Restaurant submarine is opened in the Maldives

For those who want to surprise a romantic dinner or a family celebration, there is a restaurant in the Indian Ocean that may surpass any expectations. Called The Ithaa, the restaurant is five meters below sea level.

Located in the Maldives, the restaurant – which belongs to the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa, has acrylic ceiling that provides a view of 180 degrees. Thus, you can taste dishes prepared and see coral reefs and the peculiarities of the marine life that surrounds the Indian Ocean.

The restaurant measures nine meters wide and five meters high. It can accommodate up to 12 people at a time.

Who wants to get to the restaurant must follow a wooden deck, installed at the resort, and down a spiral staircase. The kitchen, as it would be different, is Asian, with many seafood.

To enjoy this exotic place, the price of a dinner ranges from $ 120 and $ 245 per person (U.S. $ 207 and $ 423 per person).

Source and Photos: Época Negócios Online

Forbes Magazine indicates 13 dive sites

Forbes magazine pointed out the 13 most spectacular seas, coral reefs and beaches to be explored by divers in the world in 2009. Places like Fiji, Red Sea and the Bahamas are just some of the points that should be idyllic in the list of upcoming destinations according to the vehicle.

Check out the list:

San Blas Islands, Panama
Despite being a region controlled by native peoples that destroyed part of the coral reefs are completely untouchable in the San Blas Islands. In the eastern region, tours take tourists to places completely untouched crystal clear waters. Already in the west, wreck up the landscape of Los Cayos Grullos.

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
At other times only frequented by climbers, the islands of Phi Phi was eventually discovered by divers. The main point is Hing Klang, a reef located between the islands of Phi Phi Don and Bamboo One of the highlights is the amount of tropical fish that can be seen.

Safaga, Egypt
These shallow reefs in the Egyptian Red Sea attracts both experienced and amateurs. The dolphins, octopuses, fish, clown fish and sea lions, one of the most poisonous in the world, are just some of the illustrious inhabitants of the area. In Soma Bay is a pier that allows excellent option only diving mask. Tours also take tourists to a small sand island in the middle of the sea.

Culebra, Puerto Rico
If money is a problem, Culebra is the best choice. In a trip that will cost five dollars, you get to the beach Flamenco came from the main island of Puerto Rico. The beach is famous for camping and parties, but to walk for 20 minutes until Carlos Rosario, find one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean.

Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos, British Caribbean
As Safaga, the main attraction of Salt Cay is the marine life. Sharks and rays can be seen on tours by the corals in the region. If you visit in winter, it is likely that you will hear the song of the humpback whales and even see. There is also a disaster to be visited and several near-shore reefs.

Rurutu, French Polynesia
The best place to see whales is Rurutu. Between July and October, humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to the waters off Polynesia. If you’re lucky you can get very close to the mammal.

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Being almost an entire national park, St. John is almost intact. Beginners can start at Trunk Bay, where there is a “trail” that goes underwater guiding the main attractions. For the more experienced, some points can be reached from beaches like Haulover Bay and Leinster Bay

Makaha Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii
One of the most accessible of the list, the waters of Makaha Beach Park offers a visibility of more than 30 meters. You can see sponges, fish, rays, huge turtles and dolphins, but in winter, diving may be prohibited because of waves and surfers who look after the beach.

Water Bunaken National Park, Indonesia
This environmental reserve is composed of 97% water, and Water Bunaken National Park is renowned for its diversity of corals, invertebrates and more than 2.5 thousand species of fish that inhabit the region.

Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The largest coral reef in the world can be visited on day trips out of Port Douglas, tourist town closest to the reef. The main point are the parts of the outer edge called Agincourt Reefs. Other options are the islets of Heron and Lady Elliot with his rays, turtles, nudibranchs and molluscs.

Florida Spring Holes, Florida
The only list with fresh water. In addition to region-specific fish, crocodiles give tone to the place. A good point is Silver Glen Springs, Ocala National Forest, with its vast marine life. The Blue Spring State Park is also true, but it may be discontinued if manatees are passing by.

