Twitter / DiveAcademy

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***********Dive Master Intern Wanted***********
We are looking for a Trainee Dive Master.

Permanent job offer on completion of the course, for the right person.

All course cost are free !!! You pay nothing !!!

For full course details contact Dave or Ellen at info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com



I look forward to hearing from you..
More information: info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

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The 25th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, The Arc
The 25th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, The Arc left from Las Palmas Gran Canaria today to St Lucia in the Caribbean. This year 200+ boats will have left from Las Palmas on their 14-25 day voyage :-)

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Special Offers
July 2010 special offers
*****Special Offers*****


****Discounted dive packages****
(equipment not included)

4 dives € 30 a dive.
6 dives € 28 a dive.
10 dives € 25 a dive.

****Discounted Dive Courses*****

Scuba Diver Course € 200

Open water course € 320

Advanced course € 255

Rescue diver € 220

All speciality courses up to 40% off

Emergency First Response € 110

All the above offers are for online bookings only. You must quote *Special offer* at time of booking to receive these discounts.

Secure online booking.

*****Special Offers*****

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Instructor Exam.
Dive Academy Gran Canaria will be running a Padi IDC during 19th May 2010. If you would like to join in the fun and take the next step in your diving career, then please do not hesitate to contact us for more information........ contact
Mere informasjon: info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

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Treasure ship is Spain's
A US court has determined that a US salvage company that raised some $500 million in treasure from a North Atlantic wreck must hand the haul to Spain.
That is because the ship, the court accepted, was a legitimate flagged naval Spanish ship.

Odyssey Marine Exploration salved the wreck in early 2007 off Portugal, in a project codenamed Black Swan.

The court accepted that, from analysis of finds, the wreck was the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, sunk by the British in 1804.

The ship was en route from South America to Spain carrying gold and silver coins. Included were gold doubloons minted in 1803 in Peru, and bearing the head of Spain's King Carlos IV.

Odyssey has maintained that the ship, although a naval vessel, was on a commercial voyage, carrying cargo of which a large percentage did not belong to Spain.

The vessel therefore should not, it claimed, be defined as a flagged vessel.

The court in Tampa, Florida, determined that the ship remained a Spanish-flagged vessel whatever the nature of its voyage.

Under international law, as a flagged naval vessel the Mercedes cannot be salvaged without Spain’s permission, which has not been given.

It has been argued that a flagged wreck left on the bottom by its country for centuries, with no effort made at location, can be regarded as having been abandoned.

In turn Spain has pointed out that, in 2004, it informed the US Federal Register that it had not abandoned any of its wrecked historic vessels, and forbade interference with them.

Other, unsuccessful litigants for the cargo of the Mercedes have included Peru and descendants of Spanish colonial figures who had private material aboard the ship.

Odyssey Marine Exploration has said that it plans to appeal.

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Sea Shepherd vessel sunk
Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd’s fast trimaran Ady Gil has been sunk after collision with a Japanese ship in the Southern Ocean.
The 24m-long, lightweight boat lost its bow section in the collision off Commonwealth Bay. It was hit by the Shonan Maru 2, a harpoon vessel.

The Ady Gil was left to sink after its crew of six were taken off safely by another Sea Shepherd vessel.

The vessel, Bob Barker, is a former Norwegian whaler only recently made available to Sea Shepherd through a $5 million donation from American TV personality Bob Barker.

It was close by and was able to video the incident (see link below).

The footage shows the Ady Gil stopped, ahead but to one side of the approaching ship, which is firing water cannon at the trimaran.

The Japanese vessel veers hard to starboard toward the Ady Gil, before straightening and starting a turn back to port just as the trimaran engages drive in a vain attempt to clear the ship’s bows.

In the heavy impact which follows, only marginally ahead of its wheelhouse, the Ady Gil is almost pushed under before bobbing back up minus its bow.

It is clear that the crew were lucky not to suffer fatalities or injuries. Four people were on the open bridge at the aft end of the wheelhouse. They fell to the deck as the Ady Gil was hit.

Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) has said that, before the collision, the Ady Gil had been approaching to within “collision distance” ahead of the Japanese ship and “towing a rope from its stern with the intent to entangle the Japanese vessel’s rudder and propeller”.

Sea Shepherd crew were also accused of firing potentially harmful green laser rays and balls of butyric acid from a launcher.

For Sea Shepherd, the ramming could not be justified and was intended. Its Australian director, Jeff Hansen, told press that the Japanese ship had had the Ady Gil “in its direct line of sight, coming straight for it”.

Captain Paul Watson, aboard the organisation’s flagship Steve Irwin which was 500 miles away, said: "This seriously escalates the whole situation."

The 50-knot, wave-piercing Ady Gil was the former Earthrace, which set a 61-day circumnavigation record in 2008.

The fibreglass-and-carbon trimaran was taken on by Sea Shepherd last year and named after its American donor.

Seemingly an odd choice for such work, the Ady Gil would, Sea Shepherd thought, be able to use its speed and manoeuvrability to block harpooners’ lines of sight and cause other disruption to whaling fleet movements.
Mere informasjon: http://player.video.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/#1378194304

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Japan Deploys LRAD Against Sea Shepherd Helicopter
Southern Ocean- Sea Shepherd’s ship Steve Irwin is ten days at sea after departing Fremantle, Australia, and has had a Japanese tail ship for nine of those days, the Shonan Maru No. 2. This Japanese security ship is reporting the Steve Irwin’s location, preventing them from closing in on the whaling fleet.

Sea Shepherd entered French Antarctic territorial waters after graciously receiving permission from the French Base at Dumont D’Urville in an attempt to lose the tail ship. The Shonan Maru No. 2 followed the Steve Irwin into French waters without permission in illegal pursuit. The French Base confirms that the Japanese ship neither requested nor received permission to enter French waters.

At 1730, the Steve Irwin helicopter flew back to film the Shonan Maru No. 2 in its illegal pursuit. In response, the crew of the Japanese ship activated their Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD) at the Sea Shepherd helicopter. LRAD is a military class weapon.

“This was an extremely irresponsible thing to do,” said helicopter pilot Chris Aultman. “That device can cause nausea and disorientation and the use of it against an aircraft is both extremely dangerous and grossly irresponsible.”

The Sea Shepherd helicopter returned to the Steve Irwin for safety from the LRAD, at which point, the Shonan Maru No. 2 increased speed and aimed their water canons in an attempt to destroy the helicopter on the landing pad. This occurred while the crew was attempting to secure the helicopter.

Captain Watson responded by deploying a 150-meter line aft of the vessel to force the Shonan Maru No. 2 to maintain a safe distance. The Sea Shepherd ship is undamaged and the crew safe.

Sea Shepherd has reported the incident to the French authorities. The pursuit continues.

“The situation is now very dangerous,” said Captain Paul Watson. “We have deliberately led the Japanese ship into thick ice in order to lose them in the ice. The ice bergs could easily damage either vessel.”

The Sea Shepherd needs your help to keep up there good work !! please make a donation and make a difference.
Mere informasjon: http://www.seashepherd.org

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Whalers and Whale Defenders Clash for the First Time This Season
The first clash between whalers and whale defenders took place on December 14th when the Steve Irwin and the Shonan Maru #2 exchanged shots with their water cannons.

The Shonan Maru #2 has been following the Steve Irwin from Fremantle since December 9th. At 1400 Hours (Melbourne time) the Steve Irwin went around an iceberg, did a figure eight out of view of the Shonan Maru #2 and re-emerged within a quarter of a mile of the Japanese whaler’s portside quarter catching the whalers completely by surprise.

A pursuit began and the Shonan Maru #2 turned on two water cannons. The crew of the Steve Irwin immediately responded by placing their water cannon in readiness. The Shonan Maru #2 and the Steve Irwin were engaged in a high speed pursuit for two hours before Captain Watson decided to break off the pursuit to resume course to the coast of Antarctica.

The Japanese whalers are spending a great deal of money, first locating the Steve Irwin by air and then directing the Shonan Maru #2 to the coordinates of the Sea Shepherd vessel. By staying on the tail of the Steve Irwin, the harpoon vessel is able to keep the rest of the fleet aware of the Sea Shepherd position. Captain Paul Watson needs to lose the tail of the Shonan Maru #2 in order to locate the whaling fleet. He is counting on heavier ice conditions to assist in this effort.

“We will use the icebergs and the ice floes to our advantage.” Said Captain Paul Watson. “I’ve observed today that I am a more experienced ice navigator than the Japanese captain chasing us. We need to get him to follow us into the ice fields and let the ice work for us.”

The Steve Irwin crew were left wet, but in good spirits after the confrontation.

“It was awesome seeing them run like cowards when we turned on them,” said Third Mate Vincent Hayes from Williamstown in Victoria.
Mere informasjon: http://www.seashepherd.org

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Christmas tree at The Marine Reserve
is diving today at The Marine Reserve :-) There is now a Christmas tree near the hole in the wall, which has been put there by the local dive clubs and is the perfect photo opportunity !!

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Padi IDC in February 2010
Dive Academy Gran Canaria will be running a Padi IDC during February 2010. If you would like to join in the fun and take the next step in your diving career, then please do not hesitate to contact us for more information........

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Off to see the Sea Horse's
is heading off to Tufia today, which is on the east coast of the island and where we often wea the sea horses :-) Lets hope the rain does not effect the viz !! Happy diving everyone !!

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South Western winds :-(
due to the continual south westerly wind this week is diving in El Cabron Marine reserve and Risco Verde :-) Happy diving !!

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THE ARC
would like to congratulate all the fleet that have completed THE ARC and are now sunning it up in St Lucia :-) and a big hug to Kim, Lena, Celeste Mary Egtvedand Oliver Markus Egtved enjoy your adventures !!

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The 24th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, The Arc .
The 24th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, The Arc left from Las Palmas Gran Canaria today to St Lucia in the Caribbean. This year 200+ boats will have left from Las Palmas on their 14-25 day voyage :-) We wish everyone a safe journey, but especially our close friends Kim, Lana, Celeste and Oliver !! See you in Truk lagoon in 2011 ;-)
Mere informasjon: http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/index.aspx

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Dive Academy On Facebook.
If would like to see where we are diving each day and what we are up to, then become a friend of Diveacademy Grancanaria or type in our facebook email account diveacademy@hotmail.es into the search for friends option on facebook, please just send us a friend request and we will be happy to except :-) !!
To find us type in our name or email as written above and we will come up....

WE WILL NOW BE USING FACEBOOK TO KEEP EVERYONE UPTO DATE WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING ON A DAILY BASIS AND THIS NEWS SECTION OF THE WEBSITE, WILL BE FOR MORE WORLD NEWS AND DIVING RELATED EVENTS :-)
Mere informasjon: http://www.facebook.com

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Manta Diablo en caleta.
Finally we have had our first sighting of the Manta Rays this year :-)

We saw 2 babies and one adult, a truley amazing sight :-)

However :-(

This year a new dive site guide book has come out on the island and it has this dive site in it including pictures of the Mantas. Now every time we go, there are lots of divers and we are seeing fewer and fewer Mantas :-( Other divers are using underwater horns, rattles and torches, which are not part of a normal day for the Mantas. It is a shame, but who does and doesn't have the right to dive is not up to us !!

