Want to help save the Great Barrier Reef? Become an ecotourist
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During my scuba adventure through the Ribbon Reefs aboard the Spirit of Freedom dive boat, our group transformed into part-time marine scientists. Armed with underwater slates and pencils, we conducted rapid monitoring surveys, recording everything from fish species to coral impacts to promising new coral growth.
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Even getting scuba certified has regenerative benefits. When I upgraded my diving credentials with Diver's Den, a PADI Eco Center that operates our dive boat, a portion of my course fees supported PADI AWARE. This global conservation non-profit partners with the UN's Green Fins Program to minimize tourism's footprint on fragile ecosystems like coral reefs.
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The impact of visitor participation can be profound. Data collected through the Dive Against Debris citizen scientist program led Vanuatu to become the first country to ban single-use plastics. Thanks to similar community-collected evidence from Sydney Harbour, all Australian states and territories have enacted plastics policy changes.
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Beyond its five-star comforts, the island houses the renowned Lizard Island Research Station, which provides crucial scientific data for reef management. Resort guests can tour the facility, peer into aquariums meticulously maintained to mirror natural conditions, and have the opportunity to talk with passionate researchers whose work is making a difference.
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'Just because the reef is in trouble doesn't mean it's not a wonderful place to visit. We have the data, and we know what the solution is. We as a society need to do our part to remove those pressures. We need action on an individual level and at the government level for policy setting,' notes Howells.
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My revelation came during my night dive when dozens of sharks glided past me with supreme indifference. These weren't the mindless killers of movie fame but graceful predators with zero interest in adding me to their menu.
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People protect what they connect with. Lock eyes with a curious Maori wrasse, witness coral spawning under moonlight or share a wave with a sea turtle, and suddenly, abstract conservation concerns feel personal.
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Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Vancouver Sun
Do airlines owe you compensation for turbulence-induced damages? Here's what we found out
This month, two passengers who claimed there should be no upper limit on the amount of compensation Air Canada owes to injured passengers lost their case in an Australian court. The case stems from a July 2019 Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Sydney, Australia. The Canadian Press reported at the time that the flight hit severe turbulence and was forced to divert to Hawaii. Thirty people were sent to hospital, nine in serious condition, some suffering lacerations and injuries to their head, back and neck, emergency first responders in Hawaii said. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Mother and daughter Renae and Stephanie Evans claimed they suffered spinal and psychological injuries during the flight. They also claimed that Air Canada, in its general rules, waived an upper limit set by an international treaty called the Montreal Convention. The New South Wales Supreme Court initially ruled in favour of the passengers, a decision which was overturned by that state's Court of Appeal. The High Court then unanimously dismissed the passengers' case. The Montreal Convention (or more formally the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air) is an international treaty that was drawn up in 1999 and came into force in 2003. It sets limits for airline liabilities for everything from lost luggage to loss of life. In the case of the latter, it said airlines were liable for up to 100,000 SDR for the bodily injury or death of a passenger. SDR or 'special drawing rights' is an economic unit that can be translated into any local currency; 100,000 SDR is worth about $192,000 Canadian. The amount is examined and may be revised every five years. As of 2024 it stands at 151,880 SDR, equivalent to $277,940 Canadian. The plaintiffs had argued that Air Canada's terms and conditions included the phrase: 'There are no financial limits in respect of death or bodily injury of passengers,' suggesting that the airline was opting out of the limit set by the Montreal Convention. However, Lawson Hennick, founding lawyer at Hennick Law in Markham, Ont., told National Post that on closer reading of the airline's regulations and the lawsuit, the high court's decision makes sense. 'Article 25 of the Montreal Convention expressly permits carriers to agree to higher or unlimited liability,' he said. 'The court acknowledged this, noting that a carrier can raise or even eliminate the threshold at which the no-negligence defence applies.' However, 'the court rejected this position, finding that Air Canada had not clearly waived its right to rely on the no-negligence defence.' Specifically, language in the Montreal Convention note that its liability rules 'supersede and prevail over any provisions of this tariff which may be inconsistent.' Meanwhile, Air Canada's own international tariff rules note that, 'except as otherwise provided herein,' the airline 'reserves all defences available.' Said Hennick: 'In the result, the passengers were unsuccessful in establishing that the carrier had waived the Article 21(2) defence for claims exceeding the maximum liability set out in the Montreal Convention.' Hennick noted that the Montreal Convention, aside from its cap on liabilities, is very open-ended when it comes to injury or loss of life while flying. 'The Montreal Convention says the carrier is liable for damages sustained in the case of death or bodily injury of a passenger upon condition only that the accident which caused the death or injury took place on board the aircraft or in the course of any of the operations of embarking or disembarking,' he said. 