more people with the incredible beauty—and fragility—of our oceans.”

Scubaverse founder Dave Alexander adds, “Jane is one of my absolute favourite underwater photographers, and having her on board is a huge moment for us. Her talent, passion, and dedication to marine storytelling make her an ideal fit for the team.”

We’re just getting started… come back tomorrow to meet the next member of our underwater photography dream team!

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Marine Life & Conservation

Double Bubble for the Shark Trust

Published

23 hours ago

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April 22, 2025

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This week only – your donation to the Shark Trust will be doubled – at no extra cost to you!

The Shark Trust are raising vital funds for their Community Engagement Programme: empowering people to learn about sharks and rays, assisting the scientific community take action for elasmobranchs, and bring communities together to become ambassadors for change.

Every £1 you give = £2 for shark conservation. A donation of £10 becomes £20, £50 becomes £100! Help us reach our target of £10,000, if successful, this will be doubled to £20,000 by the Big Give.

Every donation makes DOUBLE the impact!

Monty Halls is backing this week of fundraising “Cousteau called sharks the “splendid savage of the sea”, and even through the more benign lens of modern shark interactions it remains a good description. The reefs I dived thirty years ago teemed with sharks, the perfect result of 450 million years of evolution. Today those same reefs are silent, the blue water empty of those elegant shadows. But hope remains that if one generation has created such devastation, so the next can reverse the damage that has been done. The Shark Trust are at the forefront of that fight.“

Donate Here

To find out more about the work of the Shark Trust visit their website here.

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