Year of the Reef savings Selected as host site for the International year of the Reef Dive Festival, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean offers divers and underwater enthusiasts an opportunity to learn, dive and socialize with a collection of world-class experts from various marine preservation and environmental fields November 1-8, while playing an active rold in the global effort to help preserve the earth's estimated one-million sq.km. of coral reefs and related eco-systems. this week-long celebration of the reef will provide visitors an overview of five different underwater specialties including fish identification and census, reef mapping, underwater photography, and water quality and diving safety programs. Other highlights will include social events such as an underwater rodeo, various parties throughout the island and an opening event honoring Bonaire's cultural heritage. For more information contact Tourism Corporation Bonaire, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 900, New York, NY 10020. 1-800-U-Bonair (212) 956-5911, fax (212) 956-5913.   Dive with Benchley and Doubilet Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, The Deep and Beast, will narrate the award-winning underwater photography of David Doubilet in a National Geographic article on the current ecological conditions of the Galapagos Islands. Guests can join them at no extra charge aboard the luxury live-aboard dive yachts, Galapagos Aggressor I and II. The charters run in late December 1997 and January 1998. Twenty years ago, Doubilet and professor Gerard Wellington, Marine Biologist, University of Houston, studied the magnivident undersea world Charles Darwin never saw. they were astonished at the beauty and diversity of the islands' marine life. Their findings were featured in a 1977 National Geographic story. The world-renowned magazine has asked them to return with Peter Benchley and report on the effects nature and mankind have had on the area over the twenty year period. Guests will learn about the environmental changes through casual discussions and slides shows. To be a part of this new assignment, call Aggressor Fleet, Limited at 1-800-348-2628, (504) 385-2628 fax (504) 384-0817. E-mail: divboat@aol.com or divboat@compuserve.com website: www.aggressor.com   Titanic aboard Queen Mary Titanic: The Expedition is scheduled to be aboard the Queen Mary through the end of the year. The exhibition features a display of state-of-the art technology and deep-sea equipment used in the August 1996 recovery of the Titanic's artifacts by RMS Titanic, Inc., a public company committed to the preservation of Titanic's memory. RMS Titanic, Inc. was granted salvor-in-possession rights to the wreck and wreck site of Titanic, which rests 2.5 miles below the North Atlantic ocean and approximately 400 miles off the coast of newfoundland. There are a variety of pieces featured in the collection including White Star Line dishware and personal letters written more than eight decades ago. Other wet items inlcude a large silver soup tureen, a pair of binoculars and a porthole, which are currently displayed in water having not yet undergone full treatment. For more information call (562) 435-3511. Or visit the Queen Mary web site at www.queenmary.com or email can be sent to queenmry@gte.net.   Fifth anniversary for Toronto store Toronto dive store Waterline Sport Inc. is marking its fifth anniversary on October 25th. The Avenue road store is giving away a number of prizes including a trip for two to the Cayman Islands as part of its birthday celebration. to enter all a person need do is visit the store between September 1 and October 24 and fill out a ballot. Waterline Sport can be reached at 800-906-DIVE and on the internet at medianetcom.com/Waterline/.   Rob Palmer dies in Red Sea Prominent technical and cave diver Rob Palmer has been lost, presumed dead, during a technical dive on a day boat out of Hurghada, writes John Bantin from Egypt. the incident occurred at a site near the Giftun Isles, on May 5. Rob's group of four were to dive a deep wall. All were equipped with twinsets and sling-tanks of Nitrox 50 for the planned decompression stop. However, instead of swimming to the wall, Rob Palmer made a descent from the diveboat. His companions chased after him but were unable to catch him. One turned back at 70m and the other two last saw rob, still descending rapidly, when they were at 100m. They were in bluewater conditions. A subsequent boat search, carried out in the hope that Rob had later resurfaced, lasted several hours but proved fruitless. No body has yet been found. rob Palmer's baggage had been lost in transit on his way to Egypt from the Bahamas, where he was based, and he was using borrowed equipment. Suggestions as to possible causes of the accident have included equipment failure, disorientation or heart attack. Rob and his companions had been in Hurghada for the TDI Conference, dedicated to technical diving. Divers who knew him have paid tribute to a man renowned for planning and preparing his dives with meticulous attention to safety, and who demonstrated a mastery of technique.   Eco Boat 97 Eco Boat 97 will be a combined one-day conference and two day boating event to promote green boatng. The conference will bring together international expertise n the field with updates on the latest research and developments, and formal presentations and discussion. The public exhibition ill feature trade stands and exhibits to demonstrate new developments, techniques, materials and equipment which reduce the environmental impact of boating, and the boat trips so people can experience the benefits of quiet, low impact boating. A range of fun activities for children and adults will include the chance to test simple techniques of propulsion, and competitions and events such as endurance trials for electric boats and speed trials for solar and man-powered boats. The exhibition will take place at Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad over the weekend of September 6-7 1997. The conference will be held in the nearby Wherry Hotel on September 5 with a reception for exhibitors and participants in the evening. For more information contact the Broads Authority, 18 Colegate, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1BQ. (01603) 601734 fax (01603) 765710.   Continental dive packages Continental Micronesia and Continental Airlines' newly launched Continental's World of Diving celebrates the Pacific's Year of the Coral Reef with dramatically reduced dive packages to Palau, Truk, Yap, and Pohnpei. This dive package promotion is the first in a series of specials that will be offered periodically from Continental's World of Diving throughout 1997. This promotion runs from September 16 to december 15 1997. The Continental world of diving brochure and Year of the Coral Reef special dive package information are available from the North American marketing office of Continental Micronesia. For more information contact Claude Smith 800-GO-DIVING. E-mail: mail@destmic.com Website: www.destmic.com   Dive the Fiji islands Join doug Cameron, one of Canada's leading underwater photographers, on an adventure packed diving tour to the Coral Coast of the fiji islands. Dive golden Reef, home of the prized golden cowrie shell, and Jay's Drift location of large fan corals and the fascinating pelagics. Tour dates are November 1 to 11, 1997 and cost is $2944 CAD which includes airfare from Vancouver, B.C., nine nights accomodation at the Hideaway Resort, full buffet breakfast daily, airport transfers, fourteen dives, day trip onboard the Beqa with live band, Captain Cook day cruise. For the non-diver a PADI Open Water program is available. In addition, a PADI Advanced Open Water Program will be offered. Doug will be conducting an underwater photography course and will be presenting awards for macro, wide angle and best overall photo to course participants. PADI Photo Diver certification will be provided on completion of the course. For your tour brochure, photo course outline, registration form and additional information contact: Doug Cameron, Nautilus Productions In., 5640 Woodpecker Drive, Richmond, B.C. Canada (604) 274-5242 fax (604) 274-5630. E-mail: dogcam@istar.ca To book please contact: Silver Fern Holidays (604) 684-9722 or 1-800-663-2002 fax (604) 684-5977.   New Photographic Society The Underwater Photographic Society of British Columbia has recently been formed and welcomes any one with an interest in U/W photography or videography. Their first meeting will be held at the Vancouver Aquarium Theatre on Thursday September 25th, 1997 at 7:00 P.M. For more information, call Loring Pollock (604) 683-1850.