'So if you're injured by turbulence, that's considered onboard the aircraft, right? So I would say that would be something that could be compensable.' He added that passengers can sue beyond the limit, 'but if you want to claim it under the Montreal Convention, the benefit of that is all you have to do is prove your injuries.' 'As soon as you start claiming amounts above and beyond that, then they can start putting in defences for negligence. They can start alleging, well, the injury wasn't caused by us, it was caused by a third party, or could have been a result of pre-existing issues, or something other than that. But if you're going to be pursuing the limits under the Montreal Convention, it's a strict liability regime. You just have to show that you're injured on board the aircraft, prove the value of your injuries, and then they'll have to pay it.' One downside, he noted, is that the convention only mentions physical injuries. 'So if it's a purely psychological claim or psychiatric trauma, and you're not physically hurt … you may not be able to recover anything out of the Montreal Convention.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Alaska man survives being pinned for hours underneath 700-pound boulder
An Alaska man who was pinned facedown in an icy creek by a 700-pound boulder for three hours survived the ordeal with only minor injuries. Kell Morris, 61, said he is one of the luckiest men alive, thanks in part to his wife's quick thinking and lots of luck. 'And luckier that I have such a great wife,' Morris told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Morris' wife held his head above water to prevent him from drowning while waiting for rescuers to arrive after Morris was pinned by the boulder, which crashed onto him during a hike near a remote glacier south of Anchorage. The couple decided to hike on the remote trail to avoid the crowd of tourists that visit the Kenai Peninsula during Memorial Day weekend. This June 4, 2023, photo shows Kell Morris, left, and his wife Jo Roop, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Kell Morris via AP He said his second stroke of luck came when a sled dog tourism company that operates on the glacier overheard the 911 dispatch and offered to send its helicopter to the scene where Morris was trapped, which was inaccessible to all-terrain vehicles. Story continues below advertisement It took seven men and inflatable airbags to lift the boulder off Morris as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Morris' wife, Jo Roop, a retired Alaska State Trooper, said they moved to Seward from Idaho last fall when she took a job with the local police department. The couple decided to hike near Godwin Glacier on an isolated and undeveloped trail behind a state prison. The trail had a rocky creek bed lined with large boulders deposited by the glacier. Morris said he noticed dangerous boulders along the banks of the creek and tried to avoid them, until he ran into an area he couldn't pass. That's when a 700-pound boulder came tumbling down and pinned him in the creek, similar to the James Franco biographical film, 127 Hours, where a mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone in Utah. 'I was coming back and everything, the whole side slid out from under me,' Morris said, noting that that's when he felt the boulder hit his back. Seward Fire Chief Clinton Crites described it as 'basically an avalanche of boulders.' 0:45 Australian woman stuck upside down between 2 boulders for 7 hours after dropping phone When Morris landed, there were rocks under him, in between his legs and around him that caught the weight of the boulder, preventing him from being crushed, according to Crites. But the one massive rock still had him pinned and Morris felt pain in his left leg and said he was waiting for his femur to snap. Story continues below advertisement 'When it first happened, I was doubtful that there was going to be a good outcome,' Morris said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Roop tried to free him for about 30 minutes by putting rocks under the boulder and trying to roll it off him before she left him to go and find a phone signal to call for help. She walked nearly 300 metres to connect with 911 and used her law enforcement experience to send the exact GPS co-ordinates to dispatch to help save her husband. After the Bear Creek Fire Department heard the call, it diverted the helicopter and firefighters jumped out to help move the boulder. By the time the firefighters arrived, Morris was hypothermic from the cold water running off the glacier, Crites said. 'I think if we hadn't had that private helicopter assist us, it would have taken us at least another 45 minutes to get to him, and I'm not sure he had that much time,' Crites said. The firefighters used ropes, 'brute force' and two airbags that are normally used to extract people from wrecked vehicles to slightly lift the boulder. 'But then it just became an all-hands brute force of 'one, two, three, push,'' Crites shared. 'And seven guys were able to lift it enough to pull the victim out.' Story continues below advertisement 'Once out of the water, the crew re-warmed the patient, and he became more alert, and his vitals improved. It was determined there was not an effective and safe manner to bring the patient down the canyon,' according to the Seward Fire Department. 'The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center through the Alaska State Troopers was contacted for assistance. The AKRCC dispatched the 176th Wing Air National Guard Pararescue Jumpers to hoist the patient out of the canyon and transfer him to the awaiting ambulance.' An Alaska National Guard helicopter lifted them out of the creek bed with a rescue blanket and Morris spent two nights at Seward Providence Hospital for observation before walking away unscathed. 1:50 Dog rescued after being trapped under boulder 'I fully anticipated a body recovery, not him walking away without a scratch on him,' Crites said. Story continues below advertisement 'I was very lucky. God was looking out for me,' Morris said. The Seward Fire Department said there is 'no doubt that without the help from Seward Helicopter tours this incident could have had a much different and potentially fatal outcome.' 