To see some short videos of them check out the link below...
Mere informasjon: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1009937786373#/video/?id=1762843706

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Air quality surveyed
Divers are asked to join a survey on the standards of dive cylinder air fills.
The US-based Scuba STAR Network is running the survey as the latest in its regular line of bi-monthly research into equipment and diving activity generally.

"Our July/Aug 09 Safety Survey is designed to explore the issues of air quality, including the types of fills that divers receive and the steps they take to verify air quality," says Scuba STAR.

The survey covers both standard air and oxygen-enriched air, nitrox.

Contamination can lead to serious problems for a diver. "Perhaps the most insidious contaminant is carbon monoxide," says Scuba STAR. "CO is a colourless, odourless gas that binds with the blood's haemoglobin and prevents oxygen from being carried.

"Exposure to CO even in very low concentrations can lead to serious injury and even death."

Contamination with CO, other gases or oil occurs usually due to "combustion of other contaminants during the compression process, which overwhelms the filtration process", "improper placement of the compressor inlet" or "improper maintenance of the compressor system".

In terms of checking the quality of fills, electronic or colour-change monitors are needed to assess any presence of CO or the mix ratios of nitrox. Simply sniffing the fill is a "crude gas quality test" which "won't detect CO" but will "sometimes detect odours caused by the combustion of oil or other contaminants".

Another error can be the incorrect labelling of cylinders' contents.

The most common problem, however, is water ingress. "While we might not consider water to be a physiological problem for the diver, it can take a toll on equipment and cause secondary contamination of the breathing gas," says Scuba STAR.

"Water can cause oxidation of the cylinder, and the formation of debris from the oxidation process can clog filters and foul regulators."

Scuba STAR aims to help recreational divers go about their sport in as safe a manner as possible - and to influence, where necessary, equipment manufacturers, trainers and others in a bid to improve diving products and techniques.

Its survey results are read with interest by industry insiders and, as such, carry influence with some of the industry's key decision-makers.

The online survey questionnaires can be completed in minutes. Respondents are assured of anonymity, and final reports are published on the websites of both Scuba STAR and DAN (Divers Alert Network).

To participate in the air quality survey, go to
Mere informasjon: www.scubastarnet.com

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Whale is a saviour !!
A freediver has been saved after a beluga whale sensed that she was in trouble and hauled her to the surface.
The remarkable act took place during a competition at Polar Land, at Harbin in north-eastern China.

Wetsuited freedivers had to descend to the bottom of the centre's Arctic pool and sit there amongst its beluga whales for as long as possible.

When competitor Yang Yun, 26, tried to make for the surface, she lacked power due to legs cramping badly from the extreme cold.

As she started to sink again, close to drowning, one of the snow-white belugas somehow knew that she was in trouble.

Grasping one of her legs in its mouth, the creature pushed Yun to the surface, where she was helped from the water - fortunately without having yet taken in a lungful of water.

But it had been close. "I began to choke and sank even lower and I thought that was it for me - I was dead," Yun told reporters. She had then felt "this incredible force under me driving me to the surface".

A Polar Land staff member said of the whale, called Mila: "She's a sensitive animal who works closely with humans, and I think this girl owes Mila her life."

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Shark fins seized.
A large stock of shark fins have been seized in south-western Spain.
The 11-tonne haul, located in a warehouse at Huelva, was destined for Hong Kong for the making of shark-fin soup and other products, said police.

According to Singapore’s Straits Times, the fins were calculated to have an export value of around 137,000 euros.

Landed at a harbour in north-western Spain’s Galicia region, the fins appeared not to have come from a protected species. But it was not clear whether or not the haul would have been legal in terms of fin-to-carcass ratios defined by EU law.

The probability of the catch being illicit was high, however, given that the warehouse in which it was found was not licensed to store or export shark fins. The haul was confiscated for this reason, pending further investigation.

According to The Straits Times, EU countries together make up the largest exporter of sharks to Chinese markets.

COME ON PEOPLE, LETS PUT A STOP TO THIS NOW !!!

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Dive Academy On Facebook.
If would like to see where we are diving each day and what we are up to, then become a friend of Diveacademy Grancanaria or type in our facebook email account diveacademy@hotmail.es into the search for friends option on facebook, please just send us a friend request and we will be happy to except :-) !!
To find us type in our name or email as written above and we will come up....

WE WILL NOW BE USING FACEBOOK TO KEEP EVERYONE UPTO DATE WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING ON A DAILY BASIS AND THIS NEWS SECTION OF THE WEBSITE, WILL BE FOR MORE WORLD NEWS AND DIVING RELATED EVENTS :-)

To log into facebook click on the link below.
Mere informasjon: http://www.facebook.com/login.php

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New Dive Master at Dive Academy :-) Woof !!
Well the cat (dog) is out the bag now !! As some of you may know, there is problem here on the island for abandoned dogs and cats !! We came across Golfo who is a rescue dog by accident and WE- HE fell in love at first sight :-) Golfo has not had a very happy life so far and at the age of 3 we feel he needs a change of luck !!

For saying how bad a time he has had, he is still very loving towards us human’s (once he gets to know you :-) He is also a man after my own heart and likes nothing better to sit outside the shower watching Ellen ;-) He has already signed up for his open water scuba diver and will be a dive master by this time next year !! Photo’s will coming soon :-)

If you live in Gran Canaria and have a place in your family for a new member or would like to make a donation to this charity, who are stretched to breaking point then please click on the following link :-)
Mere informasjon: http://www.animalesanahi.org

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The world's most logged diver !!
This week Dive Academy Gran Canaria has a very special guest ( I know all our guests are special ;-), but Clint Currie has the most logged dives of any diver !!
15,680 LOGGED dives !!

Unlike those who tend to neglect logbooks somewhere between the 200 and 500 dives mark, Clint's logbooks' pages are neatly completed in extraordinary detail. So, pick any one of his dives between 1963 and 2006, and he would be able to tell you what he saw, how deep he ventured, what equipment he was wearing and who his buddy was for the day.

We would like to thank Clint and his dive buddies Anne, Brian and Hillary for a great week of diving and many laughs :-) We hope to see you all again soon....... and Hillary I promise next time you are here, we will talk about S*X ;-), as you ask for !!

For more about Clints diving past and future check out the link below
Mere informasjon: http://www.divemagazine.co.uk/news/article.asp?uan=3309

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A large stock of shark fins have been seized in south-western Spain.
The 11-tonne haul, located in a warehouse at Huelva, was destined for Hong Kong for the making of shark-fin soup and other products, said police.

According to Singapore’s Straits Times, the fins were calculated to have an export value of around 137,000 euros.

Landed at a harbour in north-western Spain’s Galicia region, the fins appeared not to have come from a protected species. But it was not clear whether or not the haul would have been legal in terms of fin-to-carcass ratios defined by EU law.

The probability of the catch being illicit was high, however, given that the warehouse in which it was found was not licensed to store or export shark fins. The haul was confiscated for this reason, pending further investigation.

According to The Straits Times, EU countries together make up the largest exporter of sharks to Chinese markets.

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Dive Academy On Facebook.
If would like to see where we are diving each day and what we are up to, then become a friend of Diveacademy Grancanaria or type in our facebook email account diveacademy@hotmail.es into the search for friends option on facebook, please just send us a friend request and we will be happy to except :-) !!
To find us type in our name or email as written above and we will come up....

To log into facebook click on the link below.
Mere informasjon: http://www.facebook.com/index.php

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The award-winning documentary Sharkwater is to be translated into Chinese !!
The award-winning documentary Sharkwater is to be translated into Chinese, to spread its conservation message throughout China.
Sharkwater, which went on general release in 2008 and is now available on DVD, was filmmaker Rob Stewart’s successful attempt to point up the ills of the shark-fin trade.

The highly lucrative market, mainly in Asia, for soup and other products derived from shark fin has led to widescale, unsustainable fishing of sharks. Many shark species are now down to fractions of their numbers of even 25 years ago.

Now, Stewart and conservation charity WildAid plan to produce a Chinese version of the documentary for distribution in China, a particularly large market for shark fin. The hope is to reach up to 300 million Chinese and persuade them to rethink their penchant for soups and other fin-derived commodities.

Many Chinese, it is claimed, remain unaware even of what they are eating, knowing shark-fin soup by a phrase that, translated, means “fish wing soup".

The project, and its inevitable costs, are being backed by shark conservation group Save The Blue, which is inviting donations towards the redubbing, production, promotion and distribution costs. A little carrot is the offer of a free Save The Blue shark pendant to those who donate.

Send donations to
Mere informasjon: http://www.savetheblue.org/campaigns.html

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May to June 2008 special offers
*****Special Offers*****


****Discounted dive packages****
(equipment not included)

4 dives € 28 a dive.
6 dives € 26 a dive.
10 dives € 24 a dive.

****Discounted Dive Courses*****

Scuba Diver Course € 200

Open water course € 320

Advanced course € 255

Rescue diver € 220

All speciality courses up to 40% off

Emergency First Response € 110

All the above offers are for online bookings only.

Secure online booking.

*****Special Offers*****

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Maspalomas Carnival 2009.
As you will see by the photos in the gallery, the team at Dive Academy headed off to the Maspalomas Carnival 2009 :-)

It all started on March 12th 2009 and the theme this year is Pirates, the idea being “To convert the piratesque tradition into a party in Maspalomas, and unite the sailors of old Europe with their descendants: the thousands of tourists that continue to arrive from all across Europe, arriving in Maspalomas to enjoy our new and most precious treasures: the tint of gold that dresses our beaches.”

The Councillor for Culture explained that with the theme of the traditional carnival, old hats and shirts and costumes from years gone by will be appropriate costume. The Mayoress, Mari Pino Torres, encourages residents to ‘dress up and take part’ and explained that ‘we always give possibilities to our musicians’ to perform. There is going to be lots of traditional music played throughout the following weeks in this “always very enjoyable” carnival season. “Year upon year more and more people participate,” and there is plenty to participate in.

Make it a thing you have to do next year !!

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Shark finners apprehended
A fishing boat has been seized in South African waters - with nearly two tonnes of shark fins aboard.
The Taiwanese vessel was seized in the harbour at Cape Town by inspectors from South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs, after a spot-check revealed the undeclared haul.

It is reported that the vessel's skipper and 26 crew face criminal proceedings for providing false details of their catch. Under the country's Marine Living Resources Act, they could be fined up to R2 million and/or jailed for up to five years.

A spokeswoman for Marine and Coastal Management said that the crew had reported a take of nearly three tonnes of tuna, 1.36 tonnes of shark trunks, and 100kg of shark fins - far less than the weight of fins found in the boat's holds.

The crew's 100kg claim would have met the requirements of the South African permit under which the vessel entered the country's territorial waters and tied up in Cape Town.

