January / March 2009
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Merry Christmas!!! 
Dear all Divers Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy 2009! Thanks for all of your support! We hope to see you back in Palau very soon! In the mean time, Safe Diving! NECO MARINE |
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New Staff 
A big welcome to Valentin, who has just joined our Neco Marine team! Valentin is our new instructor and cant wait to dive the warm waters of Palau. They will make a nice change to the cold Mediterranean where he has been working in Cyprus for the last two years. |
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POSITION AVAILABLE |
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Office position available. Aswell as maintaining the web site, you'll also answer all email enquiries and do the purchasing for the Neco Marine dive shop. Sound like something you fancy doing? If so, send your CV to info@necomarine.com. Applicants must have web design experience. Experience in the dive industry, hotel industry or retail will be beneficial, but is not essential. |
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DIVING NEWS |
We have had the privilege of seeing an enormous bait ball.Over the last 2 weeks it has diminished from approximately 40,000 fish, to closer to 1,000! This is due to the consistent feeding action from the jacks and the grey reef sharks, who seem to work together in hunting these fish.These small bait fish are constantly hounded day and night by predators, causing them to all move as one. Its nature in its purest form and fascinating to see! 
We have also had several early visits from the manta rays this year. Hopefully that means we will have the pleasure of seeing them around for even longer this year! |
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Critter Corner: Giant Moray Eel 
These eels are generally yellowish to reddish brown, with black specks all over the body, becoming larger at the head. The gill opening can be identified easily as it is coloured black. They can grow as long as 240cm (7.8feet) and weigh between 35 – 70kg (77 – 154lb) 
Giant Morays are solitary creatures and amongst the most common ell found in reef holes on lagoons and outer reefs in depths ranging from 1m – 46m. Divers often encounter these eels, and must be aware of the dangers these creatures pose. Morays breath by opening their mouths to take in water to filter through the gills. This opening and closing mouth action is often mis-read by divers as an act of aggression on the part of the eel. However, a moray eel bite can be pretty severe. Once the jaws lock, the animal is unlikely to detach without breaking its teeth or tearing the victims flesh. To loosen the grip, the moray must be distracted, given something more desirable to bite than the diver, or rendered unconscious. If the eel cannot be coerced into letting go, sometimes the only option is to go to the surface with the eel to decapitate it.They tend to be more active at night, feeding on fishes and occasionally crustaceans. They are generally found in the Red Sea, East Africa to Hawaii and in the Southeast Pacific, North to SW Japan. |
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Did you know... Because the architecture and chemistry of coral is so similar to human bone, coral has been used to replace bone grafts in helping human bone to heal quickly and cleanly. |
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photos by Mandy Etpison, Bert Yates, Kevin Davidson, Bhoyet Etpison
designed by The Design Company Palau