Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed by Conservationist Rob Stewart’s Family

The family of Rob Stewart, a Canadian filmmaker and shark conservationist, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on 28th March 2017 at Broward County, Florida. The lawsuit has been filed following the death of Rob Stewart during a dive off the Florida Keys in January 2017 and seeks unspecified damages.Rob Stewart died whilst filming for Sharkwater Extinction at the Queen of Nassau wreck, 9.7 kilometres off the coast of Islamorada. According to the lawsuit, Stewart dived to a depth of 70m with dive organizer Peter Sotis and came into difficulties during the third dive of the day.Read more here: http://ca.thescubanews.com/2017/03/29/wrongful-death-lawsuit-filed-by-conservationist-rob-stewarts-family/

Calling All Writers & Ocean Fans

CALLING ALL WRITERS & OCEAN FANS!I'm looking for new/experienced writers to write about their scuba adventures, marine life profiles, kit reviews, diving tips and ocean conservation initiatives for The Scuba News. With our growing network of regional editions around the globe, this is a great time to get involved and gain some online exposure.If you're interested in sharing your stories* and/or being pitched ideas to help improve your writing skills and share your passion for the oceans, get in touch! 

Kathryn@thescubanews.com*Just like this awesome little nudibranch, no story is too small for consideration.

Sharks - Caretakers of the Oceans

A very proud day seeing my shark conservation article for Forest and Bird New Zealand in print. With over 70,000 members/readers, this will go some way to spreading the shark conservation message.Full article here: Caretakers of the Oceans

Mangrove Matters

When it comes to scuba diving it is hard to beat exploring colourful tropical reefs, history-filled wrecks, sun-dappled kelp forests and foreboding caves. Every scuba diver has their favourite type of diving but what of mangroves? What diving opportunities are there within mangroves and why should we care about these dwindling and vital forests?Read more in my latest article for The Scuba News.http://www.thescubanews.com/2016/02/17/mangrove-matters/

Great White Sharks: Fact vs. Fiction

Great white sharks, which are often thought of as terrifying killing machines, are particularly charismatic. There is a great deal more to these magnificent animals than meets the eye. Did you know that their eyes are not black? They’re actually midnight blue, and express deep curiosity and intelligence.In this article for Scuba Diver Life I take a look at the reality of these mysterious creatures.Read more: http://scubadiverlife.com/2016/02/11/great-whites-fact-vs-fiction/

Dive Site: Beqa Lagoon, Fiji

Looking for a world class shark dive this year? Look no further than Beqa Lagoon, Fiji and enjoy my recent article for Scuba Diver Life.My heart pounded as the choppy ocean slapped me in the face repeatedly and my mask fogged up like a coastal winter’s day in Cornwall. I was kicking like crazy as the Fijian waves threatened to dislodge my regulator and sense of dignity while I, a grown woman, prepared to cry and bolt to the dive boat. This was not my happy place. I was about to descend in Beqa Lagoon, the world’s reputed No.1 shark dive, as rated by the legends of the underwater world Ron and Valerie Taylor, and I just wanted to go home.Beqa Lagoon, just off Fiji’s largest island of Viti Levu, is renowned for its world-class shark diving. It’s home to the Shark Reef Marine Reserve and a healthy population of bull sharks...Read more: http://scubadiverlife.com/2016/02/06/dive-site-beqa-lagoon-fiji/

Living on a remote island, Cambodia - what is it really like?

I have been thoroughly enjoying the past two weeks of staying on a remote island off the coast of Cambodia whilst volunteering and lecturing with Projects Abroad. The island we are staying on is called Koh Sdach and it is a small island with a population of approximately 3000 people and zero tourists. The village consists of stilted houses that sit above the turquoise waters and there is no mains electricity, sewerage or mains water. We are utterly reliant on rainwater for our shower and toilet needs and it is rustic at its finest!We are here for three weeks to educate the volunteers, staff and local school children about the plight of sharks and we are having a fantastic time. Admittedly, living in 30+C heat and high humidity without air conditioning is a challenge but being a part of this friendly community is a great opportunity. It saddens me that the island has no waste management system and that the majority of the waste generated ends up in the oceans. There is literally plastic everywhere...on local beaches and on the beaches of neighbouring uninhabited Islands. There are discarded fishing nets on the reefs that are killing corals and all manner of other waste to be found.But, this is the good part, Projects Abroad are working hard to tackle this with regular beach and reef cleans up, by educating locals and by hopefully introducing a waste management system in the future. The diving is incredible here and the project is making a very real difference to the health of the coral reefs and the marine creatures that inhabit them.I hope you enjoy my insight into a week living and volunteering on Koh Sdach, including an underwater discovery that had the volunteers smiling all day long:http://www.mytripblog.org/pg/blog/cambodia-social-manager/read/408119/a-week-in-koh-sdach-cambodia-by-kathryn-hodgson-friends-for-sharks

http://www.mytripblog.org/pg/blog/cambodia-social-manager/read/408119/a-week-in-koh-sdach-cambodia-by-kathryn-hodgson-friends-for-sharks

Diving the Poor Knights

I had no idea the marine life of New Zealand could be so diverse and colourful until I saw these photographs from Nicholas's recent day of diving the Poor Knights marine reserve. They left me speechless! This is one of the world's top dive sites and Nicholas's experiences there with Dive! Tutukaka certainly did that title justice. This site is one for the bucket list and it also demonstrates the importance of marine reserves for the health of our oceans and fish stocks. Read on to find out more:http://www.friendsforsharks.com/02/09/2015/blog/diving-the-poor-knights/

To the top of New Zealand

We made it to the top of New Zealand! After almost six months of travel in our Wendekreisen Travel Ltd campervan and 66 shark conservation events we reached the very top of the North Island. It was an epic moment when we realised just how far we have come; both literally and with Friends for Sharks. I hope you enjoy the stunning photography of Nicholas's, which really demonstrates how beautiful the sub-tropical Northlands are. Onwards we go into our final week in Auckland and then Australia.http://www.friendsforsharks.com/01/09/2015/blog/hello-from-the-top-of-new-zealand/