May 2008

Bikini Atoll Divers forced to close down

Dear All,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this letter.

After 13 great-though-challenging years as one of the premier wreck diving and fishing tourism sites in the Pacific, Bikini Atoll will be closed to tourists as of June 11, 2008 (the last week of customers will be June 4-11).

We have made this decision due to the situation of our local airline, Air Marshalls, and also because of the rapid rise in the world price of fuel, which has made all of our operating expenses just skyrocket beyond our means.

The newly found bust of Julius Caesar

Divers find ancient bust of Julius Caesar in French river

The marble bust was found near Arles, which was founded by Caesar.

France's culture ministry said the bust was from 46BC, the date of the southern town's foundation. The ministry described the bust - which shows a lined face and a balding head - as typical of realist portraits of the Republican era.

Caesar was a politician and general of the late Roman republic, who greatly extended the Roman empire before seizing power and making himself dictator of Rome, paving the way for the imperial system.

HMS Olympus taking in supplies in Malta, just before Christmas 1941.

Divers locate HMS Olympus off Malta

The British submarine HMS Olympus, sank in 1942 at the height of the siege of Malta and is one of the most historic wrecks off the coast of this island.

The discovery of the wreck completes a historic and tragic story. During the height of the German and Italian blockade of Malta, the British Navy fought a constant battle to keep the valiant Island supplied with food, fuel and war supplies. Submarines were an essential part of this operation, both in bringing in supplies and defending the merchant shipping.

Sharks can raise their scales to create tiny wells across the surface of their skin, just like the dimples on a golf ball
Sharks can raise their scales to create tiny wells across the surface of their skin, just like the dimples on a golf ball

Shark skin adds speed like golf ball

The minute scales, which are just 200 micrometres long, are made from tough enamel, such as that found on teeth, giving the skin a rough texture like sandpaper. Lying flat, they had previously been found to reduce drag as the shark swims. Some reports had also suggested that sharks can bristle their scales, causing them to stand up on end.

Experiments have now revealed that tiny vortices or whirlpools formed within the cavities between the scales.