Fiji
This complex of 330 islands is a paradise. Corals emerge from the deep ocean to shallow areas, home to sea stars, sea urchins, sharks, rays. Reefs are visited on tour or accessed by the coast itself.

Bimini Islands, Bahamas
Here grace is the mystery. A curious formation of two rectangular parallel lines, according to legend, would lead to Atlantis, the Lost City of the Atlantic Ocean. Another highlight is a boat sank during a hurricane in 1926. Dolphins also inhabit the region.

Dive into the warm waters of Recife

Whether you navigate in calm waters, is to discover the beauties of the sea, Recife (PE) always has a good program. Embark.

Raft ride in Boa Viagem
Among coral reefs, the gentle rocking of the sea, the look of the urban beach is postcard of Recife.

Catamaran
Navigating Capibaribe River, the ride offers a wonderful view of three islands that form the center of reef, bridges, buildings and landscapes. On return from the tour, is requested to see the sunset in the Bath House, located in the reefs of Porto.

From the sea to sculptures
Crossing in small boats to visit the Sculpture Park, Francisco Brennand. The park has 51 sculptures of eggs, turtles, sandpipers and sentries guarding the main work of the park, the Torre de Cristal, inspired by a flower discovered by the landscape artist Burle Marx.

Diving in Park Wreck Reef
The practice is favored by high visibility and water temperatures – around 26 º C. Recife, the capital of the Brazilian dive wreck, “is one of the most complete destination segment in the country. The underwater tours run daily, by appointment. The town has a dive operators qualified and experienced. Check.

Source: Recife te quer

Conservation of coral reefs of Porto de Galinhas

The threat of destruction of coral reefs forming natural pools in Porto de Galinhas (PE- Brazil), in Pernambuco litroal South, led the city population demography to limit the access of tourists to the reef. The overcrowding was endangering the coral reefs, since the structure of these fragile and does not support so many people.

Before, 30% of reefs were open to visitors. With the restriction, the area was reduced to 7%. And all the rides now have monitoring of environmental agents. Buoys have also been installed in the region to demarcate the areas of diving and inland.

The idea is not prober tourist access to one of the most popular destinations along the northeast coast, but to ensure that the rides are more disciplined.

“The visit was disorderly jeopardizing the heritage of nature. We have been working to prevent the destruction, now let’s have a larger building with more agents and monitors educating and guiding tourists,” says the deputy mayor of Ipojuca, Fernando Eduardo Alves.

The alert had been made biologists Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE). The reefs were invaded by a crowd on weekends. The ride seemed harmless, but the simple fact of walking on corals already degrades the environment.

Contrary to what many people think, the corals are not plants or rocks. They are animals that are part of the marine fauna. They are fragile living things that take decades to develop.

Source: O Globo

Corals Stay Close to Home

 

The thought of coral reefs tends to conjure up images of tropical vacations, complete with snorkeling and diving among tropical fish in crystal clear waters.

Rapid climate change, and increased pollution, ocean acidification and overfishing threaten to darken this picture considerably. These factors heavily stress corals, and thus put both the countless marine organisms that count on corals for habitat and shelter, and the $1 billion dollar tourism industry fueled by coral reefs at significant risk.

Conservation biologists have been scrambling to find ways to conserve and protect these remarkable sea creatures. However, the design of marine reserves requires knowledge of the distances moved by the mobile juvenile stage of corals so that the natural processes that maintain healthy populations can be encouraged.

A recent study by Australian biologist Jim Underwood has found surprisingly that despite the fact that corals cast their eggs and sperm haphazardly into the oceans, certain species of coral show remarkable fidelity to their home range.

Underwood sampled DNA from coral reefs in the Indiana Ocean and found that individual corals located in the same group of reefs are more closely related than previously thought.

These results suggest that since most recruitment of these Indian Ocean coral populations comes from other locally sourced coral, one cannot depend on genetic material from distant populations of corals to replenish or restore degraded local populations. In these regions, marine reserves that maintain high local genetic diversity should be favoured.

Source: EurekAlert