The permit's rules reflect an international agreement that shark fins should not exceed five per cent of the weight of trunks brought back to port. The agreement was formulated in order to combat wanton finning and dumping of trunks - sometimes when the shark is still alive and facing certain death.

With between one-and-half and two tonnes of fins on board, under the agreement the Taiwanese fishing boat would have had to be carrying between 30 and 40 tonnes of shark trunks, way in excess of its actual cargo.

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Webcams back up and running !!
After a small electrical problem here at the dive centre, both the webcams and weather station are now back up and running :-)

Sorry if you have missed them !!

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It's a sad day for the whale..
Beached whale to be buried.

A giant fin whale that stranded in southern Ireland last week is to be buried in the beach on which it came ashore.

The 20m creature became trapped on a sandbank in County Cork's Courtsmachsherry estuary last Thursday. It was still alive, blowing air from its spout.

The tide was falling and, by the time rescuers could get out to it on foot, the creature had died. After failed attempts to move the whale, watched by thousands of people who arrived following radio announcement of the stranding, the decision was taken to bury the carcass, estimated to weigh about 50 tonnes, on the beach.

Two JCBs were deployed over the weekend to dig a large hole into which the carcass is to be rolled. A post mortem was carried out in a bid to find out whether the whale had stranded as a sick or healthy animal. Even if healthy, it could still have died from the effect of its own weight crushing organs, including its lungs.

Vets working with a team from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and University College Cork removed organs for examination, aided by an expert flown in specially from the USA. Joy Reidenberg, Associate Professor of Medical Education at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, was flown over with a film crew by National Geographic on Friday. Reidenberg has carried out post mortem studies on many large baleen whales.

The fin whale is being buried with all organs removed, the organs being incinerated after examination. It is possible that the skeleton will be salvaged later for local display. It would, said Padraig Whooley of the IWDG and National Parks and Wildlife Service Rangers, be a "tremendous resource".

The fin whale, which can grow to about 27m long, is the world's second-largest mammal, after the blue whale. Prevalent off the Atlantic seaboards of Ireland and parts of the UK, it is a protected species, increasing in population after being hunted almost to extinction in the past.

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January is a busy time at Dive Academy
It has been a busy time here at the Dive Centre :-) We have had lots of great sightings including many Angel Sharks and Rays. We aslo have had a large pod of Dolphins directly in front of the dive centre. If you check out the photo below, you can just make them out :-) We would also like you to welcome Nick, would will be with us over the next few months whilst he makes his Dive Master course..
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/16/en/Creatures_of_the_Sea_2/16/1423

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Are signal devices good enough?
Are signal devices good enough?
Divers are being asked to participate in a survey on the effectiveness of surface signalling devices.
The US-based Scuba STAR Network is running the survey as the latest in its regular line of bimonthly surveys on equipment and diving activity generally. The organisation's aim is to help recreational divers go about their sport in as safe a manner as possible - and to influence, where necessary, equipment manufacturers, trainers and others in a bid to improve diving products and techniques.

The online survey questionnaires can be completed in just a few minutes. Respondents are assured anonymity, and final reports are published on the websites of both Scuba STAR and DAN (Divers Alert Network). They are read with interest by industry insiders and, as such, carry influence with some of the industry's key decision makers.

To participate in the signalling devices survey, which is Scuba STAR's allotted survey for December and January, go to www.scubastarnet.com

Reports from previous surveys can be viewed at the site. Divers can also share their experiences on any safety-related subject - for instance the use of computers or buddy rescue in out-of-air situations - by using the organisation's Anonymous Reporting Form.

Data is used in the compilation of Scuba STAR's Annual Safety Report.
Mere informasjon: www.scubastarnet.com

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Weather Station Problem
We are very sorry for the problem with our weather station at this moment!!

We are waiting for replacement parts to be delivered from America and promise it will be back up and running soon :-)

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Happy New Year !!
A Happy New Year to you all, from the Team at Dive Academy.

We have had another great year at Dive Academy, with great diving and having met some really nice people !!
All the staff would like to thank each and every one of you for making the dive centre the happy place we like to work !!
I would also like to thank Jen for all the hard work she has put in during her Dive Master and Assistant Instructor courses and wish her luck with her future travels and diving :-)
Check out her christmas photo, just click on the link...
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/16/en/Team_Dive_Academy/2/1416

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Finners caught off Oz
A boat fishing illegally was apprehended off Australia recently - with a reported four tonnes of shark fins in its hold.

Australia's Customs said that it intercepted the vessel, a Papua New Guinean boat with 15 crew, near Ashmore Reef in the Indian Ocean. The Australian territory, almost halfway between north-western Australia and Indonesia, is a national nature reserve.

The boat was caught "with longlines set" within the boundary of the reserve's marine protected area. As well as the fins, it carried a reported 20 shark jaws, along with tuna and other large fish.

The vessel was escorted into Cairns by the Australian Customs vessel, for matters to be taken up by the police and other authorities.

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Diving murder charge !!
An American man has been formally charged with the underwater murder of his wife off Queensland, Australia in October 2003.

David 'Gabe' Watson, from Alabama, has been charged by the Queensland Director of Prosecutions with the murder of his wife, Christina, while on honeymoon just 11 days after the couple's wedding.

Earlier in 2008, an Australian coroner ruled that there was enough evidence to charge Watson with murder. He and his wife were seen seemingly to embrace at a depth of about 15m before separating, Watson ascending while his wife sank to the seabed.

It is alleged that Watson turned off his wife's air supply, restrained her until she was dead or nearly so, then turned the supply on again before leaving her to her fate.

Mrs Watson's body was caught inadvertently in the background of a photograph taken by another diver, lying motionless on the sea floor. Now the struggle begins to have Watson extradited from Alabama to face the charge in Townsville.

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Mick welcome to Dive Academy Gran Canaria.
We would like you all to give a warm welcome to our newest Instructor Mick, who will be with us for the foreseeable future :-)

Originally from Poland/German, he is 28 years of age and has many years of diving/ teaching experience in many parts of the world !! To see Mick diving and in action check out our photo gallery :-)

If you would like to come diving with the team at Dive Academy then please do not hesitate to contact us..

We look forward to hearing from you soon!!!!

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Just for fun !!
As everyone will know who has been on our boat, it can move at very fast speeds !! Now imagine 4 of our engines bolted onto the back of a very small boat !!

Just for fun check out the youtube link below for a "REALLY FAST BOAT !!"
Mere informasjon: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ebNsR34dOzg&feature=related

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Goodbye Richard and good luck in Mexico !!
As many of you know, Richard has been with us for a long time, but he has now decided to move on and try somewhere new. I am sure I speak for us all when I say. “ Thank you to him, for making the Dive Academy experience a memory NOT to forget!!”

Both guests and staff a like, we have all had many great times during Richard’s stay with us, including all the amazing marine life sightings. To share this with someone who has as much passion for the sea as we do, makes the experience even more special.

So from us all at Dive Academy and from all the guests you have taken diving

THANK YOU and HAPPY DIVING IN MEXICO :-)

And a very special THANK You from Dave and Ellen for all your hard work !!

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Officially the summer is over :-(
We would like to thank Marie and Radomir for all their hard work this summer, but now the summer has drawn to a close they are heading back to their home countries to work.
It has been a great summer for us here at Dive Academy and with the help of Richard, Marie and Radomir we have all had good fun and shown our passion for diving to others !!

Also a big thank you to all our customers from this summer, I hope you have all had holidays and dives to remember and that you will come and join us again soon on this paradise island….. Please do not forget to leave a message in our guest book, if you have not already done so…..

Autumn/ Winter is here :-)

But here in the Canary Islands the fun never stops and the Autumn/ Winter season is now here :-) The weather is still very good, just like the summer and the sea conditions are perfect. So if you are looking for a new diving adventure, then why not contact us about a diving course or just come diving with us…..

Contact us at
Mere informasjon: info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

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The Manta Rays are back !!!
The Manta Rays are back in the north of the island, we have made 2 visits to the dive site So far. On the first occasion we had 22 sightings and on the other 18.

At the start of the Manta Ray season, we normally only see the small Mantas that are small in size and are no greater than 2.5m across, but as the season continues, the large ones start to come in !!

As always they can be a little tricky to photograph, but check out the photos in the gallery.
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/15/en/Underwater_photos_Scuba_Diving_photo_gallery

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Turtles, Turtles and more Turtles !!
We have had 4 Turtle sightings over the last 2 weeks, which have put a smile on all the divers faces !! The first sighting was in the harbour at Arguineguin, where we saw 2, then one more in Arinaga 3 days later and the last one whilst out on the Lost Artificial reef. All have been Loggerheads and are most properly travelling on the currents running around the island. I am afraid that we only have photos of the one in Arinaga. So Espon if you are reading this please, please, please send them to me !!

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The Discover Scuba Diving course.
70% of the world lies just below the surface and with Dive Academy’s Discover Scuba Diving course, it is your first steps towards exploring the underwater world. Take your first breaths with confidence, with helpful tips and suggestions to make the most of your glimpse into the watery world.

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The summer is here :-)
Our summer team is now complete and you can check us out on the photos in the Gallery. There is Richard who most of you all ready know and he has now been with us for eight months. Maria is our summer instructor from Norway and will be with us until the end of September. Radomir is our new Divemaster Internship who will be learning the ropes, but has already proved himself as a good diver , then last but not least Ellen and Myself :-)
So when you come diving with Dive Academy Gran Canaria you will always be in good hands

As for the diving over the last few months we have had a few sightings of the Dolphins around the Artificial Reef area. We have also seen many Angel Sharks, Rays, Greater Amberjacks and many more….. We have even seen a Guitar Ray on Pasito Blanco, which is very rare sighting :-)

If you are thinking of travelling to Gran Canaria and would like to go diving, then send us an email or calls at the numbers in our contacts page.

See you all again soon…..

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Holidays in Gran Canaria- a must visit for a complete Canary holiday
Situated in Atlantic Ocean, Gran Canaria is one of those 7 islands that complete Canary Islands. With lively nightlife, beautiful beaches, superb coastline activities and great family attractions to enjoy, Gran Canaria or Gran Canary (as called in English) is a perfect and ideal holiday destination.

With warm and sunny weather all year round, this canary island offers a long list of attractions and things to do or see when holidaying in Gran Canaria.

Sioux City

Situated in the southern Gran Canaria, outside San Agustin, Sioux City a theme park with a touch of old days of 'Wild West'. This place brings to you cowboy shows, horses, Indian knife throwers, dancers and many other locations like horse ranch, saloons, bank and churches. A holiday in Gran Canaria can be made whole lot of fun with these events or shows, offered by this Indians and cowboy theme based park. Many tourist and visitors often visit this attraction for its major shows like Bank robbery, Duel until death, Indian rain dance and Town square hanging.

