They had been married for exactly 11 days and the husband already wanted to kill his wife? When they say everything happens faster nowadays, they are not kidding.

Yesterday, four and a half years after the Gabe and Gina Watson incident, a warrant was issued for Gabe. Australia has asked for his extradition from the US to stand trial for killing his young wife while diving in an apparent attempt to secure her life insurance payout, The Guardian reports.

The US newlyweds were on their honeymoon. Gabe Watson, an experienced rescue diver, was exploring a submerged wreck with his wife when she died. It was her first big diving trip, after she had been persuaded by her husband to explore the deep, turquoise waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

One witness said the couple appeared to be locked in an unnatural embrace at a depth of about 50ft before they separated, with Watson heading to the surface while his wife sank to the ocean floor. A leader of the dive spotted the stricken woman and brought her to the surface, but she could not be revived.

Gabe, however, severely underestimated the prevalence of underwater cameras these days. A couple people in their group just happened to take some revealing pictures (and videos) of the scene...

One for the scrapbook.

Travel health and the emerging specialty of "wilderness medicine" have obvious overlap. Dr. Paul Auerbach is one of the leaders in wilderness medicine: helping found the Wilderness Medical Society, co-author of A Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine and numerous journal articles and serving as faculty to the Stanford Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine.

His blog, Medicine for the Outdoors, is celebrating the two year anniversary. For those who haven't yet had a chance to visit, it is filled with practical information and advice for those exploring their environment and wanting to come back from the experience in good health. Travel and expedition medicine is the focus of my career and I find myself citing Dr. Auerbach's work and information, in my work. He is one of the pioneering physicians who helped elevate this field of medicine to a new and unique specialty.

A visit to his blog will allow the reader to learn about things from jellyfish stings and dislocated shoulders on the trail to malaria medications and outdoor recreation. This is truly an opportunity to read, first hand, the information from a leader in wilderness and expedition medicine. I highly recommend a visit to his blog, if you get a chance. Oh, and don't forget to congratulate him on his two-years of dispensing great advice!

I think I just figured out where I want to be buried when I die. Check out this underwater cemetery, which opened last fall about about 3 miles off the coast of Key Biscayne.

The Neptune Memorial Reef was built as the "perfect final resting spot for those who loved the sea", AP reports. Its creators hope that one day the reef will cover 16 acres and have room for 125,000 remains. The artificial reef's first phase allows for about 850 remains.

In March, the remains of 93-year-old diver Bert Kilbride - who called himself "The Last Pirate of the Caribbean" - were placed atop a column of the reef's main gate, because of his contributions to the sea. Kilbride was named the oldest living scuba diver in this year's Guinness Book of World Records.

I have to tell my Mom about this guy. She might appreciate that he made it to the age of 93, being a diver and all. A fortune-teller once told her that "danger awaits me in the water." Ever since then, she expects I'll get eaten by a shark every time I dive. How cool would it be to get eaten by a shark after you are already dead a buried? I can't wait to tell my Mom about it. Tomorrow. I don't think she would appreciate the sentiment on Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day!

[via ABC News]

If you are in the midst of planning a beach vacation, this is bad timing. I was just about to tell you about the World's Most Dangerous Beaches, as compiled by Forbes.

In 2006 alone, American households apparently took nearly 55 million trips to the beach. Most of those trips were totally safe and pleasant. The rest of them....not so much.

Here are the World's Most Dangerous Beaches by Forbes:

• Shark Attacks/Bites: New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Fla., Runner Up: Hawaii
• Pollution: Hacks Point Beach, Kent County, Md./Beachwood Beach West, Ocean County, N.J.
• Jellyfish Attacks: Northern Australia
• Rip Current Drowning: Brevard County, Fla., Runner Up: Volusia County, Fla.
• Boating Accidents: Florida, Runner Up: California
• Lightning: Florida, Runner up: Colorado

Umm, Colorado? They have beaches in Colorado?

P.S. Is it just me or is this list a little US-centric?

The Great White Shark attack off the coast of San Diego yesterday (and Mark Shaw's insightful comments about it) got me thinking about wetsuits. Doesn't it seem that most shark attacks happen because sharks confuse swimmers or surfers with seals? (See photo to get an idea of what such lovely encounters might look like.)

Here is my question. Why are most wetsuits black then? The majority of the all wetsuits I have ever rented and worn for diving have been black; hence they make you look like a seal. They might have a few color accents, but I am not sure the vision of sharks is good enough to fully appreciate them.

The guy who died in 2004 after a shark attack in Northern California was wearing an olive camouflage wetsuit that made him blend into the rocks (and possibly look more like a dolphin than a seal. Sharks like dolphins, too.) This page has a lot of interesting information about that attack.

Some sources, the surfing handbook being one of them, say the wetsuits with big color contrasts make you look like a fish, which is apparently not helpful, either. I have to say, I have never seen a 6-foot fish of crazy colors though.

