Wetpixel Associate Editor Alex Mustard has just had a series of his wreck images published in two UK newspapers. The Daily Mail and The Telegraph have both used a portfolio of his images and these have also been picked by Globo, the largest media outlet in Brazil. Alex is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying:

“‘Wrecks attract divers because of the incongruity of seeing something from above the waves beneath them.”

The articles include pictures of the newly-sunk Kittiwake, Grand Cayman, Thisttlegorm and Giannis D, Red Sea and a VW Beetle from Capernwray, Lancashire!

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The Nikon D7000 is an exciting new camera for underwater use, and there is much interest in the cameras performance, and the housings that are becoming available for it. The new Aquatica AD7000 housing has produced much speculation on the forums. Keri Wilk has just returned from Dominica where he has conducted a very in-depth review of the D7000 with the brand new Aquatica AD7000 housing and can provide all the answers. He says:

“Including a moisture alarm and a hydrophone as standard housing features was a very generous gesture, which I’m sure users will appreciate. And if the multifunctional port-lock/lens-release is any indication of the capability of Aquatica’s engineering team, they have a bright and innovative future ahead of them.”

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The BBC has reported that the Japanese whaling fleet has suspended its hunt in the Southern Ocean. Their hunting season usually ends in mid-March, so it seems unlikely that they will resume. The fleet has actually cited the interference being run by Sea Shepherd as the cause of the suspension. The fleet had planned to harvest over 900 whales this season, but it seems that they may have only managed to catch 30. Sea Shepherd picked up the fleet very early, and were able to prevent the factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, from receiving whale carcasses from the harpoon ships, rendering the fleet’s operations ineffective.

It should be stressed at this time though that the hunt is only suspended, in fact the NZ Herald has quoted Sea Shepherd activists as saying that this is a bluff, and Captain Paul Watson has also highlighted this possibility in his blog. The whaling fleet may simply be re-positioning to attempt to carry on its hunt.

UPDATE: Sea Shepherd reports that Japan has officially ended it’s whale hunt for this season. A fantastic result for whales.

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Equinox has released a new external top-mounted monitor suitable for all housings. The 3” hi-res 16 x 9 LCD screen has its own internal power supply and runs on four AA batteries. For ease of viewing in bright conditions, it comes with an attached 1.5” sun shade.

The monitor is available to order now, and costs $1,199.

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California Assembly Members Paul Fong and Jared Huffman introduce a bill to end sale of shark fin in California. This bill moves to prohibit possession, sale, trade and distribution of shark fin in the state of California, which is one of the largest consumers of shark fin outside of Asia. This bill, if passed, would be a significant boost to shark conservation in the US, following Hawaii’s ban last year. Wetpixel asks all Californian members to write to their assembly members, Governor and Senators of California to pass this bill!

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