A tagged great white shark (called Nicole, by researchers – after shark loving actress Nicole Kidman) crossed the Indian Ocean from South Africa to Australia and back again in just nine months. The act of tagging a great white is something of an achievement; several people need to hold the creature still while the satellite tracker is attached.

The conservationists were investigating how far great whites swim, to see what protection measures might be needed to save them from extinction. Great whites were once thought to keep to coastal regions, but this was a trek across a vast expanse of open ocean. The journey was very direct, not some aimless wandering and the stay near Australia was only brief.

The researchers say the fact that they saw a shark make the journey at all – after observing only about 20 animals – suggests it is common behaviour. Their concern is that such migrations make the great whites vulnerable to long-line fishing. It is already known that lesser sharks do get captured and killed this way.

Spotted by webmaster Paul: three robot fish, created by robotics experts from Essex University can be found at London Aquarium. They move around the tank like real fish, and have sensor-based controls, so they can move around the tank, avoiding objects and other fish, and reacting to their environment as a real fish would. Professor Huosheng Hu, of the university’s computer science department, said the aim of creating the fish and having them on display in a public place was to increase awareness about robots’ capabilities. He said the robotic fish, which took three years to create, could also be used in the ocean such as including seabed exploration, detecting leaks in oil pipelines, mine countermeasures, and improving the performance of underwater vehicles.

American soldiers in Iraq claim they uncovered evidence of a terrorist bomb plot targeting the US. People in New York City are warned to remain on alert amid fears of a terrorist attack on the New York subway system. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered increased security on the subway system and warned that the threat – which includes the use of explosives packed in baby strollers – suggested New York’s underground train network and its 4.5 million daily passengers could be attacked within days.

Travellers are advised to review any plans to visit Zanzibar during late October and early November 2005. Tanzania will hold a general election on October 30, 2005. Previous elections generally have been peaceful on the Tanzanian mainland, but following the 2000 elections, violent demonstrations occurred on Zanzibar (and Unguja and Pemba) and many people were killed. The demonstrations were not directed at tourists and no foreign visitors were hurt.

Tensions are already rising in Zanzibar during the run up to the October 2005 elections. Opposition party leaders have threatened to stage massive demonstrations if their conditions for a free and fair election are not met. The opposition is calling for peaceful demonstrations, but things can turn violent with little or no warning. If demonstrations do occur, they are not expected to target foreign tourists, however, they could disrupt transportation and communication systems.

US scientists have found that all modern varieties of potatoes can be traced back to a single source – a potato grown in Peru over 7,000 years ago. The team, led by Dr David Spooner of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who spends two months a year collecting wild potatoes on treks in South America’s mountainous regions analysed the DNA of about 360 potatoes, both wild and cultivated. Dr Spooner said archaeological finds had shown potatoes were being grown in Peru by farmers “more than 7,000 years ago”. Potatoes were brought back to Spain by the conquistadors around 1570, and spread throughout Europe. They were later introduced in North America by British colonists.

If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites

Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website: Mutual Aid

Travel Facts

One in three adults aged 15-49 are infected with HIV/AIDS in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland.

If you thought Antarctica was inhospitable, think again – its land area is only 98% ice. Reassuringly, the other 2% is categorised as ‘barren rock’.

The Mall in Washington, D.C. is 1.4 times larger than Vatican City.

Moldova has one of the lowest rates of movie-going of any nation, and the highest rate of death by powered lawnmower. Coincidence? Surely not.

In 2002, every 1000 Swedes made a bus.

· Looking for geniuses? Head straight to Iceland. There are more than 3.5 Nobel Prize Winners for every million Icelanders.

· People might eat oats when they’re hungry, but people from Hungary don’t eat oats.

· Japan’s water has a very high dissolved oxygen concentration – but not enough to prevent drowning in the bath.

· The four largest nations are Russia, China, USA, and Canada.

Source:

If you are sailing around the world, you’d be advised to avoid Somalian water. Somali pirates have hijacked (another) ship with 10 crew on its way to the Somali port of El-Maan. The MV Torgelow was carrying fuel and food to a UN-chartered vessel freed last week by gunmen who had held it and its cargo of food aid for three months. The International Maritime Board says there have been at least 20 attacks on ships in Somali waters since March. It urges ships in the area to stay as far away as possible from the shore.

Need to convert currency?

Take a look at The Globetrotters Currency Converter – get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet – create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.

You can now hire Gems, or Global Electric Motorcars in Cordoba, southern Spain as a safe, convenient, and environmentally friendly way to see the town. Gems are made in the US by a division of Daimler-Chrysler. A fully charged car can travel around 50 miles, (80km). Each car comes with a touch-screen computer system mounted in the dash. By using GPS technology, the computer keeps track of exactly where you are in the city. When you pass a certain landmark, the computer then knows to display the appropriate text, audio and video information about that landmark on the screen. Through a USB port, you can plug in a flash drive containing information on Cordoba in Spanish, English or French. Hire costs are around US$50 for a two-hour rental period.

Helvetic Airways has begun operating a twice-daily service between Luton and Zurich. The first 10 seats on each morning and evening flight are available from about £15, plus taxes, from www.helvetic.com

Spotted by the Beetle. I like this: www.entrances2hell.co.uk

A new airline, Maxjet Airways, will launch an all-business class service between Stansted just north of London and New York’s JFK airport as from 1st November. There will be daily flights except Saturdays. One-way fares are expected to start from £599, excluding taxes. Seats have a 60in pitch and service will be similar to other airlines’ business-class services.

Singapore has just lifted a 40 year ban on gambling to build two new casinos. One of these has caused public complaints as it is to displace Singapore’s only horse riding school.

Spotted by Webmaster Paul, here’s a satellite photo from Google of the Tower of London

A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?

Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we’ll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise caution on Indonesia.

On 1 October 2005, at least 3 bombs exploded in Central Kuta and Jimbaran beach in Bali. Up to 26 people have been killed and over 90 injured. A British/Australian dual national was killed in the attacks and at least 2 British nationals were injured, 1 seriously.

There remains a high threat from terrorism in Indonesia. We continue to receive reports that terrorists in Indonesia are planning further attacks on Westerners and Western interests. Attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Indonesia and are likely to be directed against locations and buildings frequented by foreigners.

If you intend to travel to Indonesia in the immediate future or you are already in Indonesia, you should exercise caution at all times. You should review thoroughly the latest information on the situation, including media reports; keep in close contact with your tour operator; and follow any advice from local authorities. If you are travelling to, or resident in Indonesia, you should ensure that you are comfortable with, and regularly review, your and your family’s security arrangements.

The Indonesian Police are on a state of high alert and have deployed extra personnel to high profile and sensitive locations including, but not limited to, embassies, consulates outside Jakarta and hotels.

Terrorists have shown in previous attacks, like the attack on the Australian Embassy, the Marriott Hotel, Jakarta and both the Bali bombings, that they have the means and the motivation to carry out successful attacks.

We advise against all travel to Aceh, except for those involved in post-tsunami humanitarian and reconstruction work or in preparations for the Aceh Monitoring Mission. Parts of Aceh remain affected by a long running internal conflict. Two aid workers were shot and injured in separate shooting attacks on 23 June and 7 July respectively. There is a risk that further incidents may occur. You should exercise caution when travelling to remote areas.

We advise against travel to some parts of Maluku, especially Ambon, and some parts of Central Sulawesi, which are experiencing civilian unrest. At least 20 people were killed in a bomb attack in Central Sulawesi on Saturday 28 May.