Houston's Premier Scuba and Dive Shop Oceanic Ventures Inc.

(713) 523-3483 (dive)
5808 Newcastle Drive
Houston, TX 77401

Video

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The Master Liveaboard BBQ Nothing but Fun!

If you watched the email or checked the calendar we has a really fun event. Mark and Alex, from Master Liveaboards, came into Houston for a visit and we all thought it would be fun to have a BBQ party in the backyard! And, that is exactly what we did.

The Menu for the evening included:

  • Indonesian Sambal Chicken,
  • Philippine BBQ Pork,
  • Sambal Tempe
  • fragrant rice,
  • grilled vegetables,
  • Green Beans steamed with with Thai chilies and lemon grass, and
  • Treebeard’s Butter Cake

Steve Jurbala, our own distiller, provided us with dome Boquerón Rum cocktails to go with the dinner menu.

Mark and Alex got the opportunity to tell some stories, talk about diving and invite people to go diving on one of their awesome dive vessels.

Want to see how the party went? Click on the video below…

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Photography Contest for Divers and Friends – 2016

photo contest titleWow!  We have had some website issues behind the scenes so we are very late in getting the Photography Contest rules uploaded onto the web.  However, they are here now as well as the 2014 and 2015 photo submissions.  So, hopefully you have been taking photos and are planning on submitting to the contest.  Call or email Eric or Ann if you have any questions.

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Fluorecense Scuba Diving

Music Set to Video of Night Diving

[From Kelly Drinnin at the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary] A marine biologist investigating fluorescence in corals took some intriguing night dive video at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. That video is now couple to a 23-minute music jam from a group called Animal Collective.

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What Is Coral?

Coral Structures
Coral Structures
Copyright Eric V. Keibler

This morning I was reading the NOAA Educational Newsletter and Kelly Drinnen, the coordinator for the Flower Gardens National Marine Sactuary and she had an interesting article on just what is coral. In it she writes “Steve Palumbi of Stanford University gives it his best shot with this great 3-minute Microdoc in which he explains that corals are, among other things, tiny animals that make skeletons big enough to be seen from outer space. We love this; it makes the underwater world a bit easier to understand, which we think is essential for conservation.” In the video, Dr. Palumbi explains coral and a coral reef using a coffee cup, a glass and a plumaria flower. He also cuts back to underwater scenes to demonstrate his points.  I have to admit is is a very effective way to explain the nature of this small animal. You should watch it…it is only about 3 minutes long.

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Spring Break Scuba Diving Group Returns

Ann, Steve and Nigel just returned from a Spring Break week in Utila, Honduras and they cannot stop talking about it. The group had such a good time that they all want to go back! While a norther blew in and tried to dampen their spirits, they did not miss a dive and spent days basking in the sunshine and enjoying the lush tropical island that Laguna Beach promises. There were a number of photographers along, including Ann, Karen, Steve and Nigel. They all tell me they got some incredible photographs.
Ann put together a quick video for the trip. You can watch it here or  jump over to the OceanicVentures channel on You Tube.

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In the Company of Big Animals

I want to introduce you to Amos Nachoum, a self-proclaimed Ambassador of the Big Animals. He is an award winning photographer who has publised photographs in magazines around the world including National Geographic. In a presentation Amos made top the Explorer’s Club in New York City, he said “to live up to that ambassador role I’ll be in the city, presenting my best stories and information about some of the most fragile regions of the underwater world. I’ll be showing and discussing photographs from my expeditions around the world and will probably include a few “classics” from the hundreds of my images that have appeared in National Geographic, Time, Life, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Le Figaro, and Der Spiegel. You can also see more of my images on my website, plus news about my latest expeditions. It’s all part of spreading my message that only through observation and interaction with these animals can people understand and respect some of the most impressive citizens of our planet. In a few words, “you have to go there and experience this firsthand.” Amos recorded a presentation for Google entitled “In the Company of Big Animals.” You will hear Amos and he talks about his expeditions and shos his photographs. Sit back, pour yourself a cocktail and be prepared to be wowed…