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    <title>Poseidon Cruises News</title>
    <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news</link>
    <description>Latest tourism news for Port Douglas and surrounding areas direct from the industry.</description>
    <copyright>Copyright 2008 Travstar.com Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.</copyright>    
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        <title>Management system implemented by the Great Barrier Reef Mari</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#3956</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        ONE of the world's leading experts on coral reef conservation has described the Agincourt system off Port Douglas on the Great Barrier Reef as the best reef he has ever seen. 
Dr Rod Salm, director of Transforming Coral Reef Conservation, visited Agincourt last week and said it had bounced back remarkably since his last visit nearly 40 years ago.
As a conservation scientist, my focus is discovering aspects that demonstrate resilience to climate change and I found a great deal of evidence that the coral at Agincourt are in a very positive state, Dr Salm said.
In fact, the corals from the top of the reef down to a depth of five metres were as healthy and vibrant as Ive seen anywhere with good colour, no disease and active growth.
Dr Salm, who was in Port Douglas last week for a major meeting on coral reef conservation, said the last time he saw Agincourt it had been damaged by Crown of Thorns starfish.
In 1973, I worked with a group studying the COTS phenomenon, he said.
My strong memories of Agincourt during that trip were a great deal of dead corals in the wake of the starfish plague.
It is hard to say why the reef is so healthy based on a quick visit of the mass tourism kind, but two things were very clear. 
The water quality seemed very good and there were good quantities of herbivores, like parrotfishes and surgeon fishes, that were browsing and scraping away the bare rock surfaces, keeping down the algae (which compete with corals) and conditioning the substrate for coral settlement.
Dr Salm said the management system implemented by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority was working well.
The GBR is very well managed compared to most other places, but I do understand from informed colleagues that the inshore reefs are really suffering badly from agricultural run-off., he said.
The Agincourt reef is a clear indication that no take or green zones work to protect reef fishes.
We saw an impressive number of fishes, particularly those that are normally rare because they are fished out, like the red or bohar snapper, parrotfishes and groupers.
Dr Salm said the Quicksilver pontoon was an impressive demonstration of mass tourism.
I have seen mass tourism but none anywhere near the quantity at Agincourt managed by Quicksilver, he said.
I thought the Quicksilver management of the people they took out and the whole concept of the platform was really an effective way to manage the many people wanting to get out there and focus the effort on one area.         ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Tuesday, August 31 2010</pubDate>
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        <title>Poseidon Adventure - Dwarf Minke Whale Experience!</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#3696</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        Saturday June 12th was a great day to be out in the Agincourt Reefs, with multiple sightings of Minke Whales on board POSEIDON.&amp;nbsp; The first encounterwas with a solitary whale while at the dive site on Light Reef, and most of the passengers were able to enjoy an in-water experience with the curiousanimal while it circled the snorkellers close up, enabling Poseidon's photographer to obtain several great shots. See image below.
When Poseidon reluctantly left the whale and moved on to the next site, passengers and crew were rewarded by having three more whales circle theboat during lunch, resulting in great top-side photo opportunities.
Poseidon is one of only 3 day boats permitted to conduct in-water snorkelling with Dwarf Minke Whales, and now that they have &quot;arrived&quot; at theAgincourt Reefs, many more encounters can be expected.        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Wednesday, June 16 2010</pubDate>
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        <title>Brutus meets Poseidon</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#3425</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        To welcome her first day back after annual refit. Poseidon was met on arrival at the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs by a rare sighting of a whale in February! 
Onboard Marine biologist Herald Pinns identified this large whale as a Bryde's Whales, commonly known as Brutus Whale. 
The Bryde's Whale prefer tropical and temperate waters over the polar seas that other whales in their family frequent. 
They are largely coastal rather than pelagic. Bryde's Whales are very similar in appearance to Sei Whales and almost as large. &quot;Bryde's whale&quot; is sometimes misheard as &quot;brutus whale&quot;. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. 
Bryde's whales are considered medium-sized for balaenopterids, dark gray in colour with a white underbelly and grows to 11-12 meters in length with its very small dorsal fin far down its back. 
All the guests on Poseidon vessel were delighted at the unexpected encounter on a perfect calm sunny day. Photo taken by Trent, a happy guest onboard.        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Tuesday, February 16 2010</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title>Three Generations of Divers</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#2848</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        I dont know too many people that want to go diving with their boss, but at Poseidon Outer Reef Cruises in Port Douglas the crew are always looking for an excuse to take a Sunday off and go out on a play day. Sundays are the day that Poseidon owner Peter Wright heads out on his weekly dives. Why are the crew so keen to go? Well, Pete has a bit of influence, so when hes on board there is always the possibility of a few exploration dives, drift dives and the chance to visit diving sites less frequented by other divers.
Peter Wright started diving way back in 1958 in Mombasa, inspired by diving legend Hans Hass and was certified in 1988 as a PADI Divemaster. For over 28 years, Pete has owned diving charter vessels in Far North Queensland including the liveaboard 'Scheherazade' from 1981 to 1994, which ran extended dive trips to the Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea, many of them exploratory. For the last 15 years it has been on the daily Agincourt Reef charter boat Poseidon running out of Port Douglas. Pete has built a reputation within the local community of offering reef trips at exceptional standard for visitors to the Great Barrier Reef.
With over 45 different dive sites to choose from, both snorkelers and divers are catered for and for those visitors who just cant get enough of the Reef - theres a huge variety of dive sites on offer.Poseidon is a true family business. Petes eldest daughter Shelly is a formidable freediver and regularly joins the diving group above the water for adventure drift snorkelling along the outer reef walls. Shellys husband, Neilo is a PADI Instructor and commercial diver and has spent years skippering at the helm of Poseidon.
On some of those early liveaboard trips while on working holidays - Petes youngest daughter Katrina learnt to dive as a teenager and now with husband Steve, owns and operates sailing vessels, Sailaway and Shaolin. Both vessels visit the World Heritage Listed Low Isles (a coral cay) on daily snorkelling and sailing charters. Diving, snorkelling and sailing are in the blood!
But on July 11th, 2009 the third generation of the Poseidon family earned their stripes. Petes grandson David Munro, (Shelly and Neils eldest son) at age 13 went through his paces with Poseidon Master Instructor, Heidi Taylor and completed his PADI Junior Open Water certification. David grew up spending many Sundays on the boat with the family, snorkelling and freediving and learning about the Reef.
The day after David achieved his certification happened to be a Sunday - so the first dive of the day saw three generations of the Poseidon family jump in together to do a drift dive at Agincourt Reef.
How many people can say they go diving with their dad and grandpa at some of the best dive locations in the world!        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Tuesday, September 01 2009</pubDate>
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        <title>Dwarf Minke Whale sighting</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#2547</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        Dwarf Minke Whales are back Monday 1st June, Poseidon had the first definite sightings of the year yesterday whilst at the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs!&amp;nbsp; Poseidon has 1 of only 3 day permits to swim with Dwarf Minke Whales, we expect regular sightings and interaction from now on...Guests on board Poseidon had an experience of a life time when&amp;nbsp; they were visited by two adult Dwarf Minke Whales. The amazing encounter happened around 2pm on the last site of the day at Agincourt Reef. The whales were first spotted on the surface by the Skipper David Miller, while all snorkellers and divers were in the water. After the initial rush of excitement the crew assisted to assemble the guests to have a turn on the float line.&amp;nbsp;Poseidon holds one of only three permits issued to day boats by the marine park managers, GBRMPA, allowing passengers to deliberately swim with these curious and friendly whales that grow to 8 meters in length. This interaction is a world's first, and relies upon the operator following very strict guidelines to avoid disturbing these beautiful animals. 
Swimmers in groups of ten are sent out along a floating line once whales have been seen near the boat. By following this passive approach, the whales invariably swim close to the swimmers to satisfy their own curiosity, often staying close by for over an hour until the boat finally has to move on.
These two incredible creatures stayed in the area for sometime, passing within 2 meters of the swimmers where various forms of behaviour were witnessed include bubble blowing through their blowholes and repeatedly presenting their white belly's by rolling onto their sides. Belly presentation is a bold way of signifying the animals willingness to mate. Who the lucky chosen person was we will never know!&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Then quite an incredible display of curiosity happened. One of the Whales came up vertically from below, surfaced in amongst the group of snorkellers and did what technically is called a Spy Hop i.e. Pointing its head well out of the water. It turned 360 degrees and everyone got the feeling it was looking them straight in the eye. Passengers were all ecstatic! It spy hopped on several more occasions during this encounter and surfaced frequently in amongst the snorkellers and right next to the boat. The whales were being quite friendly with the mooring line by rubbing their bodies up and down the ropes and pirouetting around the mooring. Passengers still on deck and swimmers in the water all had a chance to watch in awe. Swimmers came out of the water &quot;over the moon&quot; and completely spell bound by the experience, reducing some to tears over the encounter. 
Even though it was an overcast day, the clarity of the water was spectacular with over 25 - 30 meters visibility which enabled our onboard photographer to capture these images. Although the winter months can be windy this is more than compensated by the clear water and chance of actually swimming with these amazing Minke Whales, helping Poseidon contribute to the collection of data that is so important to ensure their long term protection.
These encounters, whilst never guaranteed, are frequent during our winter months, and many whales are also sighted while the vessel is travelling. From early July, until late September, the much larger Hump Back whales are also encountered often giving breathtaking displays of breaching, tail waving and pectoral fin slaps.
Poseidon has an excellent photography service onboard for snorkellers or divers including rental of digital cameras with underwater housings, and CD 's or prints to take home. Photographs are the ideal way of remembering your day and this is available to guests by Oak Beach Productions providing excellent quality images of the day.        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Tuesday, June 02 2009</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title>WHALES! WHALES! WHALES!</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#1244</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        What a wonderful time of year to be visiting Port Douglas! Visitors to our region are being thrilled with amazing encounters with these fabulous creatures.&amp;nbsp; Passengers on board Poseidon are still having daily sightings of both the Dwarf Minke Whales and the Humpback Whales. 

