Scuba Diplomacy

01/16/2023

Why I dive, cavern edition. (2018)

(Devil's Den, Williston, FL)

01/21/2022

Join National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts on a historic journey as she documents some of the thousand slave ships that wrecked in the Atlantic Ocean during the transatlantic slave trade.

04/11/2021

I've had a chance to scuba dive with Mr. Stewart a couple of times as part of his coral and archeology work in South Florida. A great man with a great mission. He's making a real impact in the lives of young people and in telling the story of slave wrecks. Mad respect, sir.

Retiree Ken Stewart leads a nonprofit called Diving With a Purpose that teaches people how to find and record underwater shipwrecks.


07/20/2020

Hello diving diplomacy friends,

The Intercultural Outreach Initiative, the conservation organization we use to organize our trips to Cuba and the Galapagos, is hosting an online auction to support their conservation projects amid COVID. My spice company, Apothecary Spices, has donated a couple of field kits containing a collection of all my spices. Donate for a good cause and get some spices in the bargain.

Check it out my item below in their well-being section. Lots of other selections to bid on, too. Please support this great organization: https://www.ioi.ngo/auction-2020/ -being.

With our study abroad fall semester cancelled, we need your help to keep ioi’s doors open, to continue supporting our communities, and maintain our on-going and COVID-Relief-related projects (read our July Newsletter for more information).

05/20/2020

Shark Enthusiasts, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program is hosting:

Hollywood Sharks vs. Real Sharks with Doug Perrine
Thursday, May 21, 6pm Eastern

Over a lifetime, Doug Perrine has traveled the planet studying and photographing the marine environment with a particular passion for some of the oceanʻs largest and least understood animals, sharks. In this talk Doug will deconstruct the media bias concerning this large and diverse class of fishes, and show how sharks portrayed in Hollywood and in the media are very different from the real behavior of these fascinating, ancient, and ecologically important animals. Through vibrant imagery, as well as intimate observations of these sometimes secretive animals, Doug will shed light on their real behavior and life history.

Register for this and other NMS webinars below:

https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/webinar-series.html

05/06/2020

Need a Field Trip??

Join NOAA's OCEAN TODAY for their first ever Full Moon Watch Party!

Deep Ocean Exploration
Thursday May 7, 2pm Eastern Time (30 min.)

The Watch Party is for all ages and will include:
-- Incredible footage of underwater creatures and out of this world habitats.
-- Fun Hands-on activities you can do at home!

Join OCEAN TODAY host Symone Barkley, ocean explorer Debi Blaney, and oceanographer Amanda Netburn as they explore the deep ocean. Produced by Kurt Mann, NOAA.

Debi and Kurt were both scuba diplomats on our 2018 trip to Cuba. Register below to check out their work.

If you've never used Adobe Connect, get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat and Adobe Connect are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

05/01/2020

Parents of budding marine biologists, the Florida Marine Science Educators Association has their annual meeting next week. All sessions will be virtual conducted on Zoom. Sharks, turtles, and microplastics...Oh my! Check out the schedule:

We are pleased to announce that the FMSEA 2020 Conference is going virtual! Join us for engaging presentations from research scientists and marine science educators. There is something for everyone. Please note that registration is REQUIRED for each meeting and is limited to the first 100 participants so don’t delay—REGISTER NOW for your sessions!

Schedule of Events & Registration Links

Monday, May 4 — 12:00 PM (ET)
“Escape Galapagos” with Dr. Ellen Prager
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvf-2rqT8rHdXEZI1IofJoah3SRGUBwsw2

Monday, May 4 — 4:00 PM (ET)
FMSEA 2020 Conference Welcome
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtduCrpj8sH9LGrD_um4LYA53zht1L73pH

Tuesday, May 5, — 12:00 PM (ET)
Florida Microplastic Awareness Project with Dr. Maia McGuire
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwkde-rpzMuGN3mZwwtrM0U--VF0HOsslpw

Tuesday, May 5 — 4:00 PM (ET)
Why Shark Education Matters: Bringing Sharks into Your Classroom with Jillian Morris
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwodeGtpj4iGNx_79AqJVUDaduKHfzh387U

Wednesday, May 6 — 12:00 PM (ET)
Marine Pedagogy with Dr. Bryan Nichols
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpcO-urzkvH9Ib4cH696JBNsaI74di2lFP

Wednesday, May 6 — 4:00 PM (ET)
Fishing & Conservation to Earn Scholarships (CCA Florida) with Leiza Fitzgerald
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqce-hrTMqE9CLGP3Kpz8jdyYEBmjjJjAr

