Big Five Explorer

A Yemeni fishing boat has been spotted in the southern Egyptian Red Sea de-fining sharks. Please report any sightings immediately.

Shark de-fining and fishing are criminal offences, prohibited and punishable by law in the Red Sea, in accordance to regulations set by the Governor of the Red Sea and the Minstry of Agriculture and Fisheries in 2006. This vessel has also violated international and Egyptian law by transgressing Egyptian waters.

The fishing vessel was obeserved at Zabargab and Brothers Islands by several safari boats and was las observed at St Johns at N 23 24.495  E 35 9.282. It is believed to still be in the area.

Do not approach the boat !  Document any activity using photo or  video and contact HEPCA immediately.

This is the time to collectively work together and end a direct threat to the ecosystem and livelihoods of those who depend on the Red Sea.

HEPCA would especially like to thank the crew, staff and guests of Seven Seas, Obsession, Sea Serpent, Longimanus and Golden Dolphin who provided information about the location of the vessel and documented the vile activities that have taken place upon it and have deviated from their planned courses in order to fight for the protection of our natural resources.

Please report any sighting immediately to:

HEPCA Office: +20 65 344 5035 / +20 65 344 7728
HEPCA Mobile: +20 10 635 5011
Email: info at hepca.com (change at for @)
VHF Channel: 16

Source: Information provided by HEPCA, 26 May 2010.

In this new day and age of technology, Tekstreme are keeping up with the rest. We find ourselves in era where a mobile phone is not just a mobile phone, it reflects your personality, your status, your credibility and much much more (or so they say!!) You can now download for free the latest Tekstreme designs for your mobile. Keep Tekstreme with you where ever you go.

Click on the following link to take you directly to the web site page where you can save the images and then upload them to your phone. It is that simple even I managed to do it!!

http://www.tekstremediving.com/free.php

Also…..

For your interest Tekstreme are launching a competition:

Tekstreme‘s Design Competition

Attention Attention all you budding designers!!

Do you feel that you have a great idea that you would like to see printed on a Tekstreme T-shirt, Baseball cap, Towel or Jumper? Don’t let that design go as you might just be the next designer for Tekstreme diving!!

Any design idea is welcome from text to non-figurative designs. Submit any design you think would look good on a tek diver’s clothing and win 3 days of technical diving with us at Tekstreme!

So start designing and get wet with Tekstreme!

Tekstreme Design Competitions>>>

April is a month to celebrate at Emperor Divers Sharm as summer finally arrives. Each year from April to September we are sometimes lucky enough to have the company of manta rays on our dives (orManta birostris, as Emperor instructor Pete Walsh would say!) All this month there have been numerous manta ray sightings by Emperor guests up and down the coastline. No longer is ‘Ras Mohammed’ or ‘Tiran’ the most popular choice, the ‘local’ dive sites are the place to be!

Manta rays, easily distinguished by their large mandibles, are the biggest winged creatures that inhabit the oceans. The largest known specimen measured more than 7.6 metres across with a weight of about 2,300 kilos. But here in Sharm a smaller, yet still impressive 3-4 metres is more common. Mantas feed mainly on plankton filtered from the water passing through their gills as they swim. Incidentally their top speed is only 7 miles per hour and for those of you that have had the chance to dive with them before, you’ll know it seems like they are going much faster.

Scuba diving with a manta ray is an amazing experience, often ended with a cheer of delight from the dive group upon reaching the surface. They are quite curious animals and they are often known to approach scuba divers, either enjoying the interaction and playing with our bubbles or simply wanting to see what is happening. These magnificent creatures are also frequently seen feeding near or at the surface so those snorkelling also might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

When diving with manta rays it is very important to remember that they are wild animals and should be observed only. The less action a scuba diver takes to scare a manta ray, such as chasing it to get a better look or to get that perfect picture, the more likely it is that the manta ray will hang around giving an unforgettable experience. Happy manta ray spotting this summer in Sharm!

Source: Emperor Divers (http://www.emperordivers.com/news/2010-04-2.php)

The HEPCA team is very pleased to announce that they have moved to new headquarters. All the HEPCA offices can now be found in building B2 in the New Marina in Hurghada.

Heba Shawky, HEPCA’s Admin Manager said, “I will miss our old offices, we have been there for years but I am very excited about the move, it’s great to have all the HEPCA team under one roof”.

HEPCA’s activities over the last three years have witnessed a dramatic increase, Amir Ali, HEPCA’s Managing Director, explained “We are very proud that HEPCA has expanded it’s activities to encompass a wider range of issues”. This increase in activities had left HEPCA with offices scattered around Hurghada ; “this move has allowed us to expand our team and bring it together in one place, in order to maximise our efficiency and make life easier for those requiring our services”.

The New Marina will also host the HEPCA “fleet”; their boats including the scientific research vessel, the Red Sea Defender, will be moored at the New Marina.