The Minke's are still here and visiting the boats during stationary time at the mooring sites.&amp;nbsp; Passengers are having the opportunity to jump in and swim with the Minke's, having close up, personal encounters.&amp;nbsp; The Minke's will stay around this region until the end of September.
Meanwhile, for those who don't even get into the water, the vessel is meeting up with pods of Humpback Whales on the journey to and from Agincourt Reefs.&amp;nbsp;Often stopping to watch pods of up to 5 whales at a time.&amp;nbsp; Recently a mother and calf where spotted with the umbilical cord still attached.&amp;nbsp; The whales obviously enjoy these encounters as they display playful acts of tail slapping and breaching.
We have attached some amazing photo's taken by Oak Beach Productions onboard Poseidon, of the most recent sightings over the last few days.
If you have not been to the reef, now is the time to get out there and see these animals while the weather is great with clear water and lots of marine activity.
Inspire the Experience!
From the Team at Poseidon        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Friday, August 08 2008</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title>Regional News!</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#987</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        Just a quick note to let you know this Wednesday evening Sailaway Sunset Sailing is already sold out however we now have another scheduled sailing this FRIDAY 6th JUNE.
Poseidon and Sailaway are off to a great start early in the season. Thanks again for your continued support and spreading the word on the quality and consistency of our premium reef experiences. Poseidon with 1 of only 3 day boat permits had the highest number of Minke Whale sightings last season so it's great these amazing creatures have started to join us again. Poseidon has further increased the number of it's very experienced and professional crew creating even more possibilities for superb, world class diving at Agincourt Ribbon Reefs. Poseidon is the only outer reef vessel with it's own dedicated dive tender in addition to the rescue tender, perfect for the experienced adventure certified diver, necessary to explore more drift and wall dives.&amp;nbsp; Well travelled Snorkellers of all experience continue to give rave reviews of the personal Poseidon guided snorkel tours with qualified marine biologists. As from July Sailaway start their additional Sunset Sailing EVERY FRIDAY as well as EVERY WEDNESDAY. Shaolin is back on the run to Low Isles, looking great and going well after loving maintenance. Please make a note in your diary for the Shaolin TV feature on Queensland Weekender, scheduled for Saturday 28th June Channel 7 at 5.30pm.        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Wednesday, June 04 2008</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title>Queen Victoria visits Port Douglas</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#609</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        the magnificent Cunard Cruise ship the Queen Victoria is on her 106 day maiden voyage around the world, making her 1st stop in Port Douglas this Friday the 29th February 08