Aqualand Aquasur

This canary island attraction is the largest or biggest water park situated near Maspalomas and is spread in a 130,000 squares metres land. Holiday in Gran Canaria with family can turn into great fun with this huge water park, with pools, water rides, Children Park, river rides, restaurants and a golf park.

Holiday World

Holiday world is an amusement-park kind family attraction for tourist and visitors holidaying in Gran Canaria. With amazing rides, rollercoaster, shooting stalls, restaurants, Ferris wheel, cafes and leisure centre to offer, this attraction is a must to visit place for families thinking of a holiday in Gran Canaria.

Cocodrilo Park

Out of the various parks situated at this Canary Island, Parque de los Cocodrilos is a popular park with an astounding and huge collection of crocodiles. Tourists and visitors holidaying in Gran Canaria are often found hanging around in this striking attraction. The park also offers parrot shows, beautiful cactus garden and tropical fish collection.

Las Palmas

Las Palmas is the capital of this beautiful Canary Island and has marvelous collection of beaches and shopping zones, for that fine experience of a holiday in Gran Canaria. The city also has attractions like monuments, museums and churches for attracting visitors and tourists.

Museums

Holiday in Gran Canaria is also a great idea for those who would love to enjoy some history and cultural stories, along with the leisure and fun activities. This Canary Island has a series of marvelous and magnificent museums for that remarkable tour of history. These museums have all that you need to know about the past of this attractive holiday destination. From complete historical details, events and gorgeous artifacts, these attractions are perfect for a spending a good afternoon when not in a mood for all those ware parks, parties and nightlife. Some of the major museums on Gran Canaria Island are Museo Canario, Museo de Historia de Agüimes, Museo Elder de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Casa Museo Pérez Galdós and Museo Néstor.

Best time to visit or holiday in Gran Canaria

The best time for choosing Gran Canaria as a holiday destination, Is always !! While the island is sunny and has a temp of 21 to 29 degree Celsius through out the year, one can always plan a great holiday in Gran Canaria anytime

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Dolphin guides whales to safety
Rescuers tending two stranded whales watched in amazement as a dolphin turned up, clearly communicated with the whales, and persuaded them to swim to safety.

The incident occurred off New Zealand's Mahia Beach, 500km north-east of Wellington. Before the dolphin arrived, rescuers had tried for over an hour to persuade the whales, a pygmy sperm whale and her calf, to swim away. They had been unable to navigate out to sea and had stranded four times on a sandbar.

The dolphin, a bottlenose, announced its arrival by surfacing between the rescuers and the whales, which were stranded in slightly deeper water than the wading people. The whales had arched their backs and were making anxious calls to each other, but once the dolphin arrived some sort of communication occurred between the three animals.

The dolphin was able to persuade the whales to relax and, clearly encouraged, they were then able to wriggle free and follow the dolphin off into a safe, deepwater channel.

"I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin," Malcolm Smith, the rescue team's conservation officer, told the BBC, "but there was obviously something that went on because the two whales changed their attitude from being distressed to following the dolphin quite willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea.

"The dolphin did what we failed to do. It was all over in a matter of minutes."

Later the dolphin, a regular in the area known to be a female and called Moko by local residents, returned to the beach to interact with swimmers. Smith admitted to breaking the usual rule among marine scientists of not directly handling a wild creature unless necessary as part of a rescue.

"I actually went into the water with the dolphin and gave it a pat afterwards, because she really did save the day," he said.

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Apeks looks for faulty reg.
Manufacturer Apeks is recalling any second stage or octopus for its TX, ATX and XTX regulators bought at any time before this July - if it has not undergone an authorised annual service.

The recall comes as the result of the realisation that an incorrectly assembled second stage has been purchased at some point.

If you have an Apeks regulator that has not been serviced, the company asks that you take it to your nearest Apeks dealer for a visual inspection before diving with it again.

If owners cannot return the regulator for any reason, they are asked to contact Apeks' Customer Service Department for assistance.
Mere informasjon: Call (0044) 01254 692200 or email info@apeks.co.uk

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Turtle power: Rehabilitated loggerheads released back into the sea
Two loggerhead turtles which washed up on the west coast of Britain from Gran Canaria six months ago have been released back into the wild.

The animals, named Dink and James by their rescuers at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Cornwall, are the only survivors of a record 23 found on the English and Irish coast this year.

They were flown to Gran Canaria and microchipped before being released into the sea at Las Palmas.
Blue Reef curator Matt Slater said: 'They were both in a poor state when they arrived. It was touch and go for a while.'

Loggerheads, which can live for more than 50 years, travel the Atlantic currents in a loop from the U.S. to the Canary Islands. It is thought that bad weather put so many off course this year.

They flew to Las Palmas on Monday June 23 and were released on a beach two days later with their keepers watching on.

If they are spotted again by fishermen or on the beach the tag in their flipper can be used for identification.

Releasing the pair, Blue Reef curator Matt Slater told them: "Hopefully, we won't be seeing you again. Have many, many years of swimming in the ocean."


He added: "It was absolutely beautiful. Let's hope no more turtles get stranded, but if they do we know we can look after them.

"I hope they will be OK. In their lifetime, things will change a lot. The future for turtles in general is not great."


Pascual Calabuig (corr), the centre's director, said: "Seventy-five percent of the sea turtles that we receive have been hurt because of man's activities.

"We see turtles damaged by hooks, nets, pollution, oil and plastic bags. Turtles damaged by boats are the worst to recover.

"We try to patch up their shells with fibreglass, but survival rates are low."

Loggerheads turtles - real name carettta caretta - are categorised as endangered and are threatened by industrial fisheries, habitat loss and climate change.

James was stranded on Blackrock Beach, Bude, on January 26, and Dink a week later further up the coast at Putsborough Beach, Woolacombe, Devon.

Mr Slater said: "They were both in a poor state when they arrived. James was particularly bad. It was touch and go for a while.

"Being a larger, more powerful turtle, James is thought to have battled the strong currents, which left him exhausted.

"Dink, being younger, probably endured less stress as he just drifted on the current and arrived inland faster." James was suffering from pneumonia, dehydration and a lung infection when he arrived and both turtles had hypothermia.

They were warmed up slowly and the water temperature of their rehabilitation tanks was increased from 10C to 25C.

Mr Slater said: "James was put on a course of antibiotics and anti-fungals to cure infection. When he first took food by himself, after two weeks of tube feeding, we knew he was on the road to recovery."

Loggerheads breed on the beaches of the Mediterranean, West Africa, Brazil and the south-east coasts of the US and Florida has the largest population.

They travel around the large ocean currents in a wide loop and from nesting beaches in Florida, follow the Gulf Stream across the Atlantic to Madeira, and then head south to the Canary Islands and Cape Verde Isles, before heading back to the south-east coast of the US.

Peter Richardson, of the Marine Conservation Society, said: "We are not 100 per cent sure how turtles navigate this route.

"They have some geo-magnetic understanding, for broad-scale navigation, and can use chemical cues coming off of islands, such as windblown dust, as a homing device." Scientists are uncertain why loggerhead turtles have been stranding on UK and Irish coasts in record numbers this year but experts say extreme weather systems may be a cause.

Mr Richardson added: "From December to February we had strong and persistent south-westerly winds towards UK shores. Small or compromised turtles in the north-east Atlantic may have drifted off-course because of this.

"Juvenile jellyfish are opportunistic feeders. The jellyfish may have attracted them off their normal course. Then they may have got caught in a weather system and blown over. At 15C (59F) the turtles stop feeding and at 10C (50F) they shut down."

for the full story check out
Mere informasjon: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1030569/Turtle-power-Rehabilitated-loggerheads-released-sea.html?ITO=1490

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Thank you Andy :-)
It is a sad time here at Dive Academy, as we have to say goodbye to Andy :-(

Due to other commitments, Andy has had to leave his full time position with us :-(

Over the short time he has be with us, he has become a very valved member of our team and hope that when the time is right for him, he will be able to return :-)

So on behalf of all the team at Dive Academy and all the clients that have had the pleasure of diving with him......

Thank you Thank you Thank you !!

click here to see Andy in action.
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/16/en/6_1st_April_to_30th_May_2008_A_selection_of_our_customer_photo_s/18/1224

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Andy has joined the Dive Academy team !!
I would like to ask you all to give our new Dive Master trainee Andy a warm welcome. He recently moved from Gibraltar to Gran Canaria, to pursue his dream of becoming a Diving Instructor. We hope to help him on his way to his final goal :-) and that he will be a permanent member of our team !!

He has already become one of the best Dive Masters we have had !! You can always guarantee he will have a smile on his face and is willing to help with anything you may ask of him :-)

Before he joined our team, he dived with Dive Academy a number of times and you can see him on some great photos in our guest book.

Check out the link below for a photo of Andy. He is the one in the middle :-)


There will be more photo’s to follow of Andy in action, keep checking out this space !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/16/en/6_1st_April_to_30th_May_2008_A_selection_of_our_customer_photo_s/18/1196

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Dolphins spotted whilst out on the boat.
Whilst on our way to The Artificial reef this week we came across a very large pod of Dolphins. We stopped the boat and watched in ore, as they approached the boat and came within 2m of us!!
After a short time we decided to try and join them in the water with masks and fins. Just as we were ready to get into the water, we looked up and they were gone :-(.

A little disappointed that we did not get to swim with them, but still an amazing sight !! Keep your eyes peeled on the photo gallery, as the guest's send in their photos.

As we started again to The Artificial reef they followed us at the side of our boat, making spins and jumps. A truly amazing sight !!

We hope to see them again soon :-)

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A big Welcome to Claudia :-)
It looks like the summer is now on it’s way :-) !!
In the south of the Island we are now having day time temperatures of up to 32°, but it is still a little chilly at night with lows of 16°

We would also like you all to give a warm welcome to our newest Dive Master Claudia, who will be with us during this summer :-)

Originally from Switzerland, she is 26 years of age and she has already traveled around many parts of the world !! To see Claudia diving and in action check out our photo gallery :-)

If you would like to come diving with the team at Dive Academy then please do not hesitate to contact us..

We look forward to hearing from you soon!!!!

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Thank You
Having looked through our guest book at all the comments and the thanks we have received from our customers, new ,old and also those that join us in Gran Canaria on a regular basis, I thought it was time for us to thank you all for your time and custom.

After arriving in Gran Canaria three years ago to start working here at Dive Academy, I was slightly unsure whether my transition to full time diving instructor would meet my expectations, like all divers I loved diving, enjoyed meeting people that I wouldn’t have meet normally, teaching and of course living in the sun!!. Well three years later I am here still enjoying my job, there are very few jobs that pay you to do something that you enjoy whilst socialising and just generally enjoying each day in the Sun.

With the above in mind we would like to say a big thank you to all our clients that have visited Dive Academy for making our job so easy and an advanced thank you to those who are on there way to visit us in the future. We look forward to seeing people from previous visits as well as new people and hearing all about everyone’s diving adventures.


A Big Thank you and Happy Diving
Ellen.

