75-year-old Japanese woman was pulled from the water about 2:00pm yesterday at Moore Reef, off the coast of Cairns in far north Queensland.
Queensland police said the woman was on a day trip with Sunlover Reef Cruises.
Today the company issued a statement expressing "deep sympathies to the family and friends of the Japanese woman who tragically passed away".
"Our crew have being offered support and professional counselling," it read.
The woman is the 10th person to die on the reef in the region this year and the fifth since early November.
The Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators said the majority of the victims were elderly and had pre-existing medical conditions.
Spokesman Col McKenzie said snorkelling the reef is on many people's bucket lists.
"While we are very proud of the fact we have the safest snorkelling in the world, we've got to sit down and have a really close look at all these events and see if there's anything we can do," he said.
Mr McKenzie said Workplace Health and Safety released an updated risk-briefing document in all major languages, which highlights the risks associated with snorkelling and diving.
"But at this point in time, there has been no substantive changes made," he said.
"We're at a bit of a loss as to what we can do."
Mr McKenzie said 10 fatalities in one year is double the industry average.
"Maybe we need to tweak the regulations somewhere," he said.
"We've got to be very careful that we don't discriminate by age or take a reactive position when that's not justified.
"I think it's possible that we could bring in place a rule that says that everybody over a certain age has to acknowledge that they have been told of the risks associated with snorkelling and diving."
Mr McKenzie said compulsory medical checks for divers and snorkelers would be cost prohibitive, with dive medicals in Cairns costing about $80.
"Can you imagine a million passengers being told they've got to go and have a dive medical before they get on a boat? They simply won't do it," he said.
"If they want to go and see good coral, they can go and see it anywhere in Asia as well, so we've got to be cost-competitive.
"I don't believe there would be any change in the number of people dying, they would simply die somewhere else."
In November, a 60-year-old British tourist died while scuba diving at Agincourt Reef and two French tourists died after suffering heart attacks while snorkelling together at Michaelmas Cay off Cairns.
Both had pre-existing medical conditions.
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Showing posts with label snorkelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snorkelling. Show all posts
Friday, 23 December 2016
Tuesday, 22 March 2016
NICARAGUA: About Nicaraagua
Get enchanted by music and dance in the cradle of Nicaragua's folklore, Masaya.
Capital: Managua
Size: 129,494 km²
Population: 4.8m
Currency: Córdoba
Language: Spanish
Visas: Not required by British nationals
Food: The highlight is fresh lobster for about $3 - it is to die for!
Drink: Nicaragua is the land of a thousand fruits, so go for refrescos (fruit juices).
Festivals: Elaborate festivals are organized in each town or village to celebrate the local patron saint’s day.
Nicaragua is a friendly and peaceful country that has received some negative press over the years. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, for, while other countries in the region have been flooded by tourists, Nicaragua has managed to preserve its authenticity and character.
The largest country in Central America, Nicaragua is full of incredible contrasts, a testament to a turbulent but fascinating history. On its Pacific side, where most of the population now live, the major colonial influence was Spanish, while the Caribbean coast was dominated by the British.
With its volcanoes and the massive inland sea of Lago de Nicaragua, the Pacific lowlands are stunningly beautiful. Ometepe Island, which lies in the lake, is the largest freshwater island in the world, dominated by the Concepción and Maderas volcanoes. There are regular ferries to this largely unspoilt jewel.
Elsewhere, in the city of León, you’ll find old colonial buildings, while the beaches along the Pacific coast are quiet and perfect for watersports and swimming. Off the Caribbean coast, the Corn Islands were once a base for British buccaneers, but sandy beaches and clear blue seas now make the islands an ideal spot for snorkelling and diving.
Size: 129,494 km²
Population: 4.8m
Currency: Córdoba
Language: Spanish
Visas: Not required by British nationals
Food: The highlight is fresh lobster for about $3 - it is to die for!
Drink: Nicaragua is the land of a thousand fruits, so go for refrescos (fruit juices).
Festivals: Elaborate festivals are organized in each town or village to celebrate the local patron saint’s day.
Nicaragua is a friendly and peaceful country that has received some negative press over the years. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, for, while other countries in the region have been flooded by tourists, Nicaragua has managed to preserve its authenticity and character.
The largest country in Central America, Nicaragua is full of incredible contrasts, a testament to a turbulent but fascinating history. On its Pacific side, where most of the population now live, the major colonial influence was Spanish, while the Caribbean coast was dominated by the British.
With its volcanoes and the massive inland sea of Lago de Nicaragua, the Pacific lowlands are stunningly beautiful. Ometepe Island, which lies in the lake, is the largest freshwater island in the world, dominated by the Concepción and Maderas volcanoes. There are regular ferries to this largely unspoilt jewel.
