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Cocaine and Lobster
As the number of lobsters decline, divers on the Miskito Coast are forced to dive deeper. Many have been crippled or killed. And as the region's traditional economy begins to run dry, some are turning to an even riskier shadow economy, known locally as the "white lobster".
Current TV's Mariana van Zeller travels to this remote corner of Nicaragua to examine some very visible effects of overfishing and dwindling ocean resources. As the number of lobsters decline, divers on the Miskito Coast are forced to dive deeper. Many have been crippled or killed. And as t... more -
Insane diver dives 35 ft into 12 inches of water
Darren Taylor, or Professor Splash as he likes to be known, has smashed his own world record for the highest dive into just 12 inches of water. This is now the third time he's broken his previous Guinness World Record.
Apparently he uses a kind of belly flop technique, which he claims helps him "skip across the water" as he's landing. Quite how I'm not sure.
But, like any true pro he's keen to offer out a word of wisdom to any wannabe Professor Splashs, saying that the key to his success is "experience and research" and that, unsurprisingly, what he does isn't easy.
Bravo Professor Splash, bravo! Darren Taylor, or Professor Splash as he likes to be known, has smashed his own world record for the highest dive into just 12 inches... more -
Out and Golden, Aussie Matt Mitcham Wins 10m Platform Diving
Matthew Mitcham did two very surprising things at the Beijing Olympics. First, he snatched a gold medal away from the apparently invincible Chinese diving team. Second, Mitcham openly told anyone who asked about his sexuality that he is gay. Matt is undaunted on the platform, and he’s just as fearless about his personal life.
Making his Olympic debut in Beijing in the 10m platform event, Australia’s Mitcham earned four perfect 10’s on his last dive Saturday night, winning the men’s 10m platform diving competition. His stunning upset victory prevented China from sweeping all eight of the Olympic diving gold medals. Not only was Mitcham’s triumph an astonishing upset win, his sixth and final dive was the highest scoring dive in Olympic history.
From 2002 until 2006, Mitcham was an award winning diver in both junior and senior national and international diving competitions. But in 2006 he suddenly quit diving, suffering both emotional burnout and physical exhaustion after spending years in the Australian program’s rigid training regimen. For a long period of time the young Mitcham had to battle anxiety and depression, which led him to begin psychotherapy and required him to spend some time on medication.
A year later, Mitcham returned to the sport and in 2008, Mitcham won all three of his diving events at the Australian Nationals. He followed this spectacular comeback appearance by winning the 2008 Diving Grand Prix event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Then just three months prior to leaving with the Australian team to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Mitcham made headlines in Australia when he revealed to the Sydney Morning Herald that he is gay. With his public statement, Matt Mitcham became a historic Olympic figure, the first and only man among 10,500 Olympic athletes to have publicly stated that he is gay while still participating in Olympic competition.
When asked what this Olympic victory meant to him after the tumultuous ups and downs of his last few years, Mitcham stated, “Everything, absolutely everything I’ve done has been for this. I knew it was a far chance, but I did absolutely everything I could to give myself the best chance of doing it. It’s actually happened, and I never thought it would.”
This detailed article includes a number of stunning photographs, as well as two videos (the amazing 10m platform diving finals, which includes Mitcham's unforgettable historic final dive; the 10m Olympic Gold Ceremony).
Enjoy and marvel at this young man!! Matthew Mitcham did two very surprising things at the Beijing Olympics. First, he snatched a gold medal away from the apparently invi... more -
Best of Beijing Olympics - Day 15 (photos)
A photo gallery featuring the best of August 23, 2008.
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Best of Beijing Olympics - Day 14 (photos)
A photo gallery of the best of August 22, 2008.
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Best of Beijing Olympics - Day 11
The best of Tuesday, August 19, 2008.
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Sexy Olympic Water Sports
The 2008 Beijing Olympic water sports events have presented performances by some very sexy guys. This piece includes a number of stunning photographs of the cavalcade of these foxy swimmers, which show the Olympic multi-Gold Medal Winner Michael Phelps, as well as the American Syncronized Platform Diving Team of David Buodia and Thomas Finchum.
These wonderful photographs are presented for your viewing pleasure in remarkable high-resolution, and they are accompanied by two videos (David Boudia and Thomas Finchum performing in the Olympic Syncronized Platform Diving Finals; and Michael Phelps winning the Olympic Gold Medal with his performance in the 200m Butterfly).
Have a look at this and enjoy yourself!! The 2008 Beijing Olympic water sports events have presented performances by some very sexy guys. This piece includes a number of stunn... more -
British Olympic divers disapoint, then fall out
A rift appears to have developed between 14-year-old Tom Daley and dive partner Blake Aldridge, who said the teen "didn't perform" in their Olympic event.
Aldridge hit out at Daley following the couple's disappointing last place in the 10m synchronised diving event.