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*****Special Offers*****
.
February - March 2006

****Discounted dive packages****
(equipment not included)

4 dives € 25 a dive.
6 dives € 22 a dive.
10 dives € 20 a dive.

****Discounted Dive Courses*****

Scuba Diver Course € 200

Open water course € 320

Advanced course € 255

Rescue diver € 220

All speciality courses up to 40% off

Emergency First Response € 110

All the above offers are for online bookings only.

Secure online booking.

*****Special Offers*****

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Scuba Diving Gran Canaria.
If you are thinking of a winter dive trip or just some dives whilst you are on holiday, why not check out the latest Dive magazine trip report to Gran Canaria in the January 2008 edition. Unlike the other dive centres mentioned in the report, here at Dive Academy we do dive all of dive sites around the island.
With large shoaling fish, pelagic species and all year round diving, there is no better place to dive for winter break !! We are having average day time temperatures of 28 degrees and water temperatures of 21 degrees.

For more information then please email me…
Mere informasjon: info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

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Happy New Year !!
The Team at Dive Academy Gran Canaria would like to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

And we hope to see old and new customers alike, to show some great dives in 2008 !!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS
It’s Christmas time again and we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas !!
If you are looking for a winter diving holiday destination, then look no further. Gran Canaria has all year round diving, with lots to see !! or if you are thinking of learning to dive, Dive Academy Gran Canaria is the perfect place.
We are the only dive centre in Gran Canaria, with our own private training pool. So you can learn in the comfort of a pool, before heading off to the sea !!

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A great week for an instructor (By Ellen)
This week has been a perfect week of diving. The first a night dive, being a little afraid of the dark you might think it is a strange pass time, however I love night dives, the Parrot fish sleeping, Puffer fish curled up sleeping, moray's hunting, Cuttlefish out for there evening snack (food chain of the sea world), rays swimming in the torch beam, squids doing what ever squids do, i could go on forever at the amazing things you see, however a sea horse is not what i expected. It was very small only about 4cm, and camouflaged well in the plants. So for all you divers here in Gran Canaria keep your eyes peeled. It was perfect start to the dive and also the week.

The second a dive in Arguineguin Bay, this was the first sea dive for my student. As we were nearing the end of the dive we saw 2 baby rays, very small and cute an amazing site to see them move in the water, but as an instructor I see these rays so often, the part I did not expect to see was the 2 baby rays join the other 5 baby rays and there mother. I have seen rays before but to see the true beauty of a mother with her young was amazing, a moment that will stay with me for a long time.

For all those divers reading this you will understand those underwater WOW moments and for those of you who have not yet experienced the underwater world what are you waiting for!!!

This just goes to show us all that no matter how many times you dive the same waters there is always something new and exciting to see. So pack your bags and come and join us at Dive Academy.

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Learning to scuba dive has never been more convenient!
Whether you’re on the go or want to take it slow, now you can complete the knowledge development portion of the PADI Open Water Diver course online with PADI eLearning. It’s a great match for your active schedule.

Come in to Dive Academy Gran Canaria to complete your training:
While you're working through the PADI Open Water Diver course online or after you complete all the segments, you can print your eLearning Record and bring it in to us, so you can start your underwater adventures. This is a great way to spend less time on holiday reading and more time having fun !!

GO Dive:
You’ll learn and master dive skills from one of our highly-trained PADI Instructors during confined and open water dives. The skills you learn during these dives will prepare you to explore a whole new world “THE UNDER WATER WORLD OF GRAN CANARIA”

Start today on a lifetime of adventure and fun!!

Why choose Elearning ??

• Convenient online access to knowledge development course material for one year.

• Unlimited and unrestricted access to an online version of the PADI Open Water Diver Manual .

• At your own pace complete knowledge assessments

• Visit or contact Padi or Dive Academy anytime during business hours.

• Payment is $120 US for eLearning via a secure online payment system. This payment is paid direct to Padi. Then you can book your in water training direct with us at Dive Academy Gran Canaria.

• If you have any questions during your home study you can contact Dive Academy for help and advice and we can even help with accommodation etc.


For more information please contact Dive Academy at

info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

0034 928736196
0034 696760396
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/20/en/PADI_E-learning_Dive_Courses

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Our Photo Gallery
Do not forget that if you have had your photo taken whilst you have been diving with us and it has appeared on the web site, that you can send your photo to friends or family through our web site and it will appear in there email box as a post card !!

It is a great way to let everyone know back home that you have been diving or have just learnt to dive !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/15/en/Underwater_photos_Scuba_Diving_photo_gallery

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The Padi Open Water Diver Course
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that, if you are thinking of making the Padi Open Water course. Please make sure that you are getting the course you are paying for and also the course that is set out by Padi the governing body.

It has been brought to our attention that there are a number of Dive Schools who are not completing the course to Padi Standards.
During the course you should complete the following.
• 5 knowledge development
• 5 Video/DVD sessions
• 5 Confined water dives in a swimming pool(or confined water conditions e.g pool!)
• 4 Open water dives in the Sea
• 4 quick quizzes and 1 Final Exam.
If you have not completed any of the above section, then you have not completed the course to Padi standards.
Or
If the Confined and Open Water dives have been completed on the same dives( excluding the1st Confined and 1st Open water), then you should therefore contact Padi to let them know how your course was run.

We promise that when you learn to dive with Dive Academy, all safety and course standards will be met to the highest of standards. This is one of the main reasons why we at Dive Academy have our own private training pool !!

Remember that the price of the course is not the only consideration, if another Dive Centre can do it so much cheaper, they must be cutting corners !! Is your life worth that little ??

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*************Whale trainer hurt*****************

A marine-park whale trainer was lucky to escape with a broken arm and bruised chest when she was dragged around a pool by an orca she was training to perform stunts.

The incident occurred at Loro Parque on Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. German Claudia Vollhardt, 29, was practising a trick with a 1.5-ton male orca, where they would swam together with the whale pushing her along with its nose pressed up against her feet.

Things went pear-shaped when the whale came up from below and, after ramming against Vollhardt's chest, took her right arm in its mouth and dragged her under. It proceeded to swim about, surfacing and submerging several times in the 12m-deep pool, before letting her go.

Hospitalised, Vollhardt's faith in the orca, named Tekoa, remained undiminished. She insisted that the incident had been an accident, not an attack.

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*******Apeks Regulator Yoke Clamp (May 2007)Recall*****


There may be a potential problem with the yoke clamp screw on any yoke clamp type regulator with a serial number from 7010001 to 7053528. Return the yoke clamp screw to your nearest Apeks dealer and do not dive with the regulator until it has been inspected. Apeks' Customer Service Department can also be contacted on (01254) 692200 or at
Mere informasjon: www.apeks.co.uk

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*************** Dive Master Wanted ********************

We are looking for a Trainee Dive Master for October, November onwards.

Permanent job offer on completion of the course, for the right person.

All course cost are free !!! You pay nothing !!!

For full course details contact Dave at info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

Must be German/ English speaking.

I look forward to hearing from you..
Mere informasjon: info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

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************It is an amazing time of year here in Gran Canaria !!*********


We are still having large numbers of Angel Sharks and Butterfly rays in the North of the island. This is due to the unusually cold water for this time of year.

Also we are now entering the Manta Ray season and they have started arriving at one of the best dive sites the island has to offer !! You can see as many as 15 on one dive and groups of 8 swimming close to the surface together !!

If you would like further information on the Manta’s please ask Dave, as he has spent the last 12 months researching them and there migrationary routes.

It is one dive if you are in Gran Canaria for the months of September, October and November you just can NOT miss !!!

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*****************The forest Fires****************

I have been emailed by a number of people asking if the south of Gran Canaria has been effected by the forest fires. The answer to this is NO !!

Although when the fires were alight we did have an amount of ash falling into the pool and around the dive centre, btu we were not near the fires and there was no damage to the tourist areas.

The fires only covered approximately 35% of the central and western areas of the island and not 60% of the total coverage of the island, as reported in the media!

If you are travelling to Gran Canaria and staying in the tourist areas of the south which include Mogan, Puerto Rico, Taurito, Arguineguin, Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles, you will not see any signs that the fires ever happened. The only time you will see the effects is if you travel to the centre of the island which were affected by the fires.

So please do not believe the media reports that are saying the whole of Gran Canaria has gone and not to travel to the island.

It is all a load of rubbish !!!!

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World diving news report.

How unlucky !!!

Diver dies from Lighting strike.

A diver has died under the most unusual circumstances - after being hit by lightning while in the water.
According to Florida media, the casualty was one of a group of four who were on the surface not far from their boat off Deerfield Beach, Broward County, when a thunderstorm came through.

As they finned towards the boat, the diver, who was not named but described as a 36-year-old man, took a lightning hit on his air cylinder. He was helped to the boat by the others and pulled aboard, reportedly having suffered a cardiac arrest.

His buddies radioed for help and, upon arrival back ashore, they were met by a rescue crew who administered CPR to the casualty before he was admitted to hospital, where it was announced that he had died.


I ask myself just one question !! “What was a diver doing in the sea whilst there was a lighting storm ??”

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Summer is here !!
The diving is great !!
Why are you still at home ??
Why not come down and find out what the underwater world of Gran Canaria is like ??

I promise you will not be disappointed !!

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Freedive record Smashed
Austrian Herbert Nitsch has beaten his own No Limits freediving best by a stunning 29m, to set a new world record of 214m.
Nitsch, backed by an in-water safety support team, made the dive off Spetses, in Greece. The dive was observed, and has been ratified by, the sport's governing body AIDA (Association for the International Development of Apnea).

No Limits, in which the diver descends on a weighted sled and returns to the surface aided by an inflatable balloon, is the sport's deepest discipline. Nitsch was under water for 4min 24sec, his maximum depth recorded by three dive computers.

Nitsch's new record puts to bed a niggling difficulty, in which his former 185m mark was the official AIDA world record - yet another freediver, Belgian Patrick Musimu, had dived to 210m outside the AIDA umbrella.

AIDA had the grace, while not officially recognising Musimu's dive, to acknowledge that it was genuine. In reality, Musimu was the world's deepest-ever freediving human.

Musimu's depth was undoubtedly the target in Nitsch's sights, which helps to explain why the Belgian chose to break his 185m AIDA world record by a massive 29m. By contrast, freediving world records are usually chipped away at by a metre or two at a time.

By any stretch of the imagination, Nitsch's achievement is remarkable. Sadly, however, his success follows the death, just two months ago, of fellow No Limits freediver Loic Leferme.

The Frenchman, a former No Limits world record holder, died while training off the South of France for an attempt on Nitsch's 185m AIDA mark.

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***************** Crush the turtle **********************

Yesterday I spent an hour in the bay in front of the dive centre snorkelling with our resident Turtle Crush.

It is amazing how graceful he is, but then able to make a real turn of speed and move so fast. There was no way I would have been able to keep up and if I had, my heart would be trying to jump outside of my body !!

He is not a great lover of Scuba Divers, probably due to the noise, but when I was snorkelling with him he did not move away and was quit happy to swim from one side of the bay to the other, popping to the surface every few minutes for a breath of air.

