Wreck of Huis te Warvalo, the Dutch War Ship

The wreck of Huis te Warvalo, a Dutch war ship that sunk in 1715 has been found in mint condition.

A very well preserved wreck of a three masted Dutch figate has been found in the Gulf of Finland. The ship was originally found in 2005 by the Finnish Maritime Administration while mapping the sea bed.

The wreck of a 35-meter-long war ship Huis de Warvalo was found near the Kalbådagrund lighthouse off the coast of Helsinki. The ship had three masts and fourty cannons on two gun decks.

The historical significance of the find was not clear until two years ago, when Sub Zone, an underwater research company based in Helsinki, began examining the site of the wreck. The find is especially significant and unique because no Dutch war ships from the 18th century have ever been found in the Baltic Sea. And certainly none this well preserved have ever been found anywhere.

Diving in Aqaba, Jordan

I posted this text originally in 2012, so it is an older post. This was the very first blog post I ever wrote! While it is a few years old, the facts still remain the same, and I suppose recent events in the Middle East make Jordan perhaps an even more exotic dive destination than it was a few years ago. I have altered the text slightly for this re-post. So here goes:

I visited Jordan with my family last November. What an incredibly beautiful country, what friendly people! Jordan was really worth the visit. Great diving too, clear warm waters and colourful reefs right at the northern end of the Red Sea.



There's a sunken tank near the Seven Sisters site.

Feather Star revisited

I originally wrote this blog post two years ago, but when I recently saw this awsome video of a feather star, I got excited and desided to re-post it, with some very minor changes.

Feather stars are stunningly pretty, and are definitely one of the most gorgeous species of starfish there are. I spotted a marvelously beautiful feather star, diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. I had never seen one before.

Feather stars (like all starfish) are beautifully symmetrical in shape-round- and can grow to about 30cm, or about one foot in diameter. A feather star looks pretty much like a round circle of feathers, with its many, many delicate, feathery arms that sprout out from the central disk in the middle, that is the creature's body. Underneath their body they have grasping legs, kind of like fingers that the feather star uses to attach itself on corals and rocks. These“fingers” are called cirri.



I spotted this beautiful feather star while diving at Shark Point, near the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand.

Diving the Way Captain Nemo Used to do It

 Diving is a great sport, no question about it. A way to exercise as well as relax. Sometimes though, the sport of it can get a bit too… sporty. Exhausting. Sometimes you might want the beauty and the relaxation of underwater without of the carrying of gear, getting the wet suit on and then off again, ear squeeze. All the hassle that comes with this great activity of diving that we all love so much. Without even getting your hair wet. Or maybe I’m just getting old.

On Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands, it is possible. I’ve dived on the neighboring island of Tenerife a couple of times before (read all about it here  and here), so this time I went for something different underwater. Do read all the way to the end, I’m saving the best part for last. So read on!

Lanzarote is a volcanic island. The landscape is very barren.