Is Aldridge entitled to have a pop at a 14 year old at his first Olympics? A rift appears to have developed between 14-year-old Tom Daley and dive partner Blake Aldridge, who said the teen "didn't pe... more -
Dive: Amazing Olympic Syncronized Beauty
Athletes in Exselsis! This piece features the American 2008 Olympic Syncronized Platform Diving Team, David Boudia and Thomas Finchum. In 2007, they were the United States Pan American Games Gold Medalists.
Stunning photographs and an engaging music video of their syncronized diving routine are included.
Have a look and enjoy! Athletes in Exselsis! This piece features the American 2008 Olympic Syncronized Platform Diving Team, David Boudia and Thomas Finchum... more -
Giant Jellyfish Invasion
Are aliens attacking the Sea of Japan? Not exactly. But these gigantic blobs are unwelcome visitors from another place. Called Nomura's jellyfish, the wiggly, pinkish giants can weigh up to 450 pounds (204 kilograms)—as heavy as a male lion—and they're swarming by the millions.
The supersize sea creatures—normally found off the coasts of China and North and South Korea—occasionally drift east into the Sea of Japan to feed on tiny organisms called plankton. But now one hundred times the usual number of jellyfish are invading Japanese waters. And local fishermen are feeling as if they are under siege.
The fishermen's nets are getting weighted down, or even broken, by hundreds of Nomura's. The jellies crush, slime, and poison valuable fish in the nets, such as the tuna and salmon that the fishermen rely on to make a living.
No one knows for sure what's causing this jellyfish traffic jam. It's possible that oceans heated by global warming are creating the perfect jellyfish breeding ground. Another theory is that overfishing has decreased the numbers of some fish, which may allow the jellies to chow down without competition for food. For now, all the fishermen can do is design special nets to try to keep the jellies out. Some of them hope to turn the catastrophe into cash by selling jellyfish snacks. Peanut butter and jellyfish, anyone?
Fast Facts
Baby Nomura's jellyfish change from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a washing machine in six months or less.
Jellyfish are 95% water.
Jellyfish aren't actually fish, they're invertebrates—animals without backbones.
Text by Ruth A. Musgrave Are aliens attacking the Sea of Japan? Not exactly. But these gigantic blobs are unwelcome visitors from another place. Called Nomura&... more -
High dive in foot of water record set by Professor Splash
It definitely wouldn't have received a 'perfect 10' from the judges, but Darren Taylor's dive, which looked like more of a belly flop, was worthy of a one award ... a Guinness World Record.
Taylor, 47, more commonly known as Professor Splash, challenged and beat his own world record by diving 35 feet 5 inches into 12 inches of water at Water World, 1850 W. 89th Ave., in Federal Heights June 26.
"Bringing the record back to my home crowd is spectacular," said the Denver-native, whose previous records were from dives performed overseas.
The home crowd got quite a show as they temporarily forgot about water slides and wave pools, gathering almost an hour in advance to watch the festivities.
For full story :
http://www.worldamazingrecords.com It definitely wouldn't have received a 'perfect 10' from the judges, but Darren Taylor's dive, which looked like m... more -
Lost British divers found alive
Three British divers missing for two days in Indonesian waters have been found alive. Two other divers, from France and Sweden, are also safe.
Police say the divers were found on Saturday morning on the southern coast of Rinca island after being swept there by powerful currents. Britons Kathleen Mitchinson, Charlotte Allin and James Manning and their two European counterparts had been diving in waters off the Komodo National Park. Three British divers missing for two days in Indonesian waters have been found alive. Two other divers, from France and Sweden, are al... more -
Rescued divers deny claim they faked story to get rich quick
A couple rescued from shark-infested seas have dismissed claims they planned the ordeal as "preposterous".
Richard Neely, 38, and his American girlfriend Allyson Dalton, 40, survived 19 hours floating off the Great Barrier Reef after becoming separated from their scuba-diving group.
"It's preposterous for anybody to suggest that we planned this on purpose" - Richard Neely
The couple then sold their story for a reported £500,000.
Reports questioned why the couple took a water bottle on the dive and wore full-length thick wetsuits with hoods in the tropical waters.
It was also reported that Mr Neely told police the couple deliberately left the lagoon where the divers were supposed to remain.
But the couple slammed as "completely untrue" any suggestion they became stranded on purpose.
Mr Neely said: "To have any doubt about our story - it's a shame that people do. It's preposterous for anybody to suggest that we planned this on purpose.
"I'm sure that most decent people in the whole world realise that is completely untrue."
They criticised the operators of their boat for leaving them behind.
Ms Dalton said: "The heart of the matter is we did not flout any safety rules or regulations.
"We followed every safety procedure that was expected of us. We discussed with the boat crew what our plan was.
"It is their responsibility as boat operators to check we were back on the boat. If they had done, they would have realised immediately we were not back on the boat."
