Great White Adventures - The Ultimate Thrill, Right Here in California! Golden Gate Expeditions
Dive the Famous Spooky Channel! Bay Islands Beach Resort, Roatan, Honduras
Great White Adventures - The Ultimate Thrill, Right Here in California! Golden Gate Expeditions
Dive the Famous Spooky Channel! Bay Islands Beach Resort, Roatan, Honduras
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440 Divers Clean Avalon Harbor
On February 23, 440 divers collected 4,835 pounds of trash (75 pounds being hazardous waste) from the bottom of Avalon Harbor. The 22nd Annual Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup was declared to be a full success by the volunteer organizers.
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Ron Moore with his "Golden Flipper Award."
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Awards were presented for exemplary and unusual trash and finds. These awards included:
• Clothing Award — an Olympic sweatshirt awarded to Richard Franco.
• Most Valuable Award — a diamond and sapphire bracelet awarded to Melinda Rector.
• Bartender Award — bottle of merlot and a bottle of olives awarded to James Carter.
• Most Worthless — an 8 track tape awarded to Brian Reese.
• Catalina Gemstone Award — a bag of Catalina jade awarded to Patrick Scott.
• Household Award — a complete patio set awarded to Greg Meisel and Ty Montee.
• Kitchen Award — a pewter pitcher awarded to Bob Grundmeier.
• Newest Award — a CF number from 2001 awarded to David Garthwaite.
• Oldest Award — a vintage 1930s glass milk bottle awarded to Scott Kellerman.
Other types of trash and items recovered included a Rolex watch; a magnum of Dom Perignon still bubbling (and sprayed on the group at the awards ceremony); champagne glasses; a bicycle; four cell phones; a Kayak, a piston and rod from an engine; a large old boat anchor; a boat swim ladder; an old fashioned brass boat horn; a bucket; a skateboard and various assorted bottles (with no critters inside).
The much coveted Ken Kurtis B.S. Award was bestowed on Stacy Ann Johnson for her story about finding three pairs of Tom Turney’s shorts (Tom Turney is the current President of the Catalina Conservancy Divers, benefactor from proceeds of the event).
Special recognition awards were also given to those who have made major contributions to the cleanup effort. The Golden Flipper Award was presented to Ron Moore. The Jon Hardy Award tile was initiated for the first time and awarded to Tina Kennedy and Lorraine Sadler.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Catalina Conservancy Divers and the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber.
Catalina Express Opens 2nd Landing in Long Beach
Catalina Express announced that it is now open for operation from the Downtown Long Beach Catalina Landing. Located at 320 Golden Shore Boulevard, this landing site will supplement service currently being provided at the Catalina Express Terminal located next to the Queen Mary. Both terminals will be in operation.
The Catalina Landing has been closed since September 2000, when former operator, Catalina Cruises, ceased operation.
According to Greg Bombard, president of Catalina Express, “This second Long Beach terminal will enable us to better serve the island resident and visitors with ample space for parking. Currently, Catalina Express passengers park at The Queen Mary parking lot, which can fill up during the busy summer months and when special events such as the Cirque du Soleil are held.”
Long Beach terminals will offer high-speed catamaran service, as well as fast mono-hull boat service to Avalon, the island’s main town, in an hour or less. Catalina Express is working to renovate the Catalina Landing’s dock, terminal, ticketing and food service facilities. Also, the carrier’s two high-speed catamarans, Jet Cat Express and Starship Express have been retrofitted to sail under the Queensway Bay Bridge.
Catalina Express provides daily, year-round scheduled service to Catalina from Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point. Service to Two Harbors is also available from San Pedro. Founded in 1981, the company maintains a modern fleet of eight vessels ranging in capacity from 149 to 381 passengers. For reservations and information, call (800) 429-4601 or visit www.catalinaexpress.com.
