Dive Blog
Father and Son Travel Team!
We had the pleasure of diving with Worth and Worth Jr. this week while they made Castaway Divers their post-Everest destination. Having hiked to Base Camp the 14-year-old, newly certified, diver and his father did about 10 dives with us and enjoyed every minute of it! Next they are off to Moscow for some vodka […]
… Is your sunscreen killing corals?
According to a recent article in the National Geographic, four common sunscreen components can activate dormant viruses in coral’s symbiotic algae, known as zooxanthellae, which live within the reef’s tissues. These sunblock chemicals stimulate viral replication until coral’s zooxanthallae explode, releasing viruses into the surrounding seawater, where they can infect neighboring coral reef systems. It […]
World Oceans Day is Friday!
Often called “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They occupy less than 0.1% of the world’s ocean surface, yet they provide a home for 25% of all marine species! You can help spread the word about one some of the biggest threats to coral reefs, check […]
Why Beachcombing is Bad
Beachcombing; its something of a pastime to many, a relaxing walk along the beach with a basket collecting shells and bits of broken coral seems harmless enough, but is it actually bad for the environment? The answer is yes! Shells and broken bits of corals serve a purpose, what do you think those beautiful sandy […]
Squid Vs. Cuttlefish
Many people ask me, what is the difference between squid and cuttlefish? Squid a member of the cephalopod family, have a hard inner-body shell called a pen whereas Cuttlefish (also belonging to the cephalopod family) have an internal structure called a cuttlebone, which is porous and composed of aragonite, to provide the cuttlefish with buoyancy. […]
What is Coral?
Many people do not realize that coral is actually a creature. Most are under the impression that corals are rock or plant formations, but in fact Coral polyps are tiny animals that build protective calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies that create the basic structure of reefs around the world. Coral reefs can be seen […]
Beach Cleaning!
Today Loic, Castaway’s resident freedive instructor, organized this month’s beach cleaning. 38 Castaway staff and friends went to Adang island and cleared a great strip of white sandy beach…. we collected 35+ bags of plastic bottles, styrofoam debris, lost flip-flops, tangled fishing line, tin containers, beer cans and much much more! Its important to keep […]
Everyone Loves Nemo!
Western Clown Fish are cute little fellows, except they aren’t always fellows, in fact, the most visible ones are the females. As you approach an anemone underwater you will notice anywhere from 2 to about 4 clownfish darting around in its tentacles. These usually range in size from very tiny to about 2-3 inches in […]
Our Resident Frogfish
Our resident frogfish has changed colors… Up until now this nifty little guy has been a purplish-white but just yesterday we discovered that he has turned yellow… one of the many color changes he will go though in his life… Frogfish are interesting and strange little creatures. Without any teeth, they have powerful suction to engulf […]
