Scuba divers rescue struggling bird

Members of the Torbay Sub-Aqua Club said they were about a half a mile off the coast of England's Berry Head coastline when they spotted a bright blue budgerigar, a bird native to the Australian desert, flapping furiously in the water in an attempt to stay afloat, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

"I noticed something fluttering and bobbing up and down on the surface of the water some distance away," said Cathy Jackman, a member of the scuba club.

"We went off to investigate and realized that it was a bird of some sort. The
bird was flapping and disappearing under the water and had almost drowned as it clearly could not take off or swim."...[Link]

Mysterious Current Drags Away Divers at La Jolla Cove

Lifeguards were warning scuba enthusiasts to take extra precautions in the waters off La Jolla Shores following a report of a strong underwater current that pulled about a half-dozen divers into deep water and made it difficult for them to surface.

The group of divers reported getting caught in the unexplained undertow while roughly 30 feet underwater about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, San Diego lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum said.

They said the phenomenon lasted about 10 minutes and rapidly pulled them 30-50 feet deeper. Several described hanging on to the edge of the a deep submarine canyon in the area to keep from being dragged farther down...[Link]

Man creates sofa-reef to mourn dead friend

A fly-tipper has claimed he wasn't littering when dumping a sofa into a lake, but was creating a memorial reef for a friend.

Tony Dean Lane, 48, of Des Moines, admitted throwing a blue recliner in the pond at Riverview Park after a tell-tale cushion floated to the surface...[Metro.co.uk]

This Had To Hurt: Fishing Spear Ricochets, Hits Diver in The Head

A diver who was hit in the head by a fishing spear that ricocheted off rocks off the coast of Brazil underwent five hours of surgery, but should be fine because the six-inch-long projectile missed vital parts of his brain.

Emerson de Oliveira Abreu is expected to make a full recovery, and the only thing that may not return to normal is his sense of smell.

He was diving off the coast of Rio de Janeiro when he fired the spear.

It penetrated his skull just above his left eye after it ricocheted.

His father says it’s a miracle his son is going be OK...[KWTX.com]

Ginza's Latest Attraction: Scuba Divers Dangling From a Skyscraper

Tokyo offers its residents many pleasures, but scuba diving hasn't been one of them, until this week. To launch their latest luxury resorts in Okinawa, InterContinental Hotels Group and its partner in Japan, ANA Hotels, suspended a pair of scuba divers off the Sony Building in Ginza, Tokyo's premier commercial district.

The stunt, orchestrated by McCann Erickson, Tokyo, involves a "diving" performance featuring two professional stuntmen suspended high in the air to feature one of the activities offered at the ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort and ANA InterContinental Ishigaki Resort. The joint venture has four other hotels in Tokyo and Yokohama.

The air-diving ballet was launched yesterday, and will be repeated several times daily for four days. Concierges from the two resorts in Okinawa are on hand to offer information about the resorts...[AdvertisingAge]

How do you keep your napkin dry?

[Blogulate]

Diver claims to have seen Steve Irwin's ghost

Pino Termini of Naples in the south of Italy has spent more hours underwater than most.

Having dived for the Italian Navy for seven years he now spends much of his time travelling the globe in search of the ultimate diving experience. None of this prepared him for what he claims to have seen during his last expedition.

Last month he arrived at Port Douglas in tropical North Queensland for his eighth time, The Great Barrier Reef being one of his favorite playgrounds. He had heard that Batt Reef was worth a plunge into the deep blue.

He chartered a boat from Port Douglas and made his way out to the area he planned to explore.

'As I started my dive I saw somebody and was surprised because I saw no other boats around, then I noticed that the person had no oxygen tank or mask, the person swam towards me and I realised that it was none other than the crocodile hunter himself: Steve Irwin. I freaked out, but he looked calm and at peace'

'I have seen a lot underwater but never a ghost. It was as if he was looking after the spot where he met his end, I felt that I should not impose myself on his turf as it was his and it seemed as if he was caring for the living creatures there.' Termini said of his traumatic diving experience...[Blue Flipper Diving]