Is it difficult to dye neoprene, say, all white or all orange? Would that help or is that wishful thinking?

If you've ever had a desire to learn underwater basket weaving, you might first want to start with underwater ironing. As much as this sounds like an April Fools post, 72 Australian scuba divers did in fact break the world record for what they call "extreme ironing" when they dove into the water just south of Melbourne accompanied by their linens and ironing boards.

What exactly is extreme ironing? It's the "latest danger sport that combines the thrill of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt," according to the sport's official website, the Extreme Ironing Bureau. Extreme ironers don't only press their shirts underwater; the sport can take place anywhere, from a mountainside to in a canoe, all around the world.

Still confused? Check out the Extreme Ironing Bureau's FAQ section and I am sure that all of your questions will be answered and by that point you too will be ready to add the extreme sport to your list.

Belize has been on my "places to dive" list for years. At the same time, I get anxious every time I think about diving in Belize. Years ago, I knew somebody who died while diving the Blue Hole, the infamous collapsed limestone cave more than 400 feet deep. She was an experiences diver, but panicked. Ever since then, the Blue Hole has sounded a little scary to me.

After reading this USA Today article, it sounds like I should get over myself and finally go there soon because Belize's coral reef is vanishing quickly. A potent mix of coastal development, tourism, overfishing, pollution and climate change has apparently damaged an estimated 40% of the Belize reef system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Western Hemisphere's largest barrier reef, that attracts more than a third of Belize's 850,000 annual visitors. Ouch.

As the weather begins to get a little less wintery we are already beginning to discuss our summer trips. A beach trip is always a favorite. Laying on the shore with a bit of swimming and relaxation are just what's needed after a long, cold winter. But there are a few hazards that can ruin a good trip to a dive spot or beach -- best to start thinking about them now, so if there is a problem, you'll be ready to deal with it.

One of my most favorite quotes on the subject of bites and stings actually comes from WC Fields. "Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."

Jelly Fish are beautiful creatures to watch swim and some of the most interesting marine life. They can also cause a lot of pain and problems if you get stung. Jellyfish sting with their tentacles that contain thousands of nematocysts. Thus, a single creature can produce many, many stings.

The first priority, for a jellyfish sting victim, is to make sure they are still breathing properly and not having a severe allergic reaction. Burning at the site, numbness, nausea and swelling are all common reactions. A topical decontaminant is what is next. Get those stingers to stop causing problems! The nematocysts can generally be 'de-activated" with a solution of vinegar, rubbing alcohol or baking soda, poured over the wound. This will also help relieve the pain. Papain, found in meat tenderizer may also be helpful. Removal of the stingers can be aided by shaving the area, with a sharp razor and shaving cream. A local antibiotic/antiseptic cream can now be applied, with or without a low dose steroid cream. For those who just have to adventure in known jellyfish areas, a StingerSuit might be a good consideration. Oh, save the pee for the bathroom as it has not been proven to be of benefit and it is kind of gross.

There are a few famous jellies to know about. First is Chironex Fleckerii (Box Jellyfish), from Australia. This sting can be fatal to humans and extreme caution should be taken in waters where they live. The other bad-guy is Irukandji (Carukia Barnesi), also from Australia. This jelly is only about the size of a large coin and very deadly. Swimmers can often miss seeing them, until it is too close by to avoid.

Make sure to pay attention to life-guards and warning signs for the beaches you are visiting. The best advice is to avoid areas with abundance of jellyfish and head to another beach that is safer.

It's quite miserable here in Pittsburgh, something like -10 degrees Fahrenheit with a nice drizzling snowstorm on top. So I went and found myself some nice tropical paradise pictures to look at, and guess what, it helped!

This one is from the porch of Laguna Redang Resort, which is on Redang island in Malaysia. Redang apparently has some of the best diving and snorkeling around.

For whatever reason, doing absolutely nothing on the other side of the word is always more enjoyable than doing absolutely nothing at home.

But of course, I exaggerate when I say that my girlfriend and I did absolutely nothing on the French Polynesian island of Moorea during our recent vacation. It was actually quite the opposite. We kept our days very busy eating, sleeping, and swimming. There was hardly any time to do anything else.

Dining in Moorea
Food in the South Pacific always seems to be a challenge--as we first discovered in the Cook Islands two years ago. The biggest complaint is that everything is always so horrifically expensive. We spent $100 for pizza and beer one afternoon, which was pretty much the average for every meal we ate on Moorea. Ouch!

What's wonderful about the restaurant scene on Moorea, however, is that most restaurants will pick guests up from their resort for free--a very welcome surprise that helped to keep the already expensive cost of meals slightly lower by not having to pay for a taxi.

Ironically, our favorite restaurant that we frequented the most often was also the closest. Le Sud was just a five-minute walk from our resort. This quaint little eatery wraps around the outside porch of a small house where geckos scampered about on the walls in search of insects while we dined.