I would like to think that he will stay around for the summer, but it has been a few months since we last saw him. So who knows !!

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On one of our few days off, we took a visit to Loro Parque. We had a brilliant time watching all the amazing shows and animals. They have Tigers, Gorillas, Giant Tortoises and thousands of parrots and birds, but best of all for me was the sea life.

Firstly we watched the Sea Lion show which really showed how amazing the balance and agility of this huge animals is. Whilst swimming around they could balance a ball on there nose and between there feet !

Then we headed to the dolphin show which showed this loving animals playing, whilst also showing their speed and power. The highlight of this show was when one of the dolphins jumped out of the water at least 2-3m and kicked a ball with its flipper !!

but

Best of all was the Orca show, which for me was amazing !! I would like to add that I too, do not believe in these animals being held captive, in what to them would be a very small enclosure ( but is the largest Orca pool in the world), but the four Orca’s at Loro Parque were born in captivity and do not know any other environment or would be able to look after themselves if they were now realised (which we JUST know will not happen anyway !)

The show starts with a few very high jumps from the whales and then moves to show just how intelligent they truly are. Each one has its own trainer and the relationship between them is so very strong, they have told trust between each other.
As part of the show one of the trainers was pushed along by an Orca then taken to the bottom of the 12m pool, then turned upwards and speeded to the surface, at which time the trainer made a huge dive back into the pool ! The show was so good we went back later to watch it all again.

My only small criticism is that whilst people are at these shows “Loro Parque” has a very captive audience, which would be the perfect time to educate people about the plights of our Sea’s and the constant struggle for life that this amazing animals have every day of there life’s!!

Whilst you are here in Gran Canaria, why not take time out to go to Loro Parque, It is a trip you will never forget !!

Check out the photo’s in the gallery at.
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/underwater_photos.php

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********************* The POOL is now OPEN ************************

This week the workmen have completed the transformation of our old pool, into what you can see on the webcam today !!

With this new pool we now have the best dive facilities and location on the island !! With our own private training pool and two great bay dives direct in front of the dive centre where you can often see rays, angel sharks and turtles, there is no better place to learn to dive !!

We have put together a series of photos to show the work during the pool repairs on our photo gallery or check out the 360 degree photo on the home page to take a look at what the new pool looks like today :-)

Top ten facts of the pool repairs :

1. It took the workmen 16 days to complete the repairs, only 4 days long than they said it would. “ not bad for here !!”
2. To refibre glass and resin the pool, it took 300 gallons of resin.
3. To paint the pool with 3 coats took 40 tins of paint.
4. It took the Dive Academy team 3 days to paint on the web address’s and logos inside the pool.
5. The paint around the pool has a special anti slip ingredient added to it SAND !!
6. It took 8 lorries and 330,000 litres of water to fill the pool. The cost to use water from the tap would have been double.
7. It took 3 days to fill the pool with water.
8. Officially Leanne was the first person to go into the new pool.
9. The pool should not need to be repaired again for another 10 years.
10. Total cost for the pool repairs hmm “you don’t want to know!!” :-)
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/underwater_photos.php

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************************** Good Bye Ellis **************************

It is time to say good bye to Assistant Instructor Ellis, who has been with us for the last year ! She is now going to continue her travels around the world and is looking at South Africa for her next stop.

Ellis from all the Dive Academy Team and I am sure all the guests that you have taken diving over the last year. We wish you HAPPY TRAVELS and some great diving !!

During her last week with us she has been thrown in the pool and cream pied, but as always she has had a big smile on her face afterwards.

Check out the photos at
Ellis please keep in touch….
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/underwater_photos.php

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************************ Check out the Web Cam ************************

At long last repair work has now started on our private training pool :-) We know it has been along time coming ;-( but it has been very hard to get reliable workmen !! and many start dates have come and gone :-(

All the water has now been drained from it and is going to be refibre glassed, then painted. It will take the workmen 10 days to reform our old look pool too it’s new style, complete with painted dolphins and rays in the bottom !!

We hope that the new look pool will make our guests feel more relaxed and at home and they will be able to enjoy the sunshine whilst starting their diving adventures in a safe environment :-)

With Dive Academy you do not have to take your first dive in the sea, but can take your time and learn in the comfort of our large pool :-)

We want you to enjoy your course whilst you are holiday and leave us with the same passion for diving that we have !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/webcams_arguineguin.php

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The first BBQ for this year went well with customers, friends and the Dive Academy team having lots of fun and drinks !!

A big thank you for the best BBQ chief Douglas, for all his hard work !!

Check out some of the photos at
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/underwater_photos.php

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***************** May/ June Special Offers *****************

It is a great time to get a discount on your warm water diving :-)


Scuba Diver Course 200 euros

Open Water Course 320 euros

Advanced Open Water Course 250 euros

Rescue Diver Course 220 euros

Emergency first response 90 euros

Enriched Air Course (nitrox) 120 euros

Speciality Courses up to 40 % off

4 dive package 25 euros a dive

6 dive package 22 euros a dive

10 dive package 20 euros a dive

There is no better time to come diving with us :-)

Remember we have our own private pool for training, so you have all the time in the world to learn in a relaxed atmosphere !!

All the above prices are for online bookings only and require a secure online deposit, using our secure online payment system.

We can also provide accommodation on request..

***************** Diving is our passion *****************

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********Dive Master Internship***********

We have a position for a trainee dive master this summer.

All course cost are free !! You pay nothing !!

Take your first step on the Professional ladder and have fun at the same time !!

Must be

German/ Dutch speaking

Or

Norwegian/ Swedish/ Danish

For details contact Dave at info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

For some course information check out the following link
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/dive_courses_gran_canaria.php

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If you are trying to find out what the weather will be like on your holiday?
Check out our weather station or weather cam !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/webcams_arguineguin.php

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Well it has been a GREAT start to 2007 !!

The weather has been perfect with average air temperatures of 23 degrees and water temperatures of 20 degrees.
The sea has been calm and we have had some great sightings.
The Angel Sharks and Rays are here in big numbers and we have had 2 sighting of the pelagic Bull Rays !! and 2 Devil Rays in the North !! but we have not seen Crush the turtle for a few weeks :-(

Come back Crush where are you ????

If you are thinking of coming diving in Gran Canaria this year, please contact us and have some FUN !!

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***************** Happy New Year **************

From all the team at Dive Academy :-)

It has been a great few weeks here in Gran Canaria, on land the weather has been very good and the sun is always shining bright !! Underwater we have had lots of great sighting, including our resident Turtle (named Crush) in the bay in front of the Dive Centre to very large Round Rays at the Marine Reserve and a huge Bull Ray at Pasito Blanco !!

We would like to wish all our guest from 2006 a Happy New Year and some great dives for 2007 !!! and we hope to see you all again soon :-)

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We have had our first ever underwater WEDDING proposal this week !! The young couple came to make a Discover Scuba Diving Course and it was all to emotional for them both, so he popped the question !!
He passed her an underwater slate which just said “MARRY ME” on it. After an underwater tear or to she wrote back “YES”

All the team at Dive Academy wish you a happy future together !! and that your dream wedding comes true :-)

Check out the photo of the big event !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/underwater_photos.php

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Good Job Guys !!!!

Congratulations to all the candidates on passing their Instructor Exams and good luck with teaching in the future !!!
For more photos of the IDC and IE check out the photo gallery :-)

If you would like to take part in the next IDC and IE at Dive Academy, then please contact us for more information…

Take the next step in your diving Padi Diving Adventure !!!

More photos to follow....

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********** Dive Master Trainee Required **********

Full Dive Master internship for the right person.

You must be
German/ English speaking.
Or
Norwegian, Swedish,/ English speaking.
We have a warm and friendly team here and we want you
Be part of that !!
Please sent full C/V and recent photo to us at..
info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com

I look forward to hearing from you :-)
Check out the following link for course deatils.
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/dive_courses_gran_canaria.php

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************ New Web Cam *************

Have you checked out the new Web Cam ??
At the moment we are in the middle of an Instructor Development Course, so why not check out the action in the pool !!

The green fins sticking out of the water are the Course Director Antonio :-)

If you want to be on the next IDC in May 2007, then please contact us for more information.

Click on the link below for the Web Cam
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/webcams_arguineguin.php

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The best part of our job as dive guides/instructors is meeting people form all over the world. From Lawyers to Doctors, Plumbers to Geologists, Bus Drivers to B.A Pilots everyone has a common bond which helps us all get along, have a laugh and lots of FUN !!

There is nothing better than at the end of a day everyone sitting around the pool having a drink and telling us all about the experiences.

This summer we have had some great guests from all over the world and some great dives to show them.

Autumn is now here and we have lots more to show you all !! So if you are thinking of coming over to see us, then book some diving and come and tell us your experiences !!

If you are on your own or in a group everyone is welcome here at Dive Academy !!

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Another 5 Mantas yesterday !!!

But I think the time has come for them to move on to the next patch of food !!

At the start of the Manta season you will find about 1m of plankton and tiny fish life on the sea bed, but now that has all gone and the Mantas are starting to find new feeding grounds :-(

When you see the size of the Mantas you can see how they can consume so much food !!

When they are feeding they drop down from 3m to 3mm off the sea bed and then it is as though they are super charged !! They move at an amazing speed across the sea bed using there appendices (horns) as a big shovel scooping everything up in there path. At the end of there high speed pass they fly straight upwards again..

They have been seen in groups as large as 11 !!

An amazing sight to see !!!

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Well you really will not believe me now !!

Today we had in total 13 Mantas on one dive !!
Together we saw 9 Mantas swimming together, it was out of this world !!

Thank you to the guys at London School of Diving, for a great week of diving with you. I hope you all enjoyed the Mantas !!

Tell me ?? Is it not the best sighting ever on one of your dive trips????

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Another great week diving here in Gran Canaria !!

We had another 4 Mantas up in the north and lot's of other Rays whilst out on the boat, including a Butterfly Ray which has been spending the last few weeks at the Russian Wreck.

Check out the photos in the gallery, there is one with 2 Mantas on it which came right over the top of our heads, it was AMAZING !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/underwater_photos.php

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Not 1 Not 2 Not 3 Not 4 but 5 Manta Rays
Yesterday whilst in the North of the island I saw for myself 5 Manta Rays and it was a sight I will never forget !!!

The first 1 was over 4m from tip to tip and moved so fast that it was gone before I could even signal the other divers, but lucky they had already turned to look in that direction and saw it just as it came up from the sea bed !!

Everyone was celebrating when.

2 minutes later a second one came by a little smaller and this time moving slowly having a good luck at us !!

Whilst the second one was still in view a third one only small (1.5m) this time circled around us !!

Then the biggest one of all (4.5m) past straight past us and came within meters of us, took a good look, then shot off at an amazing speed.

The fifth one could have been the small one which was coming back around again, but this time it was about 8m of the bottom and moving quit fast.