Elsewhere, in the city of León, you’ll find old colonial buildings, while the beaches along the Pacific coast are quiet and perfect for watersports and swimming. Off the Caribbean coast, the Corn Islands were once a base for British buccaneers, but sandy beaches and clear blue seas now make the islands an ideal spot for snorkelling and diving.
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
INDONESIA: Hotel Of The Week: Gili Khumba Villas, Gili Trawangan
Small in stature - big on hype; that could well be the epithet that best describes the tiny Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan. Yet the hype is well justified with captivating tropical scenery and a bohemian beach vibe that keeps the crowds flocking here in their thousands. It's a far cry from my first time in Gili T, more than a decade ago, long before the advent of the now ubiquitous boutique villa scene. Back then we made do with simple homestay accommodation where a hot water shower and air conditioning was the height of luxury.
This time we craved a change of scenery - away from the crowded beach strip - and a few more creature comforts. We spent a couple of lazy days at recently opened Gili Khumba Villas, set amid shady coconut groves in the quieter north of the island. Khumba Villas features a dozen contemporary styled one and two bed self contained villas, each with private pools set in an enclosed garden compound. The layout is open plan with an integrated lounge, dining and kitchen area overlooking the pool.
Our villa featured a plush bed making an afternoon power nap an effortless pleasure, and the adjoining open air bathroom was surprisingly cavernous, with a brightly coloured walk-in shower amid a small forest of tropical foliage.
The Australian owner of Khumba Villas comes from a fashion design background and it is clear to see there is an artisan's eye for detail at work here. There is a strong Indian influence to the decor with vivid artwork on the walls depicting colourful Indian street scenes sprinkled with ethnic style objet d'art.
The immediate surroundings are surprisingly bucolic when you consider Gili Trawangan's 'party island' reputation. We explored the maze of undulating dirt tracks that wind through the coconut groves populated by little more than a few grazing cows but this being tiny Trawangan, you are never out of earshot from the ebb and flow of the ocean. A short stroll reaches the northern beach strip - a refreshingly laid back alternative to the wall-to-wall bars of the island's south.
After lunch, snorkelling and a lazy hour on the sand, the heat was taking its toll on my usually irrepressible nine-year old. Back to the villa to cool down. The private full size pools are fringed by a well manicured lawn and mature palm trees which provide all the shady respite you need from the inevitable onslaught of the midday sun, yet the proximity to the sea means you can still benefit from cool breezes sweeping in off the Lombok Strait.
Gili Trawangan is a 90 minute speed boat ride from the east coast of Bali.
This time we craved a change of scenery - away from the crowded beach strip - and a few more creature comforts. We spent a couple of lazy days at recently opened Gili Khumba Villas, set amid shady coconut groves in the quieter north of the island. Khumba Villas features a dozen contemporary styled one and two bed self contained villas, each with private pools set in an enclosed garden compound. The layout is open plan with an integrated lounge, dining and kitchen area overlooking the pool.
Our villa featured a plush bed making an afternoon power nap an effortless pleasure, and the adjoining open air bathroom was surprisingly cavernous, with a brightly coloured walk-in shower amid a small forest of tropical foliage.
The Australian owner of Khumba Villas comes from a fashion design background and it is clear to see there is an artisan's eye for detail at work here. There is a strong Indian influence to the decor with vivid artwork on the walls depicting colourful Indian street scenes sprinkled with ethnic style objet d'art.
The immediate surroundings are surprisingly bucolic when you consider Gili Trawangan's 'party island' reputation. We explored the maze of undulating dirt tracks that wind through the coconut groves populated by little more than a few grazing cows but this being tiny Trawangan, you are never out of earshot from the ebb and flow of the ocean. A short stroll reaches the northern beach strip - a refreshingly laid back alternative to the wall-to-wall bars of the island's south.
After lunch, snorkelling and a lazy hour on the sand, the heat was taking its toll on my usually irrepressible nine-year old. Back to the villa to cool down. The private full size pools are fringed by a well manicured lawn and mature palm trees which provide all the shady respite you need from the inevitable onslaught of the midday sun, yet the proximity to the sea means you can still benefit from cool breezes sweeping in off the Lombok Strait.
Gili Trawangan is a 90 minute speed boat ride from the east coast of Bali.
Saturday, 19 September 2015
TANZANIA: Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream National Park
An excited whoop erupts from deep in the forest, boosted immediately by a dozen other voices, rising in volume and tempo and pitch to a frenzied shrieking crescendo. It is the famous ‘pant-hoot’ call: a bonding ritual that allows the participants to identify each other through their individual vocal stylisations. To the human listener, walking through the ancient forests of Gombe Stream, this spine-chilling outburst is also an indicator of imminent visual contact with man’s closest genetic relative: the chimpanzee.
