Renowned Divers to Showcase the Philippines' Dive Destinations at the 40th Our World – Underwater Show, Feb. 19-21, 2010

The Philippines' 7,107 Island in the epicenter of marine biodiversity in the world take center stage in the biggest consumer dive show in the U.S.

CHICAGO, IL (Jan. 31, 2010) – The Philippines promises a marked presence in the upcoming Our World – Underwater (OW-U) Show, the longest continuously running consumer dive and travel show in the United States. This was announced today by Philippine Tourism Director for Central U.S. and Canada, Vernie Velarde-Morales.

 
Now celebrating its 40th year, the scuba show to be held on February 19-21, 2010 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, will have world-famous dive personalities showcase the Philippines' numerous dive destinations in a series of seminars and films.

 
Featuring the Philippines at six seminars and a film entry on Saturday, February 20 are six distinguished names in the dive industry: Lynn Funkhouser, Robert Marx, Paul Deaton, Ken Knezick, Mike Hoppe, and Stan Waterman.

 
Lynn Funkhouser , celebrated underwater photographer and Women Divers Hall of Famer, has been diving and photographing in the Philippines for two months a year, every year, for 32 years. She has visited and dived in over 250 of the Philippines' 7,107 islands. Lynn's seminar, "The Philippines—Everything and More," will give divers a glimpse and more of the Philippines' underwater wonders at 1:00 p.m. at the Wonders of the Sea seminar room.

 
Robert Marx, on the other hand, will journey through time and explore the treasures of the largest sailing ship wrecks underwater in "Manila Galleons," also at 1:00 p.m., at the Salt of the Sea seminar room. A seasoned wreck diver and maritime historian, Robert has been conducting lectures throughout the United States and 42 other countries on underwater archaeology, maritime history, treasure hunting and travel for more than 50 years.

 
Paul Deaton is an award-winning writer, producer, director and cinematographer, whose various works has reached audiences all over the world via MTV, HBO, VH1, Showtime, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Tri-Star, the Travel Channel, E! Entertainment TV, Bravo, the United Nations and others.  At the OW-U, he will share a slice of his fond encounters in the island of Dumaguete in the Philippines in his "Dumaguete 5x5—A Slice of the Coral Sea," at 1:45 at the Dive the World seminar room.

 
A countdown of the best-kept secrets of the Pacific Ocean awaits divers in Ken Knezick's "Top Ten List of Hot Pacific Dive Destinations," which will run at 1:45 p.m. at the Dive Travel seminar room. Owner and president of Island Dreams Travel, Ken is also a founding member of the Houston Underwater Photographic Society and former president of Houston International Diver's Club.

 
Michael Hoppe of Ultimate Dive Travel will dig deep into the exotic dive destinations in the Philippines and share his discovered wonders of "Bohol, Cebu, Dumaguete, Puerto Galera, and Tubbataha" at 2:30 p.m. also at the Dive Travel seminar room. As a veteran instructor and travel coordinator, Michael Hoppe has dived throughout the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Micronesia and Asia.

 
Finally, living legend and five-time Emmy Awardee Stan Waterman will share a bonanza of beautiful and bizarre macro critters in his film "The Macro World of the Philippines," which will run at 2:30 p.m at the Salt of the Sea seminar room.

 
Stan Waterman has been at the forefront of scuba diving since its inception as a recreational sport both in this country and throughout the world. After a year-long trip to Tahiti in 1965, his career in television stardom was launched when National Geographic purchased the rights to air his film. Since that time, Stan has received numerous honors and awards for his work in television, including five Emmys, four Golden Eagles and two Gold Medals from the UK Underwater Film Festival. Most recently, he has been named to the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.

 
For the Saturday Night Film Festival, Paul Deaton will again highlight the Philippine's majestic coral kingdom in his film entry "The Coral Triangle."

 
Tucked in the center of the world's coral triangle, the Philippines' tropical 7,107-island geography, and its location on a unique section of the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea, the Celebes Sea, the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Seaboard, makes the exotic archipelago perfect for scuba divers and other water-based adventurers.

 
"Scuba divers will find in Philippine underwater the widest variety and some of the rarest marine animals and corals. No less than Chicago's Shedd Aquarium researchers documented that for both fish and coral species, the Philippines' reefs have much more than the Great Barrier Reef's and the Hawaiian reefs' combined," said Director Morales.
 
The Philippine Pavilion will be located at Island Booth # 601 of the Our World – Underwater Show's exhibit floor.  The Philippine Department of Tourism will be joined in the booth by select major dive tour operators with their choice dive tour packages on the Philippines.
 
For more information on Our World Underwater in Chicago call 708-226-1614, e-mail info@ourworldunderwater.com or visit www.ourworldunderwater.com.
 
For more information on the Philippines, visit www.experiencephilippines.ph or contact the Philippine Department of Tourism in Chicago at 312-782-2475.

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