A great day had by all, I don't think anyone will forget it for a while !! :-)

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If you are on your way out to us in Gran Canaria from the U.K, then please check out the Suit Case packing advise on the BBC web site below.

It may save you time at the airport !!
Mere informasjon: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4778615.stm

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The Manta Dive !I
Its now the time of year that you can see the Mantas in the North of the island, they are feeding on the massive amount of microscopic live which covers the bottom of the sea bed and is approximately 1m thick.

Although I have not seen them myself, we have had lots of sighting by local divers, including the photo which you can see in the Photo Gallery. Very nice and thank you Carlos for the Photo !! All the locals are talking about the size of them this year and after seeing the photo this one looks massive !!

Hopefully it will be my turn to see them next !!

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******Dive Master Trainee Required*******

If you can answer yes to all the following questions then please email me.

Do you fancy a change of direct with work ??

Have got the summer free ??

Speak German ??

Want to work as part of a fun loving team ??

Want to make diving a way of life ??

Gain your Dive Master Qualification ??

If you do, then it will be the best thing you have ever done !!

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!!WOW !! !!WOW!! !!WOW!!
Just when you think you have seen it all !!

We were sat around our pool today have a drink, after having a great day out diving when we heard some one shout Dolphin !!

When we looked up the whole bay in front of the dive centre was full of Dolphins !!

This is no fisherman's tail, but there must have been over 100 !!

It all came to an end when a speed boat went straight through the pod and we never saw them again !!!

No body even had time to suit up :-(

!!WOW !! !!WOW!! !!WOW!! !!WOW!! !!WOW!! !!WOW!!

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Whilst you are on holiday with us why not take the all NEW

Padi Digital Underwater Photography Course.

Digital has taken the underwater photography world by storm. Get in on the action with the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty course. You can quickly and easily capture the underwater world with your camera and on your computer.

During the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Specialty course, you learn to use the PADI SEA (Shoot, Examine and Adjust) method, which takes full advantage of digital technology. The result is good underwater photos faster than you may imagine. You not only learn how to take good photos, but how to share them with your friends via email or printing, optimizing your work with your computer, storage and more.

Take only pictures leave only bubbles !! with the Padi Digital Photography Course !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.padi.com/padi/en/kd/digitalunderwaterphotographer.aspx

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Weather for Gran Canaria.

For a live weather report from here in the south of Gran Canaria, check out our weather station.

It's HOT !! Veyr HOT !!
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/actual_weather_arguineguin.php

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October 2006 Instructor Development Course. IDC

Go Pro !!

If your look for a nice friendly atmosphere to carry out your IDC, then look no further !!

Our dive centre has all the facilities you will require to carry out the course including our own large private training pool.

We have a 100% pass rate and one of the best Course Directors on the face of the EARTH !!

Email me for more information

info@diveacademy-grancanaria.com
0034 928736196

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Hola Carla,

This message is to let everyone who is reading this news board know about the 3 Angel Sharks that we saw today up at Puerto Sardina !! They were really great and all so close together !!

And also to let them know about all the Barracudas, Star Gazers, Trigger fish, all the large shoals of Roncadores and all the thousands of reef fish !!

Have a nice week at work and don't let it get you down !!

See you Soon.
Dave

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Warning for D9 and D6 owners !!

Suunto is recalling some of its D9 and D6 diving computers, after identifying a software bug that may cause the instruments to track dive time incorrectly.
Mere informasjon: http://www.suuntoservice.com/safetynotice/diving/

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Don't forget that if you book online and pay a deposit on our secure online payment system you will receive a further discount on the total cost of your diving !!

Ask for more information
Mere informasjon: http://www.diveacademy-grancanaria.com/payment_form.php

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WOW its Hot !!!

A big goodbye to our local Norwegian friends Chris, Elisabeth ( Joe) and Espen who have now returned home after spending 6 months out here in the sunny Gran Canaria.

I hope that the time you have spent with us will be a memory you will never forget !! It has been great to have you around the dive centre and hope that you will come back and see us all again soon.

Now that you have got to go back to work, you will still be able to think back to all the great dives we have had together and hopefully think of all the future dives you will make !!

Have some great dives for 2006 and good luck with the project !!!

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The summer season is now approaching and the island is starting to get very busy !!

The weather is Fantastic and sea is perfect !!

There have been some great sighting over the last few weeks including huge Round/ Sting Rays, Bull Rays, Turtles, Hammer Heads and we even had a Butterfly Ray circling us through a whole night dive showing just how beautiful they really are !!

Check out our weather station for a live weather report and web cam.

Email us if you are on your way out to Gran Canaria :-)

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Great sighting this week at El Cabron in Arinaga.

A 3m long Hammer head shark !!

Typically I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and never saw it !!

Being in the Atlantic you just never know what's round the next corner !!

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Great news for the Canary Islands !!
The new laws for the Canary Islands have now stated that there is no minimum age for scuba diving.
This now means that from 8 years they can dive in the swimming pool and from 10 years they can dive in the sea !!

Check out the link below to Divernet
Mere informasjon: http://www.divernet.com/news/stories/170506spain.shtml

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Another Turtle sighting today !!
This time by Ellen whilst out in the bay in front of the Dive Centre on a Open Water Course.
Very nice !!

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The Gay Pride Parade
The Gay Pride Parade is a big day in the calendar of Gran Canaria and last Saturday nights show was not to be missed. It was a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere with everyone having a great time !!

Set up by "GLAY", Gay Pride Maspalomas organisation was started in 2001, in may of 2002 was the first Pride and every year has seen the festival get bigger and better.

Pride 2006 was a full week of parties, cultural events and shows, the last day of the festival was on Saturday and it ends the week perfectly !!

The day starts out with a parade in the streets, which is a very colourful parade with some crazy costumes (check out Mark and his partner in the photo gallery) , the rainbow coloured flags are flying (which is the gay pride flag), the music is very loud, people are dancing in the streets and everyone is having a great time !!

Then in the evening there is a show with some famous stars singing and dancing !!

And a BIG thank you to Mark for the front row seats to this years show and for putting a smile on the faces of all the team at Dive Academy !!

Please come and see us again soon !!

For more information on Gay Pride Maspalomas check out the web site below.
Mere informasjon: http://www.gaypridemaspalomas.com/

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.
Check out the all NEW web site !!

A BIG thank you to Leo and Veronica for all thier hard work !!

and

I would also like to wish both Leo and Veronica a GREAT wedding day and honeymoon !!

All the best for your future together !!

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Turtles in the bay
Great news 2 Turtle sightings this week straight outside the dive centre, quit a surprise for the guy's doing their Discover Scuba Diving courses !!

Being located in the Atlantic every day there is a SURPRISE !!

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Why Choose the South of Gran Canaria
The area between Arguineguín and Mogán is known to have one of the healthiest microclimates in the world, relieving respiratory diseases such as asthma or allergies, rheumatism, etc.

According to a study entitled "Pleasant Weather ratings" by Thomas Whitmore (manager of the climatology research department at the University of Syracusa) and published by Consumer Travel Productions in 1996, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the city with the best climate in the world. This study analyzed the annual climate variations of 600 cities from all over the world, selected because of their popularity as tourist destinations.

How good does that sound !!

It's just a Paradise !!

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We have had some great dives over the last few weeks and after I said we had not seen many Angel Sharks, guess what happened, YEP ! we have had lots of Angel Shark sightings.. Including one of about 2m in length whilst on a night dive at Amadores Beach.

We have also had dives were we have been swimming along side massive shoals of Barracudas whilst they have been hunting. It's like something out of a movie !!

There have also been several dolphin sightings at Arinaga whilst on surface intervals, but just to far out to dive with..

The weather is now really getting warm with day time temperatures of 32-36 degrees, but it's still dropping cool at night with temperatures as low as 16 degrees.

Remember if you are looking at the weather forecast for Gran Canaria it will be for Las Palmas and you will need to add 10-12 degrees on the temperatures for the true forecast for the south of the island.
Or
Check out the weather report on our web site, which you can find in the menu section of the home page.

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Why Choose Gran Canaria
In Gran Canaria the winds, tides and its geographical location being on the 28th meridian, just 60 sea miles from the African coast are what determine the climate.

The island is divided into the northwest and the southeast which are two large areas different in their climate and landscape. The Canarians call this the geographical North and South. Each of the areas offers a large number of different microclimates and a great variety of natural landscapes. This is one of the main appeals of Gran Canaria.

On the same day there could be sunshine and temperatures of 36 degrees on the south coast, whilst in the mountains there can be snow !!
The microclimates in the south of the island, especially in the area between Arguineguín and Mogán are characterized by temperatures of 36 degrees with a nice and refreshing breeze during the summers due to the trade winds. Then in the winter it is affected by the Atlantic cyclones which give it a pleasant spring-like temperature of 24 degrees. These constant temperatures give an ideal level of humidity and the very few days of rain.

This makes the climate very unique and like a paradise !!

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The Trade Winds have now changed back to the North East which is the norm for the summer months. This means that winter (21 degrees) is now over and the weather is even better !!

Average day time temperature is 28 degrees with highs of 32 degrees !! NICE !! Still a little cold at night so bring a jacket.

Water temperature is 19-20 degrees so is also on its way up !! 5-7mm suit will keep you warm, no need for any hoods or gloves !!


There have not been as many sightings of the Angel Sharks and File fish of the last few weeks, but now there are more Rays and Tuna !!

We have also had a few Dolphin sighting near to shore around the south, outside of the normal dolphin Zone..

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It's a sad day here in Gran Canaria !!!
We went up to the Marine Reserve and found a dead Pilot Whale, it looks as if it had been caught up in a fishing net and died.
It brings it all very close to home the plight of Marine life around the World!!

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*****Special Offers*****
February - March 2006

****Discounted dive packages****

4 dives € 25 a dive.
6 dives € 22 a dive.
10 dives € 20 a dive.

Scuba Diver Course € 200

Open water course € 320

Advanced course € 200

Rescue diver € 220

All speciality courses up to 40% off

Emergency First Response € 110

All the above offers are for online bookings only.

Secure online booking.

*****Special Offers*****

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Call out for HELP !! **12th February** Its that time of year again when we try and get everyone together for a *** Beach Clean Up *** If your on holiday or a local, diver or non divers please come down and help out.. For divers all equipment and cylinders will be supplied free of charge. The beach clean up is sponsored by Padi and Project Aware.. For further information please call Dive Academy on 0034 928736196.

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Gran Canaria is not a place you would first think about if you were going on a scuba diving holiday, but you will be shocked at the amount of marine life you will see here. Every dive you will see something special and something new !! We have migrating and resident species of marine life from Angel Sharks to Sea Horses, every time you go under the water you will realize how special Gran Canaria is !!

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Check out the great new photos in the gallery !!

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** Diving Holiday Package from the U.K **
7 days holiday in Gran Canaria including flights, 3 star accomadation, transfers and 5 days diving all for under € 400 !!
We will throw in the Sunshine for free !!
We can arrange other packages from other countries, contact us for details.