The boat's operator, OzSail, said it believed the crew did everything "by the book". A couple rescued from shark-infested seas have dismissed claims they planned the ordeal as "preposterous". ... more -
Australian anger at rescued dive couple's media fortune
As they clung to each other in the inky midnight waters over the Great Barrier Reef and tried not to think about the menacing sea life that lurked below, British diver Richard Neely and his American partner, Allyson Dalton, tried to boost their morale with continual reassurance: a rescue was on the way.
Indeed it was. But within hours of being scooped from shark-infested seas off the Australian coast, the pair were consoling themselves with a morale booster of a different sort: a sumptuous tabloid deal, plus US and British TV interview deals and a possible book and film in the offing.
But their haste to profit from their weekend ordeal is not going down well in a country that has long tired of the costly operations required to save adventurers from the southern seas. Neely and Dalton rapidly engaged a celebrity agent and decided to sell their story not to the Australian media that had followed the rescue closely, but to the Sunday Mirror.
Queensland's Premier, Anna Bligh, said yesterday that the hunt for the pair, who drifted for 19 hours off the Whitsunday Islands after losing contact with their dive vessel, had been an expensive operation involving seven helicopters, three planes and six boats. "There's been an extraordinary rescue effort gone into keeping them safe," she said. "If they are going to profit from their story, I don't think a contribution back would go astray. It would be a very welcome gesture."
The huge operation that swung into action after the couple were reported missing was led by Queensland police and also involved other organisations such as the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Queensland's State Emergency Service and the CQ rescue helicopter service, which is community funded and relies on public donations and sponsorship. The cost of the search, one of the biggest in Queensland's recent history, has not yet been quantified.
The agent, Max Markson, told the Guardian that claims of a A$1.1m (£533,000) fee for their story were inflated. He said the payment the couple would receive was confidential. But he said he was finalising contracts for interviews with Australian, American and English television networks and added that "there might be a film or a book in the long term".
Responding to the Queensland Premier's comments, Markson said Neely and Dalton had personal insurance polices and that the holiday company they booked the tour with was also fully covered. "If there's any rescue costs to be paid, the insurance companies will pay them," he said.
But questions were raised last night about the behaviour of the couple as well as the ethics of selling their story. The duo had been among a group of divers in the water off Bait Reef, near Hayman Island, on Friday afternoon when their trip went wrong. After surfacing, they say they found themselves 200 metres away from the dive vessel. They shouted and waved their arms but failed to attract the attention of the crew and began to drift away in the strong current. Both experienced divers, they tied themselves together using a weight belt, conserved their energy, and waited for rescue. As they clung to each other in the inky midnight waters over the Great Barrier Reef and tried not to think about the menacing sea life... more -
Ocean Harvest
Audio and still photographs were gathered over the course of a couple months to showcase southern California fisherman/diver that uses different means to make a living from the ocean. Audio and still photographs were gathered over the course of a couple months to showcase southern California fisherman/diver that uses... more
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White shark free diving - Andre Hartman
WOW! That takes some ballz!
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Trials Of A Sea Urchin Diver
A story that examines the struggles of being a fisherman/ diver in southern California.
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Diver Tom Daley, 13, to make Olympic history
When Thomas Robert Daley dives off the 10 metre platform in Beijing on Aug 22, he will make history as the youngest male ever to represent Great Britain at an Olympic Games. He will be just 14 years and 81 days, beating the previous record held by Fred Hodges, another diver who was 15 years and 94 days when he competed in the 1936 Berlin Games.
Daley, not 14 until May 21, won his right to compete in Beijing when finishing seventh in yesterday's Platform event at the Beijing World Cup. It was a dream come true for the Plymouth youngster. "To know that your going to an Olympics after all the hard work and speculation is unbelievable," Daley said.
The dream started when Daley was seven and his father, Rob, asked him if he would like to have a go at diving and from that moment he has been breaking records. When Thomas Robert Daley dives off the 10 metre platform in Beijing on Aug 22, he will make history as the youngest male ever to repre... more -
Is this woman crazy?!
Wow I thought it was only mer-people who could do this. Wait, they don't actually exist do they? Whatever. Humans can dive and breathe underwater too. This woman is the UK's top freediver - she can dive 70 metres in one breath - that's about 4 minutes without taking a breath. Amazing. Wow I thought it was only mer-people who could do this. Wait, they don't actually exist do they? Whatever. Humans can dive and br... more
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Diving Too Deep - Part 2
As scientists warn of an alarming decline in ocean resources, Current's Mariana van Zeller travels to the Miskito Coast of Nicaragua where the depletion of lobsters is forcing local divers to take ever greater risks to earn a living. As scientists warn of an alarming decline in ocean resources, Current's Mariana van Zeller travels to the Miskito Coast of Nicara... more
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