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GREAT ESCAPES
NIGEL EATON, EDITOR
THEY SAY THAT EVERY JOURNEY BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP - and the drive towards protecting the creatures that live in our seas is no exception.
It is therefore encouraging to read the views on great white sharks from zoologist, broadcaster and award-winning wildlife writer Mark Carwardine, who we welcome to DIVER magazine this month as a regular contributor.
As Mark points out, the recent listing of one of the most feared animals on the planet in the CITES agreement on endangered species is an important move forwards.
It's early days - but experience suggests that once the conservation ball starts to roll, it can pick up pace remarkably rapidly.
On a similar note, it is also pleasing to see that significant strides in the cause of shark conservation are continuing to being made the by the Bite-Back group.
With news that the supermarket chain Asda has agreed to remove meat from threatened mako and big-eye thresher sharks from 190 UK stores (see DIVER News), the group has added another lobbying success to an impressive tally that has been achieved in a relatively short space of time.
Talking of journeys, this issue's theme of diving holidays aims to make sure that 2005 will see you heading off in the perfect direction to suit your travel tastes, your budget and your diving aspirations.
Among our hot recommendations this year are South Africa (where Gavin Parsons goes hunting for frogfish), the Maldives (where Christian Routin describes a dive site that epitomises the high-energy diving of this fascinating Indian Ocean archipelago), and the Philippines (where Mike Veitch discovers that there is more to Far Eastern reef diving than big marine life).
And to get you in the mood for your first underwater steps on your next overseas trip, John Liddiard describes his favourite warm-up dives in the Red Sea.
Sites such as the Temple, Gota Abu Ramada, Ras Caty and the Near, Middle and Far Gardens are not just a great way to ease yourself into your diving holiday, says John. They also offer more than their fair share of diving attractions in their own right.
Bon voyage!
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