Save the Manatee Club (SMC) has installed webcams at Blue Spring State Park. The webcams allow millions of people around the globe to witness the manatees and hear SMC's conservation message.

Support for the webcams was made possible by a donation to SMC as a memorial gift in honor of the late Mrs. Norma Norton, a Florida resident who cared deeply for manatees.

This is the story of a diver told in cartoon and song.

Recently Jim Abernethy had a dive trip to the Bahamas. It resulted in a wonderful video from the trip.

Each year, U.S. Fish & Wildlife has increased restrictions on Manatee encounters because of a few unthinking people. YouTube video of a diver riding a Manatee prompted the restriction allowing your head to go under the surface to take a photo. Last year, Jeri Curley was told that the number of tickets handed out had doubled. These may very well be the last years of legally snorkeling with the giant, gentle creatures. She will be setting up two dates for our snorkel encounters. We will be heading up to Crystal River again to snorkel with the Manatees. This year will feature two trips (January 28 and February) to ensure that we have a chance to snorkel with them. Space is limited so sign up early. For more information, contact Jeri Curley ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).

Randy Jordan of Emerald Charters, who spoke to our club in 2010, made news recently. This time it was not for his Lion Tamer invention or other efforts in fighting the invasive species. He discovered a World War II aircraft deep underwater. This aircraft settled below recreational depths at 185 feet. There is still some research to determine what particular wreckage was found, but The Palm Beach Post reports that some progress has been made. Those technical divers willing to explore the aircraft, pay heed to this quote from that article:

"Any disturbance to a sunken Navy ship or aircraft wreck requires a permit under the Sunken Military Craft Act of 2004," Neyland wrote.

The next Down Under Dive Club meeting is Wednesday, January 11, at 7:00pm. Dr. Katie Tripp will be speaking to the club about efforts to save the manatee. This is a particularly timely topic given our upcoming Manatee Snorkel Trip.

Dr. Katie Tripp is the Director of Science and Conservation for the Save the Manatee Club (SMC). She received her bachelor's degree from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, where she majored in Marine Science and received minors in both Chemistry and Environmental Policy. Katie received her Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Sciences from the University of Florida, where she conducted research on manatee physiology. Dr. Tripp was a lecturer, laboratory instructor, and graduate research assistant at the university. She has worked as a manatee consultant for one of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Projects and also worked as a biologist with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab where she assisted with manatee necropsies, carcass salvage, marine mammal rescues, and various research projects. She has co-authored multiple abstracts and research papers on manatees. Among her many honors, she was chosen as the Florida League of Conservation Voters’ Betsy Wood Fellow and was a Ford Foundation and Morris K. Udall Scholar. She was chosen by the Board of SMC to be its first student member and became a full member in 2005. At the 2008 Marine Mammal Health Conference organized by the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine and others, Dr. Tripp received the Reep-Bonde Florida Manatee Biology and Conservation Award for her research that furthered the basic knowledge of fundamental manatee biology.

Scuba Sport Magazine is a bi-monthly, coffee-table magazine dedicated to scuba interest, destinations and activities devoted to the recreational diver and includes top-side activities for the supportive, albeit, non-diving family and friends. They have recently published the first issue and are eager to show what they have to offer. As a result, they are offering a free subscription for one year to introduce themselves.

Markus Thompson was scuba diving and came across a formerly nice cannon camera that was a little worse for wear after being submerged. He recovered it and was surprised to learn that the pictures were recoverable. So he grabbed three pictures and took a few pictures of the camera. He provided the location he found it, make, model, serial number, and other pertinent details and posted it to Google+ (a social networking site). It turns out, the camera has been down there a while. Through the magic of social networking, he was able to learn the original owner and has contacted that person.

The next Down Under Dive Club (DUDC) meeting will be our annual holiday meeting. It will be held Wednesday, December 14, 2011, at 7:00pm. We will do a Chinese gift exchange, which is always entertaining. Participants are expected to bring a wrapped gift worth $25. The traditional potluck dinner will be modified this year. DUDC will provide a $5 voucher for single memberships in attendance or a $10 voucher for family memberships. This voucher is a credit for The Broken Barrel Tavern (the location of the meeting) and is good for that night only. The dessert will be potluck. There will be no speaker. This is generally a fun time with ample opportunity to socialize with other members. It is also an opportunity to start thinking about officers for next year.