Hope you're having an enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend . . .

RECOVERY UNDERWAY IN GUAM - Guam is frequently on our radar since it's the major jumping off/transit point if you want to go to Yap, Palau, Truk (Chuuk), and other places in Micronesia. If Guam is shut down, there aren't many (if any) other options to get to those even smaller locales. So we were quite keen on tracking typhoon Mawar as it took aim at Guam earlier this week. The island was spared a direct hit by the eyewall - the strongest part of a hurricane or a typhoon - but not by much. It passed just a few miles north of the northern tip of the island but that still meant that winds up to 140mph battered Guam. There are no reports of any deaths but there's damage everywhere and the international airport is supposedly partially flooded - even though it's on higher ground - and open only to emergency supply and relief flights for the moment. The main flight each day is United #201 from Honolulu and it is canceled at least through Monday. (The United website shows it's flying on Tuesday but that could change.) Guam has a population of 150,000 people and its estimated that only 1,000 of those folks had power after the storm passed through. So there's a lot of work to do to open the island quickly as well as repair residual damage from Mawar. The typhoon is now skirting north of the Philippines and the path is curving slightly clockwise, which may mean it misses Taiwan but could strike southern Japan.

SCUBA SHOW IS THIS COMING WEEKEND - The Long Beach Convention Center will be the center of the west coast scuba world this coming Saturday and Sunday as Scuba Show 2023 comes to town. Attendees will get to see booths from many scuba gear manufacturers, some dive shops, and a lot of travel destinations. There will also be exhibits from organizations like Spotting Giant Sea Bass, Get Inspired, the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, L.A. Underwater Photographic Society, and more. Additionally, there will be seminars offered on various topics both days of the show. You can cover the entire show in a single day, but many people opt for both days so they can take their time and really explore what's being offered. (If you choose to go only for a single day, Sunday's usually a little less crowded than Saturday.) You can find out more and get questions answered at this website: www.scubashow.com .

WHALE SHARK AWARENESS - I've always been curious about what the awareness levels of animals is in relation to us. For some animals, like dogs and cats, it seems rather obvious. But what about fish? There are certainly times when the fish seem as curious as us as we are about them. And, having been diving at the Aquarium of the Pacific for 25 years, I can attest that some fish seem amazingly friendly and receptive to specific divers. We've certainly seen that in the wild, most amazingly in Palau where the resident Napoleon Wrasses at Blue Corner seem to know and even seek out specific dive guides. So it's not totally surprising to read about the experience of some marine biologists in western Australia who are studying Whale Sharks, and have found that when they try to take skin samples from the fish, the leviathans will actually slow down to make the task easier. It's almost like they know that the researchers are trying to help them and they're willing to co-operate. It could also be that the sharks have learned over time that when researchers scrape parasites off of them, much like cleaner fish do, it actually makes the fish more comfortable, so it could simply be that type of a reaction. Whatever the actual reason, it's interesting. And if you'd like to read more about it, you can do so here: WHALE SHARKS SLOW DOWN FOR RESEARCHERS.

BOOTIE ENDORSEMENT - Depending on how much you dive, it's not uncommon to wear out your booties (or your gloves) and need to replace them. I was in that situation recently. I've always liked booties with a thick sneaker-like sole which certainly (to me at least) makes walking around on a boat deck or through a parking lot at the beach or whatever more comfortable than wearing thinner-soled ones. So I'm putting in a plug for the XS Scuba Thug booties, as I just picked up a pair and dove with them the other day. What I really like about them - besides the aforementioned thicker sole - is that they're 8mm thick so they REALLY kept my feet warm, even diving in 60º water. They've got a clever little Velcro tab just below the top of the zipper which holds it in place and prevents the zipper from unzipping while you're diving. If you're in the market for dive booties, give these some thought.

RAINBOW NUDIBRANCH FOUND IN THE UK - It's a rare find but it could also be indicative of global warming. A woman tide-pooling in the United Kingdom noticed something unusual which turned out to be a rare rainbow nudibranch, only the fourth time one has been spotted in the UK. And that's the troubling side of this story because it should be found further south in warmer waters. You can read more about this and see a pix and video of the gorgeous creature here: RARE RAINBOW SEA SLUG.

And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!

- Ken