Gombe is the smallest of Tanzania's national parks: a fragile strip of chimpanzee habitat straddling the steep slopes and river valleys that hem in the sandy northern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Its chimpanzees – habituated to human visitors – were made famous by the pioneering work of Jane Goodall, who in 1960 founded a behavioural research program that now stands as the longest-running study of its kind in the world. The matriarch Fifi, the last surviving member of the original community, only three-years old when Goodall first set foot in Gombe, is still regularly seen by visitors.
Chimpanzees share about 98% of their genes with humans, and no scientific expertise is required to distinguish between the individual repertoires of pants, hoots and screams that define the celebrities, the power brokers, and the supporting characters. Perhaps you will see a flicker of understanding when you look into a chimp's eyes, assessing you in return - a look of apparent recognition across the narrowest of species barriers.
The most visible of Gombe’s other mammals are also primates. A troop of beachcomber olive baboons, under study since the 1960s, is exceptionally habituated, while red-tailed and red colobus monkeys - the latter regularly hunted by chimps – stick to the forest canopy.
The park’s 200-odd bird species range from the iconic fish eagle to the jewel-like Peter’s twinspots that hop tamely around the visitors’ centre.
After dusk, a dazzling night sky is complemented by the lanterns of hundreds of small wooden boats, bobbing on the lake like a sprawling city.
About Gombe Stream National Park
Size: 52 sq km (20 sq miles), Tanzania's smallest park.
Location: 16 km (10 miles) north of Kigoma on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania.
Getting there
Kigoma is connected to Dar and Arusha by scheduled flights, to Dar and Mwanza by a slow rail service, to Mwanza, Dar and Mbeya by rough dirt roads, and to Mpulungu in Zambia by a weekly ferry.
From Kigoma, local lake-taxis take up to three hours to reach Gombe, or motorboats can be chartered, taking less than one hour.
What to do
Chimpanzee trekking; hiking, swimming and snorkelling;
visit the site of Henry Stanley's famous “Dr Livingstone I presume” at Ujiji near Kigoma, and watch the renowned dhow builders at work. .
When to go
The chimps don't roam as far in the wet season (February-June, November-mid December) so may be easier to find;
better picture opportunities in the dry (July-October and late December).
Accommodation
1 new luxury tented lodge, as well a self-catering hostel, guest house and campsites on the lakeshore.
NOTE
Strict rules are in place to safeguard you and the chimps. Allow at least 2 days to see them - this is not a zoo so there are no guarantees where they'll be each day.
Gombe is the smallest of Tanzania's national parks: a fragile strip of chimpanzee habitat straddling the steep slopes and river valleys that hem in the sandy northern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Its chimpanzees – habituated to human visitors – were made famous by the pioneering work of Jane Goodall, who in 1960 founded a behavioural research program that now stands as the longest-running study of its kind in the world. The matriarch Fifi, the last surviving member of the original community, only three-years old when Goodall first set foot in Gombe, is still regularly seen by visitors.
Chimpanzees share about 98% of their genes with humans, and no scientific expertise is required to distinguish between the individual repertoires of pants, hoots and screams that define the celebrities, the power brokers, and the supporting characters. Perhaps you will see a flicker of understanding when you look into a chimp's eyes, assessing you in return - a look of apparent recognition across the narrowest of species barriers.
The most visible of Gombe’s other mammals are also primates. A troop of beachcomber olive baboons, under study since the 1960s, is exceptionally habituated, while red-tailed and red colobus monkeys - the latter regularly hunted by chimps – stick to the forest canopy.
The park’s 200-odd bird species range from the iconic fish eagle to the jewel-like Peter’s twinspots that hop tamely around the visitors’ centre.
After dusk, a dazzling night sky is complemented by the lanterns of hundreds of small wooden boats, bobbing on the lake like a sprawling city.
About Gombe Stream National Park
Size: 52 sq km (20 sq miles), Tanzania's smallest park.
Location: 16 km (10 miles) north of Kigoma on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania.
Getting there
Kigoma is connected to Dar and Arusha by scheduled flights, to Dar and Mwanza by a slow rail service, to Mwanza, Dar and Mbeya by rough dirt roads, and to Mpulungu in Zambia by a weekly ferry.
From Kigoma, local lake-taxis take up to three hours to reach Gombe, or motorboats can be chartered, taking less than one hour.
What to do
Chimpanzee trekking; hiking, swimming and snorkelling;
visit the site of Henry Stanley's famous “Dr Livingstone I presume” at Ujiji near Kigoma, and watch the renowned dhow builders at work. .
When to go
The chimps don't roam as far in the wet season (February-June, November-mid December) so may be easier to find;
better picture opportunities in the dry (July-October and late December).
Accommodation
1 new luxury tented lodge, as well a self-catering hostel, guest house and campsites on the lakeshore.
NOTE
Strict rules are in place to safeguard you and the chimps. Allow at least 2 days to see them - this is not a zoo so there are no guarantees where they'll be each day.
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