News in September 2008

Nearly 19 instructors, guests and support staff participated in the ‘Splash for Trash’ on 20th September. Buddy teams equipped with gloves and net bags dived along Eagle Ray Bay, the house reef at Grand Rotana Resort & Spa. Although Camel Dive Club has exclusive use of the Resort’s 400m beach, and the reef is visited rarely by dive boats, the team were surprised at the quantity of rubbish collected. Hotel staff combed the shore line and beach for plastic and other rubbish, to prevent it from being blown into the sea in future. A big ‘thank you’ to all guests and staff who participated!
Camel Eco Tribe environmental initiatives

We have joined Project AWARE’s Coral Watch programme, to monitor the health of corals on its house reefs. Each of our dive centres has appointed an instructor to investigate how coastal development and global warming affect our local reefs. Global warming causes rising sea temperatures, which can lead to ‘coral bleaching’. Bleaching occurs where coral polyps expel the algae that live in their tissues. Coral depends on algae for its supply of energy, and the algae give coral its colour. Our team uses colour charts to assess the health of hard and soft corals along our house reefs. The information collected is uploaded to the Project AWARE website — so far results are positive, but because of growing tourism it is crucial that our coral monitors are quick to spot changes. According to Project AWARE, if current trends continue unchecked, the world’s reefs could be lost entirely in the next 30-50 years. By participating in the Coral Watch programme, Camel is contributing to global knowledge and understanding of the world’s coral reefs.

Camel-sponsored freediving champion Federico Mana renewed his title as Italy’s deepest freediver on 4th September. He set the new record while competing in the ‘constant weight’ discipline at the AIDA Freediving World Championship in Sharm. For the ‘constant weight’ discipline, athletes dive without extra weight as ballast, using a monofin and relying only on their own strength. Federico reached the incredible depth of 90m, to set the new Italian record. “Without the help of my sponsors and supporters, this excellent result would not have been possible!” said Federico after a nerve-wracking few seconds waiting for his dive to be approved by the judges.

Camel Dive Club invites our guests to join us by participating in International Cleanup Day on 20th September 2008. The Camel team will collect rubbish from the 400m house reef of Grand Rotana Resort & Spa, where one of Camel Dive Club’s branches is located. Hotel workers will assist Camel staff and guest volunteers in collecting plastic and other debris, both underwater and on land. Contact us to get involved! More info on Project Aware International Cleanup Day.