Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Heat, Oxygen, Trips, & more
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Hope it was a good Father's Day for those who were celebrated . . .
HEAT ADVISORY IN ALASKA - Some of it is due to procedural changes but this is the first time that a heat advisory has ever been officially issued for Alaska, this time affecting Fairbanks. As I'm writing this, it's 81º in Fairbanks, but it's supposed to go up to 85º. (For perspective, it shows 89º right now in Westwood, where I live.) So while mid-to-high 80s might be the norm for us, it unusual for Alaska, especially this time of the year. It's also important to remember that many places in that region of Alaska don't have air-conditioning because it's not needed so the fact that it's this hot this early in the year is significant. One more small example of the long-term effects of global warming.
INDONESIA 2026 TRIP IS ALMOST FULL - Amazingly, we are almost full on our Indonesia 2026 trip planned for July 1-14 (includes travel dates) diving with our friends at Murex Dive Resorts. I've still got one of the new Premium Deluxe cottages available and that's it. We're capping the group at 20 overall which means when we're at the resort, we'll split into Group 1 and Group A so we don't have more than 10 on a boat. (This is also what we've done the previous two trips and it works out well.) So if this is something on your radar, make sure I know so I can have you on the "interested" list before we get full. It's also possible to do trip extensions, either before or after those dates, but let's get you set as part of the main group first and then we'll deal with the add-ons.
YAP 2026 TRIP IS ALSO FILLING NICELY - We have nine folks confirmed for that one so far with room for more. (Trip dates are March 9-22.) As with Indonesia, if the group grows beyond a certain number, we'll split into two groups to keep the boats less crowded. While we always like to accommodate as many folks as we can, we don't want it to get uncomfortable and crowded. And the good folks at Manta Ray Bay are very good about accommodating our needs to insure that's the case. Yap & Indo are two of my favorite spots in the world to dive, and Manta Ray Bay and Murex Dive resorts are two of my favorite operations, so hopefully you can join us for one or both trips!!!
PHILIPPINES TRIP IN 2026 - I'm still working on the pricing but I've got the adjusted dates set: September 12-26 next year. (These are dive dates, not including necessary travel time.) This is a combo land-based & liveaboard trip. We'll be at Atlantis Dumaguete September 12-19 doing 3-5 dives/day including a trip over to Apo Island. On the 19th (I think we'll be able to resort dive in the morning), their boat Infiniti will pick us up at the resort late in the afternoon. This boat is not only the newer of their two liveaboards, but it will also have recently come out of drydock so everything should be new and shiny (or as new and shiny as you can get on a boat). We're then doing their northern itinerary which includes a chance to dive with large Thresher Sharks. We changed dates with them versus what they originally suggested and I've gotten different invoices with different pricing so that's the part I'm trying to work out. But I'm GUESSING that this will come in somewhere around $3,650/week (so $7,300-ish for the two weeks together) but this also includes over $700 in incidentals that we're going to have to pay anyhow, such as park fees, nitrox, and a fuel surcharge for the boat. If you're interested, let me know (some of you have done so already). I hope to have this nailed down by next week.
SILVER AIRWAYS CLOSES ABRUPTLY - You may have never flown them or heard of them (I don't think I had). They served Florida, the Bahamas, and other Caribbean spots. They ceased operations on July 11 due to their Chapter 11 filing and no angel investors. But the point of all of this is to remind you that many times when we travel to dive destinations, we're forced to use smaller airlines. So make sure you're well-protected with travel insurance, dealing with reputable travel organizers, and just generally staying on top of things. Not all travel calamities can be avoided but you can at least be prepared to deal with problems should they arise and arrange to protect yourself as best you can.
AI MIGHT SAVE OUR OCEANS - There was a U.N.-sponsored Oceans Conference in the south of France last week. Among the topics discussed was the estimate of some 400 "dead zones" in the oceans of the world, where no life can exist. But there may be hope yet. And that hope may be in form of using artificial intelligence to do scenario projections quickly and see what the various options are. You can read more about this is in this article from TIME Magazine (which amazingly isn't behind a paywall): USING AI TO SAVE OUR SEAS.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
