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Team Deptherapy gives back in latest Red Sea success

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Five new PADI Open Water Divers, three new PADI Advanced Open Water and Deep Divers, seven new Coral Conservation Divers and four new Deptherapy Education Professionals… that’s the tally of success from Team Deptherapy’s latest Red Sea expedition.

At the end of May 2018, UK scuba diving rehabilitation charity Deptherapy held it’s largest ever expedition to the Egyptian Red Sea. A team of 25, including 17 wounded in service veterans, all suffering from life changing physical and / or mental injuries, travelled to Roots Dive Camp in El Quseir as part of Team Deptherapy.

The expedition also marked the beginning of Deptherapy’s ‘Protecting Our Oceans’ project – an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the fragility of the world’s oceans, ensuring that each Deptherapy Programme Member ‘gives back’ to the marine environment that has so helped in their rehabilitation.

During the expedition, all Programme Members took part in a ‘Dive Against Debris’ underwater and beach clean up, successfully removing over 1 kilometre of entangled fishing line.

Deptherapy Programme Members Andy Searle and Jon Beever take part in the coral reef surveying and conservation course. Photo – Dmitry Knyazev for Deptherapy

Seven of the Programme Members also undertook a coral reef surveying and conservation course, led by Tom Dallison, Head of Science at Coral Cay Conservation. The aim of the five-day course was to develop skills in underwater environmental survey techniques and species identification, in order to prepare the divers for an expedition to Truk Lagoon this August.

Tom Dallison said:

“Deptherapy’s Protecting Our Oceans project now has seven passionate and knowledgeable ambassadors. In times where the future of our coral reefs and Oceans can look bleak, the efforts taken by environmental stewards, and the wider public, to actively protect these systems are critical. With an increased affinity to the marine world and a new perspective on the complexity and beauty of coral reefs, those heading to Truk are in good hands. I am truly grateful for the week spent with the Deptherapy team. I wish them all the best for the future and have no doubt that they will triumph in Truk Lagoon.”

Team Deptherapy was led by Deptherapy Ambassador and newly appointed Trustee, former Royal Engineer Ben Lee. Double-amputee Ben is currently training to be a Divemaster and recently won the Royal Foundation’s Endeavour Fund ‘Recognising Achievement’ Award.

Deptherapy Programme Members Andy Searle and Ben Lee on the Dive Against Debris. Photo – Dmitry Knyazev for Deptherapy

The charity is now focusing on the build up to the Truk Lagoon expedition, which will take place from 3rd to 17th August 2018. This major expedition is funded by the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s 2016 Libor Fund.

Ben Lee is already working with other expedition members to formulate the plan for mapping the wreck of the former Naval Tanker, the Shinkoku Maru, in what will be a key environmental exercise and the next stage in the Protecting Our Oceans project.

With applications for places on the Deptherapy Programme at an unprecedented high, the charity also intends to undertake a further expedition to the Red Sea in October 2018.

Do you know… it costs £1500 to fund a wounded in service veteran on a PADI Open Water course on the Deptherapy Programme. Deptherapy’s life changing work can only continue if they raise enough funds. The charity receives at least two applications every week from British Armed Forces veterans who would benefit from their Programme. Please help Deptherapy continue to make a difference to their lives. Pledge your support and find out more about Deptherapy & Deptherapy Education at www.deptherapy.co.uk.

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Euro-Divers to close dive centre at NH Collection Maldives Havodda

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Havodda

Euro-Divers have announced that as of 15 April 2024, they will no longer be operating the dive centre at NH Collection Maldives Havodda (formerly known as Amari Havodda).

The popular dive centre chain released this statement regarding the closure:

Dear valid customers, business partners and friends,

We are leaving NH Collection Maldives Havodda – former Amari Havodda as of 15th of April 2024.

Unfortunately, the information reached us on short notice that we are no longer operating the dive centre at the resort.

It was a great pleasure to work with the Amari Hotel group and continue to work with the NH Hotel group.

We wish our partners great success with all their new changes.

Thanks a lot for cooperating during our time at the resort. We wish everyone with whom we have worked a good and hopefully successful future.

Euro-Divers continue to operate in several other dive resorts throughout the Maldives in addition to other locations.

To finds out more about Euro-Divers, visit www.euro-divers.com.

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Marine Life & Conservation Blogs

Creature Feature: Undulate Ray

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In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.

This month we’re looking at the Undulate Ray. Easily identified by its beautiful, ornate pattern, the Undulate Ray gets its name from the undulating patterns of lines and spots on its dorsal side.

This skate is usually found on sandy or muddy sea floors, down to about 200 m deep, although it is more commonly found shallower. They can grow up to 90 cm total length. Depending on the size of the individual, their diet can range from shrimps to crabs.

Although sometimes called the Undulate Ray, this is actually a species of skate, meaning that, as all true skates do, they lay eggs. The eggs are contained in keratin eggcases – the same material that our hair and nails are made up of! These eggcases are also commonly called mermaid’s purses and can be found washed up on beaches all around the UK. If you find one, be sure to take a picture and upload your find to the Great Eggcase Hunt – the Shark Trust’s flagship citizen science project.

It is worth noting that on the south coasts, these eggcases can be confused with those of the Spotted Ray, especially as they look very similar and the ranges overlap, so we sometimes informally refer to them as ‘Spundulates’.

Scientific Name: Raja undulata

Family: Rajidae

Maximum Size: 90cm (total length)

Diet: shrimps and crabs

Distribution: found around the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat: shelf waters down to 200m deep.

Conservation Status : As a commercially exploited species, the Undulate Ray is a recovering species in some areas. The good thing is that they have some of the most comprehensive management measures of almost any elasmobranch species, with both minimum and maximum landing sizes as well as a closed season. Additionally, targeting is entirely prohibited in some areas. They are also often caught as bycatch in various fisheries – in some areas they can be landed whilst in others they must be discarded.

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered

For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website


Image Credits: Banner – Sheila Openshaw; Illustration – Marc Dando

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