Thursday, May 7 — 12:00 PM (ET)
The Great Shark Trek with Hannah Medd
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwrf-yvrDorGtJy014jBGl6g4iC9HuzuKiM

Thursday, May 7 — 4:00 PM (ET)
Sea Turtles with Jaymie Reneker
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJclceuhrTIiHN3WbQ3dJEMjpd1JKdkQRzJb

Friday, May 8 — 12:00 PM (ET)
UF Marine Sciences with Grace Burmester
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvfu6rqjguHN38pbPJEHNvrjdtLnMD8Ipc

Friday, May 8 — 4:00 PM (ET)
Sharks by Salinity with Dita O’Boyle and Jeannine Windsor
Register now: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEtcuqorD8sHtS_ErjwKVtIrd1A52M8eI9l

From the unique animals to the volcanic landscapes, the Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s most fascinating locations. Dr. Prager will share her experiences in the Galapagos and the wonders of the islands through stories and images. She will also provide an inside look at how she integrated ...

03/21/2020

Need something to hold you over during these times of self-isolation? Check out the full 1958 Sea Hunt series on YouTube.

03/16/2020

On Wednesday, March 18 (1:30pm ET), join Rare’s President & CEO Brett Jenks for a virtual talk on Rare’s efforts to tackle climate change in the U.S. by sparking individual action. The talk, which was originally slated to be part of the South by Southwest festival, will now be live-streamed via Zoom video conferencing.

Register below:
https://give.rare.org/event/sxsw-via-zoom-make-it-personal-7-steps-to-impact-climate-change/e276512?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mip

03/16/2020

Parents of Ocean Interested Kids:

Due to school closures from the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The organization, Ocean Protection Advocacy Kids (OPAK), will be offering FREE ocean-themed webinars starting on Monday, March 23rd going through Thursday, March 26th. The webinar will begin at 1pm daily and last roughly 45-60 minutes and will be streamed via Zoom and YouTube live.

The webinar themes include:
-Plankton: What are they can why should I care about them? (Grades 6-12)
-Ocean Adaptations: Create Your Own Sea Creature (Grades 2-6)
-Marine Protected Areas: Why should we save the seas? (Grades 9-12)
-Ancient Tales: The Story of the Horseshoe Crab (All Ages)

Full descriptions and registration information for these webinars can be found at www.opakedu.org/webinars

03/15/2020

Divers, hopefully, the coronavirus isn't up ending you travel plans. Check this great advice on what you can do to support the diving economy.

As of now, both Scuba Diplomacy trips are still planned. Join usvif you other trips have been cancelled. Galapagos in July and Cuba in August. See you underwater.

01/26/2020

I'm happy to announce that Scuba Diplomacy will be returning to Cuba this August 15-23rd. See the flyer below below for details. This will be our fourth trip. (Thanks to our NGO partner, IOI Abroad, this trip meets all State Department rules regarding travel to Cuba.)

We tour Havana, visit a to***co farm, overnight in the interior famous for its geology, and dive and hike near Guanahacabibes National Park on the southwest coast. We visit a turtle research station to observe sea turtle nesting and see turtles hatch.

We stay and eat in privately-owned hotels and restaurants so our money goes directly to the Cuban people. It's a great trip. The food alone is worth the trip.

See photos from past trips. Let me know if you are interested.

01/25/2020

12/28/2019

Baby turtles are back on Galapagos. Scuba Diplomacy is happy to announce that we will be adding a trip to Galapagos in July 11-19, 2020, working with IOI Abroad. We will dive in the mornings and work on service projects in the community/conservation areas in the afternoons. I hope we get to see one of the new residents. Details to come soon. Msg me if interested.

After more than a century without a single sighting of baby turtles on Pinzón Island in the Galapagos Islands, we have seen a small...

10/23/2019

Breathtaking encounter off the coast of Norway. Nature is truly amazing. It's amazing how much we don't know about what resides in our oceans....

A team of divers filmed a rare glimpse of a huge transparent egg sac containing hundreds of thousands of baby squid

10/21/2019

Our past NGO partner, CariMar: Caribbean Marine Research and Conservation Program, carrying on with their incredible work in Cuba to advance marine conservation. Their work ensures the economic and conservation needs of the Cuba are addressed.

The Ocean Foundation, Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, and the Caribbean Marine Research and Conservation Program Partner to Advance Recreational Fisheries Policy and Management in Cuba Washington, …

10/17/2019

Hmmm, we may need to add a trip to the British Virgin Islands.

This past April a massive 80-foot steel kraken was purposefully sunk into the Caribbean Sea on top of a decorated WW2 ship. The former Navy fuel barge and its monstrous passenger were placed underwater in order to jumpstart a new coral ecosystem, while also serving as a cutting-edge education center