Dive Mistress || Scuba Dive New Zealand

Bidding Has Started!

2 years ago

by dive mistress in Conservation, Dive News

Could this deep sea beauty have your name on it? Lebbeus n sp.Copyright CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship.

Bidding Has Started!

Get your bids in to name a new species of shrimp!

“Who wouldn’t love this spotty little bugger? Who wouldn’t want their name on it, and what kind of Australian could resist shelling out for the privilege of naming a crustacean? It’ll be a stampede, so get your bid in early and go hard.”

Tim Winton, AMCS Patron

The AMCS Online Auction has opened for bidding and will run through until 9am (Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time) on Tuesday 31st March, 2009.

The auction will run through Ebay.

www.marineconservation.org.au/shrimp_auction

Ocean lovers, your chance has arrived to go down in scientific history and name this newly described deep sea species that is completely new to science.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity!

Visit our website for more information…

Proceeds from the auction will go towards our work to protect Australia’s precious south-west oceans, home of blue whales, Australian Fur Seals, Southern Bluefin Tuna and this handsome little shrimp.

Background: In early April this year, a small spotted shrimp discovered in the deep cool waters of south west Australia will be given a new scientific name. PhD student Anna McCallum, who discovered this lovely shrimp, has generously chosen to auction the naming rights for this new species and dedicate all profits to marine conservation.

About the Shrimp: This newly described species is a mysterious little creature living in the dark depths of our South-west oceans. Despite living 400m below the surface, this shrimp species has a jewel-like appearance. Morphing from yellow to green, this spunky shrimp is covered in scarlet spots and sports a toothed crest across the top of its body, which gives it the delightful appearance of having a mohawk. It is in the group or genus of shrimps known as Lebbeus, and is waiting for you to place your bid and choose a unique species name that will go down in scientific history.

About the Campaign: Proceeds from this auction will go towards protecting WA’s globally significant oceans. The region (see map below) is incredibly special, with over 80% of the marine species found nowhere else on the planet. Less than 1% is protected in marine sanctuaries, where all wildlife is safe from harm. AMCS is working with a coalition of conservation groups to establish large marine sanctuaries to protect WA’s unique and precious sea life.

Another Diver Certified! SK : Advanced Open Water

2 years ago

by dive mistress in Dive Training, New Zealand, Trip Reports, Underwater Photography

I’ve been taking stevenK through through his Advanced Open Water.
We have completed Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Navigation and Night dives at Lake Pupuke but for his final two, we were off to the Poor Knights Islands. I took the day off from my number 1 job and we planned some Tuesday diving.

I’d been up there all weekend so I knew that the diving was good – and it didnt disappoint.
We had been booked to go out with Noel from Yukon Charters but I hadnt been able to rustle up any more passengers for the day so we were going out with Dive! Tutukaka which meant I was back on Calypso with Craig – who knew what I needed for the day and delivered the goods.

Our first stop of the day was Cleanerfish Bay which is quickly becoming one of my favourite spots.
We were to complete the Deep Adventure dive so we headed out to the corner of the bay (on the Middle Arch side) and dropped down to 26m for Steven to complete his skills.
We had massive stingrays flying over us. One, a mottled grey short tail ray, I have to estimate was wider than my Volvo!!
After the skills were complete, we headed back up and into the bay and spent the rest of the dive finding scorpion fish and watching crested blennies popping in and out of the rocks. There were a large number of smaller rays in the bay and they hung around even with the amount of divers in the water.

Our second dive was around Trevors Rocks.
Normally any spot at the Poor Knights is a good place to complete the Digital Photography dive – this site was even better with the afternoon sun on the busy side of the pinnacles.
I found my first diadema and we both took a lot of photographs.

For my student, he worked on the wider shots with a scorpion fish and after getting frustrated when the blennies wouldnt sit still for him, moved on to a clown nudibranch for his macro shots.
It wasnt a deep dive but it was a nice long dive to finish off his course. 75 minutes in the sunshine! And I could have stayed in the water for longer.
We surfaced to find Craig sitting on the back of the boat finishing his coffee and Sudoku and celebrated with a drive through the arches before heading back to Tutukaka.