Poseidon &amp; Sailaway will be doing a QV passing on her anchorage near Low Isles as well as our regular great day out to the best part of our GBR.

Latest weather forecast looking good!        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Wednesday, February 27 2008</pubDate>
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        <title>POSEIDON IS BACK!</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#587</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        After a successful refit and annual repaint we are extremely pleased to advise Poseidon is looking great and is back in the water and ready for action!
 
First day of operation will be Sunday 10th February 2008 and we are now taking bookings for Sunday onwards.
 
Remember, you are most welcome to come and enjoy a day at the reef with us, so please call at any time if you wish to book        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Thursday, February 07 2008</pubDate>
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        <title>Febuary Maintenance</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#559</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        Poseidon will stop for antifouling and maintenance on Monday 28th January, and will recommence operations on Sunday, 10th February.
        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Thursday, January 31 2008</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title>Poseidon is back!</title>
        <link>http://www.portdouglasinfo.com//portdouglas-tours/Scuba Dive/563/news#274</link>
        <description><![CDATA[
        Poseidon is back in full operation and normal schedule as from Sunday 4th November after a technical issue has been resolved. Thanks for your patience and support. The weather is great at the reef, full of marine life. Poseidon will provide you  the best service and experience as always, from our dedicated team.
        ]]></description>
        <pubDate>Wednesday, November 07 2007</pubDate>
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