'It is community members and businesses that we work so well with that make our jobs easier and more productive. We send a huge thanks to Seward Helicopter Tours, Pilot Neo Martinson & Sam Paperman, Seward Fire and Bear Creek Fire responders, AK State Troopers, AKRCC, the 176th Air Wing, and SVAC for making this a successful rescue,' the fire department added in its news release. Morris said that when he goes hiking with his wife this weekend, they will stick to authorized trails. 'We're going to stop the trailblazing,' he said. Story continues below advertisement A similar situation took place in December 2023, when a hiker became trapped under a large boulder in the Inyo Mountains in California, located between Sequoia and Death Valley national parks. Inyo County Search & Rescue, a volunteer organization that works in tandem with the Inyo County Sheriff's Office, said it was alerted about the trapped hiker on the afternoon of Dec. 5. The team 'arrived at the hiker's location well after dark,' and found the hiker 'in great pain with his left leg pinned beneath a large boulder on a steep hillside,' according to a Facebook post. View image in full screen After a hiker became trapped under a large boulder in the Inyo Mountains, rescuers worked through the night to free him. Inyo County Search & Rescue Rescuers estimated that the boulder weighed somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds. With 'limited resources' to lift the heavy boulder, rescuers fashioned a system of ropes and pulleys and used leverage to shift the rock enough to free the trapped hiker. Story continues below advertisement The hiker suffered serious injuries. — With files from Global News and The Associated Press
Vancouver Sun
22-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Helpful hacks for flying with snowboards, bikes and other sports gear
Jay Clue coughed up a $280 overweight-bag fee because of a single mistake that he will never make again. As a globe-trotting photographer and diving instructor, Clue finds himself on the road often. In 2024, he logged more than 160,000 air miles. His pre-flight packing routine has become almost second nature: carefully 'Tetris-ing' camera and scuba equipment into two checked suitcases and a carry-on. His one misstep? Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I forgot that my diving wet suit was still damp, along with some other items in my kit,' Clue said. 'Those few pounds made all the difference.' Because his carry-on and second checked bag were filled to the brim, he wasn't able to move any items to decrease the weight. 'I learned the hard way to blow-dry your scuba gear if it doesn't dry outside,' he said. Sound Intel, now that I'm a newly certified diver. In January, I earned my PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Open Water credentials. While I plan to acquire gear of my own soon, the idea of packing it all, frankly, scares me. I interviewed Clue and other outdoorsy travellers about how they best optimize flying with their gear, whether it's ski boots or mountain bikes. Although it might be counterintuitive, said travel writer Gunnar Olson, you can sometimes save by having more luggage. 'Two checked bags, with the weight equally distributed, can often be cheaper than one overweight bag,' said Olson, a winter sports fanatic and a host of 'The Thrifty Traveler Podcast.' It pays to do the math and dig into the airline's policies before booking a flight. Many airlines also consider a ski bag and a boot bag to be a single checked item. Olson recommended having the rules available on your phone at the airline counter. 'That way, if you get an agent unfamiliar with the policy, you can show them,' he said. Choose the right suitcase for your gear from the get-go, said Alisha McDarris, co-founder of Terradrift, an online source for outdoor adventure tips and gear reviews. For bikes and other fragile items, you can fly with hard- or soft-sided gear bags. Hard-sided bags are more protective but are generally heavier. 'If purchasing a dedicated case, pay attention to how much it weighs, especially in combination with your bike,' said McDarris, an avid mountain biker. 'You can pack heavy assembly tools in a separate bag, like your carry-on, in case those extra pounds are what put you over the airline's limit.' Most major carriers treat bike dimensions differently than traditional luggage, usually working in travellers' favour. However, if a bike is heavier than 50 pounds, expect a fee, just as you would with a checked bag. Don't forget to snap a few reference photos before zipping everything up, Clue said. 'I have so much gear that I kind of like to know how it was all oriented when I unpack,' he said. Don't want to pay for a checked bag? Those who hold elite status, carry co-branded credit cards, travel in premium cabins or are active-duty military members are typically off the hook. However, overweight- and oversized-bag fees still apply. Several airlines, including Turkish Airlines and Air Tahiti, allow travellers to bring scuba equipment free or at a discount (with restrictions). If there's no way to avoid checked-bag fees, try to purchase your allowance in advance. Some airlines provide a small discount for prepaid bags at least 24 hours before departure. By prepping in advance, you might even realize it makes sense to procure more luggage. 'Get your gear set up days before leaving, and weigh it at home,' Clue said. 'Besides paying for your checked bag, if you notice you're going to be way over the weight limit, maybe even buy another suitcase.' Consider suitcases that don't scream, 'There's expensive gear in here!' Some softer-sided rollerboards are protective and can still shield what's inside without looking like true gear bags. 'I try to go with suitcases like the Pelican Aegis duffel, where I can be somewhat incognito in the airport, so people don't know I have thousands of dollars' [worth] of stuff,' Clue said. This can be helpful when you get to your destination, too. 'If I'm walking around a new city, I want to be as low-profile as possible,' he said. Check whether your insurance policy can cover lost or damaged belongings. Sport-specific policies, such as dive insurance or ski insurance, often include the cost of rentals if an airline loses your gear. Even general travel policies cover lost or damaged equipment as part of your baggage and personal effects. Sometimes protecting your precious gear is just as important as protecting yourself.
