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Fishing Derby Added to 2024 Yap Day Celebrations

Traditional stick dance during Yap Day celebrations

Yap Day is one of the premier and largest cultural events in all of Micronesia that showcases everything Yapese, with the village of Makiy in Gagil municipality hosting this year’s festivities.

On February 29th the festivities will kick off with the traditional conch shell blowing and presentation of colours and stone money. During the course of that day there will be women’s sitting dances by the Maap and Rull municipalities and a men’s standing dance by the Rumung municipality. 

Blue Whale Hybrids

Researchers analyzed the genomes of North Atlantic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus musculus) and found surprisingly high levels of fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) DNA, suggesting extensive interbreeding.

Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, faced severe population decline due to historic whaling, leading to their current endangered status. The North Atlantic subspecies is particularly at risk. The study aimed to assess inbreeding within this population, crucial for their recovery.

Bali Implements Tourist Tax

The fee is to be paid through lovebali.baliprov.go.id or directly at the international airport and seaport in Bali.

Effective from February 14, 2024, the tax mandates a one-time fee of IDR 150,000 (about USD 10) for each foreign visitor. This initiative, aimed at supporting local projects in Bali, includes waste management, infrastructure development, and cultural heritage preservation.

The good folks from Waterproof cheer a productive dive show.

Scandinavian Dive Show 2024 Report

It was a relief to see the crowds entering the Scandinavian Dive Show on the morning of Saturday, 10 February. Tommy Jarnbrink, the founder and principal organiser, alongside the X-Ray Mag team, worked tirelessly to organise and promote the expo to both local and international networks, aiming to attract new attendees. Following the 2023 edition, it became apparent that a new format was essential for the show's future.

Contact organiser Tommy Jarnbrink for further information about next year's Scandinavian Dive Show.

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Try dives were offered in the pool which was set up at the junction between the boat show halls a

Mimic octopus in Mozambique

First-Ever Sighting of Mimic Octopus in Mozambique

Unlike any other member of its species, the mimic octopus excels in the art of disguise. It possesses the remarkable capability to alter its shape, hue, and behavior to resemble various marine organisms, including lionfish, flatfish, sea snakes, and more. This extraordinary talent serves not only as a spectacle but also as a survival strategy, aiding the octopus in confounding predators and capturing prey.

Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi tooth.
Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi tooth. /McWane Science Center.

Scientists Discover Fossilized Remains of New Ancient Shark Species

Palaeohypotodus, pronounced pale-ee-oh-hype-oh-toe-duss, translates to "ancient small-eared tooth," a reference to the shark's distinctive small needle-like fangs found on the sides of its teeth. Spearheaded by Jun Ebersole, Director of Collections at McWane Science Center in Birmingham, alongside David Cicimurri, Curator of Natural History at South Carolina State Museum, and T. Lynn Harrell, Jr., Paleontologist and Fossil Collections Curator at the Geological Survey of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the team named the new species in honour of the late Dr.