News
A personal tribute to Amr Ali (1971-2016)
This weekend I learnt of the sad passing of my old friend and former colleague Amr Ali.
The conservation and diving community are a poorer place for the tragic loss of Amr but ever richer for his ceaseless endeavours to protect the marine life, environment and people of the Red Sea.
It is difficult to sum up everything that Amr meant in words. It’s a cliché but Amr was a true giant amongst men in terms of personality, reputation and, of course, stature. To spend a few minutes in his company was to become intoxicated by his passion, his ideals and his wicked sense of humour. His bear hugs were legendary and almost made you black out. His caustic wit was well used to render his friends speechless with laughter and his adversaries, simply speechless. Amr was truly charismatic.
In the public world, as the Managing Director of HEPCA – Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association – Amr was a true visionary and environmental warrior. He and his team were responsible for a number of outstanding projects.
Most famous of all is HEPCA’s pioneering mooring operation, which started in 1992 as a community initiative to protect the Red Sea reefs and became the largest mooring system in the world. Amr’s drive was responsible for this project being rolled out not just throughout the Egyptian Red Sea but also Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Under Amr’s leadership, HEPCA also triumphed in the battle to save Giftun Island from development, secured a decree to ban shark fishing, helped create sustainable conservation programs to protect dolphins at Samadai and dugongs and turtles at Abu Dabab, spearheaded a campaign to ban dolphinariums in the Red Sea, introduced and managed a solid waste collection, disposal and recycling strategy for the city of Hurghada and the southern Red Sea, initiated community development projects for the local Bedouin people, led numerous scientific research projects, educated thousands of children, tourists, workers and Red Sea residents and so much more.
It’s fair to say that with Amr at the helm, HEPCA grew from a small-scale organisation to one with an international profile; the leading NGO in marine and environmental conservation in Egypt, and a model and inspiration for similar organisations worldwide.
Amr himself was an inspiration. His passing leaves a huge hole in the Red Sea and wider community but his legacy must be the continuation of his life and work by all those he inspired and mentored. In that way, the absolute greatness of Amr Ali lives on.
“I am a free spirit and I shall not be tamed.” – Amr Ali
To find out more about the work of HEPCA, visit www.hepca.org.
News
Dive Worldwide Announces Bite-Back as its Charity of the Year
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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