California

DAN at 2024 Scuba Show

Divers Alert Network (DAN), the world’s leading dive safety organization, will connect with attendees next weekend at Scuba Show, Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Throughout the event, the DAN team will be recording video testimonials in room 402A-B, located on the second floor of the venue near the event seminars. 

A great white shark
Great White Shark

A Closer Look at Human-Shark Encounters

A recent article by Sam Fletcher begins with the gripping account of a wildlife videographer, Scott Fairchild. Using a drone, he captures a heart-stopping moment when a great white shark repeatedly approaches a lone swimmer off the coast of San Diego. Yet suddenly the shark veers away and disappears. Fairchild states that he has seen countless such encounters between swimmers and white sharks off the Californian coast.

Juvenile Great White Shark
Juvenile Great White Shark (Elias Levy, CC BY 2.0)

Juvenile Great White Sharks Prefer Shallow Water

The groundbreaking study delved into the drivers behind how juvenile white sharks move. Using special tracking technology that listens to the sharks and tracks their positions, the team of scientists, led by Emily Spurgeon, gathered detailed information about how the varying temperatures of the layers of the sea affect their travels.

The Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach is in danger of running nearly out of funds and may have to shut down programs that protect Southern California beachgoers.

Long Beach Shark Lab May Lose Funding

For years, the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, has been at the forefront of research, tracking shark movements and behaviour, which has been crucial for beach safety and conservation efforts. The loss of funding could severely hinder these vital studies, potentially impacting both ecological understanding and public welfare.

Newborn White Shark Pup
Newborn white shark pup (Photo by Carlos Gauna)

Drone Discovery: A Newborn Great White Shark

(TOP BANNER IMAGE: Carlos Gauna/The Malibu Artist) 

The remarkable sighting occurred on 9 July 2023, approximately 400m (1,300ft) off the shores of Carpinteria, California. Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and Phillip Sternes, a doctoral student in the Department of Biology at the University of California Riverside, stumbled upon the extraordinary sight while filming aerial footage.

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The kelp forests within the sanctuary provide habitat for a variety of fishes and other animals.

MPAs: Catalysts for both marine health and scuba diving

The findings from UC Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute provide compelling evidence of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) value to the scuba diving industry and local economies. As global leaders aim to protect 30% of land and water by 2030, understanding the diverse benefits of MPAs is crucial for informed decision-making and sustainable coastal management.

Announcing the 24th Annual SDUFEX Undersea Film Festival

The 2023 San Diego UnderSea Film Festival will be held Friday, October 6 and Saturday, October 7 at the Irwin M Jacobs Qualcomm Hall. Join us for a wonderful evening featuring some of the best underwater short films from around the world.

There will be a unique program each evening and tickets are available now at SDUFEX.com.

If you are unable to join us in person, tickets will be available to watch our virtual film festival October 9-31.

San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition is back in person October 1, 2022

Please join us for a wonderful evening featuring some of the best short underwater films from around the world. 

The in person event is for one evening only on Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 7:00-9:30pm PDT at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall in San Diego, CA.

A Virtual Film Festival will follow from October 8 - 16, 2022. Tickets for the virtual festival will be available following the live event.