Russia 2014 Scuba Diving Hero

One of the heros featured in Russia's hero series of stamp issues is Andrei Rozhkov (1961-1998), who is the first person ever to successfully scuba dive the North Pole, and died during the same dive. This stamp was issued 21 February 2014.

Vanuatu 2013 Underwater Post Office 10th Anniversary

Vanuatu celebrated the 10th anniversary of their underwater post office on 11 December 2013 with a souvenir sheet featuring photos of the process of preparing the post office stand.

Vanuatu 2013 Christmas

Vanuatu released a 4-stamp issue for Christmas on 6 November 2013. One of the stamps shows Santa Clause diving down to the underwater post office to send a letter to Mrs Clause at the North Pole. (Scott 1066)

United Arab Emirates 2013 Fazza Championship - Free Diving

This stamp showing a free diver from the water surface is part of a 2-stamp issue released on 28 July 2013 to mark the 11th edition of the Fazza Championship. Launched in 2002 under the patronage of His Royal Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, the Fazza Championship is an annual affair as a way to display the cultural history of the Emirates, with various events held at various locations across Dubai. This year the championship features six events including hunting falconry, falcon racing, al yullah (rifle acrobatics), shooting, hunting dog racing and free diving. The other stamp features al yullah.

Stamp image contributed by Glen Carr.

New Caledonia 2013 Reopening of the Maritime Museum

A single stamp was released on 28 June 2013 to mark the reopening of the New Caledonian Maritime Museum after 3 long years of renovation work. The selvage of the full sheet of 10 stamps contains very interesting illustrations that probably refer to the subjects on display in the museum; the illustration that is most interesting here is at the bottom left corner of the sheet, showing a scuba diver recovering/studying a sunken artifact.

Liberia 2013 International Horticultural Expo 2014 in Qingdao

This commercial issue from Liberia announces the 2014 International Horticultural Exposition to be held in Qingdao, China.The 6 stamps in the souvenir sheet features the expo mascot named “Qingqing” in various poses; the mascot design is a combination of natural landscape and ideals, inspired by such images as rolling waves, drifting clouds, lofty peaks and wavering tree crowns. One of the stamp features Qingqing snorkeling alongside a fish. The top left sheet corner features the Theme Pavilion, one of the landmark buildings of the expo, it takes on the appearance of a Chinese rose, the city flower of Qingdao; this will be the venue for showcasing the theme of “From the Earth, For the Earth” and other major events like the floriculture contests.

Guyana 2013 International Horticultural Expo 2014 in Qingdao

This commercial issue, released in April 2013, from Guyana announces the 2014 International Horticultural Exposition to be held in Qingdao, China.The 6 stamps in the souvenir sheet features the expo mascot named “Qingqing” in various poses; the mascot design is a combination of natural landscape and ideals, inspired by such images as rolling waves, drifting clouds, lofty peaks and wavering tree crowns. One of the stamp features Qingqing snorkeling alongside a fish. The central label in the sheet shows an artistic rendition of one of the several major expo structures: The Botanical Pavilion, that looks like a glasshouse with a leaf design; the pavilion is divided into the Marine Plants Section, the Bamboo and Rattan Section, and the Temperate Plants Section.