ZOOM SEEKERS LAST WEEK - Our speaker was Nancy Caruso, the founder and leader of "Get Inspired," a non-profit that works a lot with kids to get them excited about the ocean and who also is heavily involved in projects like kelp restoration and abalone planting. Nancy gave us of what she does and how we can help. If you missed her talk, it's up on our YouTube page. Here's the link:
RENAMING THE CASINO POINT MPA FOR DR. BILL UPDATE - We passed the first hurdle. This past Thursday (6/16), the F&G Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to refer our petition to Commission staff for further review and recommendation. They also went out of their way, before the vote was taken, to acknowledge the tremendous outpouring of public comments (well over 200) that accompanied the petition. Bear in mind that, in general terms, F&G does not like to name MPAs after people. But it sounds like there might be a crack in that policy for special cases and we're hoping we can convince them that this is one of those instances. As always, we will keep you posted. But this is a slow, methodical process. Then next F&G Commission hearing is August followed by October so hopefully we can get approval at one of those.
NEW TAX FOR BONAIRE - Effective July 1, Bonaire is implementing a new $75/visit tourist tax. The good news is that this will replace an existing room tax and separate car tax, so it's a wash or maybe will only cost a few bucks extra. The downside is that previously, the resorts collected the car & room tax and paid the government. Now, YOU have to pay the tax on-line before you get to Bonaire. (And I'm sure that if you forget, there's a way to pay it when you arrive at the airport.) The interesting thing is that they say the extra revenue generated from this tax will be used "on improving the quality and sustainability of tourism on Bonaire" which hopefully means fixing the roads because Bonaire has become the Pothole Capital of the Caribbean.
NAUI NITROX CLASS WEDNESDAY - If you're looking to get nitrox-certified or just looking to brush up on your N2 knowledge, this is the way to get going. Advance registration required so give us a call at 310/652-4990 or shoot me an e-mail here if you're interested.
AIRLINE FLIGHTS BEING CANCELLED - It seems every week we hear of a thousand or more airline flights being cancelled and it's not due to weather, it's due to staffing shortages. So if you're planning an upcoming trip, it a good idea to do it with as few flights as possible (lessens the chance of one of them being cancelled) and, especially if you're doing a dive trip out of the United States, make sure you have some sort of flight cancellation insurance to cover you for expenses incurred during a delay or an outright cancellation of your planned vacation.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