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Its been a busy few weeks here in Gran Canaria, there has been lots of sightings of Angel Sharks by our guests whilst on there discover scuba diving and open water courses. If you are thinking of coming to Gran Canaria then give us a call and come see the great sights for yourself. Come and enjoy the sun and diving !!

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Happy New Year everyone!! There are more and more sightings of Angel Sharks, and we have now seen 2 large ones in the bay in front of the dive centre. On one dive we had 3 in a row go bye like a freight-train!!

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Happy Christmas !!! We have have had a great days diving today here at the Marine Reserve at Arinaga. We had a Tiger Moray, 1.5m tip to tip Round Ray which i stoked and a smaller one of about .8m. Thousands of reef fish, groupers, Barracuda, Tuna, Morays, Roncadores,Trumpet fish, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Scarlet Ladys and many more....... Thank you Santa for the perfect dives !!

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The Angel Sharks are now back in large numbers at all the dive sites, this is very normal for the winter months. We have also seen a number of large Bull Rays and Electric Rays and 3 Tiger Morays. The diving is great so come and enjoy it !!

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Learn to dive with Dive Academy Gran Canaria, we have our own large private pool for training or just come scuba diving with us by boat or shore. All Padi course available.

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With the Tropical Storm now passed and everything being back to normal the diving conditions are great !! The marine Reserve has lots of migrating marine life passing bye. Check out the new photo's in the Photo Gallery. Come enjoy the sun, great diving and get away from the cold weather !!

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The trade winds in the east of the island have now changed and its making The Marine Reserve at Arinaga truely stunning with visabilty upto 35m and some of the biggest Rays and Angle Sharks you will ever see !! The weather is about 32 degrees during the day, so come and enjoy some of the best diving in the world !!

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Thank you to our great guests this week who we hope will come back and see us again soon, we have really enjoyed teaching and having you with us and can't wait for you to come back and put a smile on our faces. From the Crew at Dive Academy..

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We have found a great new dive site called Carla's Cave named after a famous Canarian Diver. The entry point is through a inland pool which drops down to 2m then through a cave to open sea water, where we found 9 Rays, Cuttlefish, Octopus and 1000's of reef fish ect. The dive ends when you pass through a suction hole back into the inland pool. Great FUN as you glide back through another cave to the crystal clear pool !!

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Today whilst diving the Russian Wreck, a hugh Bull Ray passed by giving all the divers a great view of the tiger strips on its back. At about 1.5m it was a great site !!! Sorry Tim that you never saw it :( but the comman eagle ray, barracuda and Porcupine fish on the second dive should have made up for it !!

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It's that time of year again, when all the BIG fish'ies make lots of small fish'ies, including tiny little cuttlefish and barracuda found at the Marine Reserve !!

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As always we had some MASSIVE Sting Rays on the Russian Wreck today and the biggest shoal of Barracudas i have ever seen. The weather is great the diving is Brillant so come and join us in the SUN !!

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The bad weather is now all behind us and its blue skys all around again. The diving is great and we have seen lots of great things like 1.5m + long Tuna's and Marbled Electric Rays. Come and enjoy the FUN !!!

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There were some big storms last night out at sea and we are expecting more, but today the sky is blue and the sea is calm and it is about 34°.
Isn't life just great !!!!

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We have another new face to join our team at Dive Academy, real name Alan Hanson, but known around the dive centre as Kenny from South Park. He is always up for fun !! and is from Norway/Sweden. Ask him why people always used to call him Woody ?? Its because he's always wanted to be a Cow Boy.. He will never grow up !!

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The weather here in Gran Canaria has taken a turn for the worst this last few days, yesterday we had a second rain shower THIS year !!!! and today it is overcast.. But if you are on your way over here do NOT worry it will not last !! For the latest weather report check out our ACTUAL WEATHER in the menu, which gives upto date reports for here in the south of the island..

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Goodbye for now Dude, but don't leave it to long before you are back, here in the sun with us !!! I am proud of what you have achieved and how far you have come !! See you soon !!! x

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Whilst out today we saw the largest Tuna's we have ever seen !! They were around 2m in lenght and hunting down a shoul of Roncador's, above them were large Barracuda's picking off the strays and below were massive rays finishing off the sraps that fell from above !! Wow what a sight !!!!

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for all the IDC candidates who passed there Instructor Exams today.. You all worked very hard and your results have prove it !! !!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!

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A big cheer please for all the IDC and staff instructor candidates who have just passed there IDC. Well done Guy's !!! Good luck at your IE next week.. and Thank you to Clive Albon our Course Director for all your hard work !!!

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A large Dolphin was spotted today by the Glass Bottom ferry just outside the harbour in Arguineguin not far from the dive center. I will keep you posted should he be seen again... Could this be a member of the new pod of dolphins seen by the local fisherman in the south of the island ??

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The temperature has been upto 50 degrees over the last few days, Wow its hot !! The instructor development course has now started and everyone is doing well. Have a look in the photo gallery to see the candidates..

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This is the last time i will report on this, but we have had our 5th sighting of Crush our resident Turtel.. He was at Pasito Blanco this time and swam with our divers for about 5 mins !! If you would like to see him then check out our Photo Gallery and he will soon appear!!

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Please welcome another new team member Jesper.. He's Danish and speaks all the Scandinavian languages, he always has a smile on his face to greet you !!

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Another great week of diving here in sunny Gran Canaria. Lots to see including the Turtel now named Crush after the one in Finding Nemo.. Also we have had many Rays, Morays (tigers and dotted), Octopus, Cuttlefish, Groupers and hugh shoals of fish.....

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Its now the 4th sighting of our resident Turtel !!!! Whilst out on the boat at our home reef "Arguineguin Reef" the guys bumped into the little fellow again !! Anybody think of a name for him then please email !!!

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Hi everybody, my name is Leon and I am the latest edition to the team at Dive Academy. I'm a dutch instructor and speak 3 languages. So people speaking dutch or german you will have a staff member around wich can speak to you in your own language.

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Hoi iedereen ik ben Leon de laatste editie in het team van Dive Academy. Ik ben een nederlandse instructeur en spreek 3 talen (nederlands, engels en duits) dus ook voor alle nederlanders is er nu een stafflid aanwezig die je in je eigen taal aan kan spreken.

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This week we have had rain for the first time this year, now the weather is very hot !!! it has been 42degrees some day's !! The rain has made the visabilty in the sea and our pool a little worse, but i'm sure it will be back to 30m vis in a few days !!

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Another day's diving and big smilly faces !!! Lots of big Rays on the Russian Wreck and huge numbers of fish and even an octopus on the top near the bridge !!

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A warm welcome to our new Dutch Instructor Leon !! His a great asset to Dive Academy and another friendly face to greet you !!!

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Great day out on the boat for all our guests today, the Russian Wreck had at least 10 Rays around it and shoals of fish. Then on Arguineguin reef free swimming Morrays and more Rays!!

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Another great day of diving here in Gran Canaria !! We saw 3 very large Rays and some of the largest Barracuda on the face of the earth !! A special hello to our Swedish friends Mi and Simon thanks for being a RAY of light in our lifes !! Come see us again soon !!!

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Another festival today!! but this time it was for the fishing village in Mogan. 2 rays were seen free swimming in our bays today !!!

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There's still spaces on the IDC in September !! If you would like further information on the course, please contact us!!

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An amazing day at The Marine Reserve lots to see, 4' Barracuda's feeding on a bait ball, Morray Eels, Parrot Fish, Ray's left right and centre and that was just in the first 5 min's !!

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More of our good friends have been and gone home today, having had a good time here !! thanks for all the fun times guy's !! Till Later Rock dudes !!

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Yesterday the weather hit a boiling 42 degrees, with a cool breeze it was perfect !!

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Only a few spaces left on the IDC on 7th of September so call now if you want to join in the FUN !!

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The festival of Arguineguin is about to finish and people are sobbering up!! Over 150 boats in the bays over the last weeking !! Its been busy !!!

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Whilst guiding a night dive for guest's last night Dave (Chewbaka) came face to face with a TURTEL !! Both the turtel and Dave were shocked by the site of each other. Dave Poo'ed he's pants !!!!

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The visibility is improving since the storm and everything is nearly back to normal !! 20m Visibilty !!!

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8th July Due to an off shore storm, visability has not been the best the last few days, lots of sea weed has been washed in, but hopefully in the next few days it will pass bye !!

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If your interested in doing your Instructor IDC in September 2005 please contact the team at Dive Academy to book your place !!

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Have a look in the guest book to see some more happy divers !!!

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Another great days diving, some of the largest Barracuda i've ever seen !! Thank you Simon for the tip on feeding them, i think i'll leave that for someone who does not want both of there ARMS !!

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Great dive on the New Mogan Wreck yesterday we saw sting ray, morray, thousands of reef fish,trumpet fish, octopus and a very big yellow submarine !!!

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Update on the Horned Ray sighting, after speaking with Colin who knows how big 1m is, unlike Ellen !! the agreed size of the Ray is now 2.5m wing span !!!

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Dave and Carla saw a beautiful Angle Shark whilst doing a underwater Photography coarse, to see the results have a look in the Gallery !! Nice photo Carla !!

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Ellen and Colin saw a horned Ray on a dive today, the size of the dive centre doors (1.5m ish) !! They have said that the size is not a fishermans Tail !!

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Its another HOT day in Gran Canaria !!! don't be in the cold, come join us for some hot FUN !!!

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Great night dive at Amadores Beach, we fed the little fish to the cuttle fish with the beams of our torchs, its amazing to watch how fast they strike!!

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Conditions at Arinaga were perfect today and the diving was brillant, We saw Sting rays, Morrays, Octopus, Cuttle fish,and thousands of reef fish. Great time had by all !!!!!

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We've had a friend staying with us over the last few days and he's kept putting a smile on our faces !! Come back soon Matt and make us smile some more !! p.s everyone knows your not Mr Gay U.K really !!

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Another very hot day in Gran Canaria. 32 degrees again in the sun, but with a nice breeze. Sea is flat calm and its time to go DIVING !!!!

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Angel shark, Rays and lots of very large Barracuda were spotted on the Artifical reef. Great dive had by all!

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Whilst diving in our bay lots of cuttle fish were spotted again. Horay !! them spear fisherman never got them all !!

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Another local bank holiday is over and again it looks like all the Cuttle Fish have been wiped out by the spear fisher men !!! Then just thrown in the bin or fed to the cats !!!

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The weather has calmed down at El Cabron the Marine reserve and it is still truely beautiful !!!

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Locals reported that a new pod of Dolphins passed by the Arguineguin bay, but know one from Dive Academy saw them, may be next time!!

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Turtle was spotted in Arguineguin harbour, by group of divers we took out on the boat from another dive centre. It was a mad scamble by many to get in the water and have a look.

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3 big Rays were spotted in Arguineguin Bay whilst taking Discover Scuba Divers out for there 1st dive.

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The crew of Dive Academy helped with the local beach clean up and found some very interesting things. See photo's in the Gallery.

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