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Massive decline

The scale of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact is outlined in a report by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which predicts a decline in international travel of between 58% and 80% in 2020. The prediction of a 58% decline is based on the gradual reopening of international borders and easing of travel restrictions in early July; the 80% figure is based on early December.

Indeed, this year’s prizes worth US$25,000 do not disappoint, comprising dive travel packages to some of the best locations in Asia as well as top-of-the-line dive equipment and underwater camera gear. Judges of this year’s competition include renowned underwater photographers Tobias Friedrich of Germany, Jason Isley of the United Kingdom and Nurul Yazid of Malaysia.

Entry deadline

The deadline to enter is 15 May 2020.

Over the past 15 years, the show has welcomed around 180,000 visitors, with an average of 10,000 visitors each year, of which 90% were divers. Attending industry professionals last year included dive operators, manufacturers, distributors, entrepreneurs and tourism boards, many of whom made use of a new B2B networking platform MIDE created just for them.

We've have been informed by a reader that dive travellers heading out to Truk Lagoon, at least when transiting through the Philippines, will now be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period in Guam due to the presence of coronavirus in the Philippines.

A group of divers who were stopped in Manila ended up opting for going diving somewhere in the Philippines instead.

At this moment, we don't have any official information but are investigating.

Anita had been leading a dive in the Bahamas at a site called the 'Sea Garden', when she discovered the carcass of a green sea turtle with a hook protruding from its decomposing tongue.

Images like this can become warnings for the future. Shane Gross

The animal had obviously been trapped in situ for a significant period of time, and had drowned.