Ultimate Underwater Photography DSLR... For such technical gadgets, cameras are surprisingly emotive objects. And I learned a long time ago to just not to go there on the pros and cons of the various brands. Which at that point were really just two – Nikon and Canon, or should that be Canon and Nikon? Then the great disruptor Sony came along. Wedging the Canikon duopoly so well that there should really be a health warning on camera bodies these days… I think that the intense emotion comes from the fact that we are bombarded by the camera manufacturers marketing gurus in so many ways (consciously and sub-consciously). And then, when we …
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Big Animals – The Florida Manatees of Crystal River
The Florida Manatees of Crystal River... The manatee and its close but smaller cousin the dugong are truly fascinating creatures. But they are both naturally shy and listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List with declining populations. So they can be hard to encounter and even more so to photograph. While there are a few locations with a decent track record of dugong encounters. Like Abu Dabbab at Marsa Alam in the Egyptian Red Sea and around Busuanga in the Philippines. By far the best place to get close to one of these Sirenians is the Crystal River in Florida. And the basic reason it is such a great location is really very simple …
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Diving Tubbataha – The Heart of the Coral Triangle
Diving Tubbataha... Maybe I should have started a bit lower down the food chain. After all with over 7000 islands and located in the northern part of the Coral Triangle, the Philippines has much to offer the traveling diver. But when a long-time diving buddy told me that he was looking for experienced, sympatico divers to fill two back-to-back trips to Tubbataha on a special charter of the Philippine Siren it just seemed too good to miss! I had heard many stories about the intense biodiversity of Tubbataha’s reefs. Which are generally renowned for both what you will see, together with what you might see... and I was sorely tempted. …
Ten Best In-Water “Big Animal” Experiences
The Ten Best In-Water “Big Animal” Experiences... There really is something quite unique about an eyeball-to-eyeball underwater encounter with a big animal. You are after all but a temporary visitor to their domain. One they may not be the absolute master of, but are far more in control than you can ever hope to be. So, the first thing to understand is that the encounter will take place on the animals’ terms. You can (and I have…) travel half-way around the world. At not inconsiderable expense, to get the opportunity to be in the water with the specific animal. Only to discover they just are not interested in any kind of …
The Australian Grey Nurse Shark
The Australian Grey Nurse... Large enough to get your complete and undivided attention. Probably the best way to describe an encounter with a Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus). Big and fierce looking, with a set of prominent sharp teeth. Grey Nurse move through the water in a slow but determined manner. Which creates a physically intimidating presence guaranteed to raise the blood pressure of the uninitiated observer. My first such encounter was many years ago at Flat Rock near Stradbroke Island in Queensland. I was diving the shark gutters on the northeast side of Flat Rock, where Grey Nurse gather from June to October each …
The Great White Shark Down Under
The Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias is one of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures. Superbly evolved, they are truly an apex predator. But, unlike their terrestrial equivalents, there is very little reverence for them. Instead, and they have become widely demonized as brutal man-eaters that silently prowl our coastal waters. In a seemingly perpetual search for victims and then pouncing with ruthless and terrifying efficiency. And it is true that great whites have been held responsible for more deaths of swimmers, surfers, and divers than any other shark. But what is the reality about these creatures? Are they really …
Tiger Sharks of Grand Bahama
Tiger Sharks of Grand Bahama... Tiger Beach is firmly established as one of those global diving destinations that almost everybody has heard of. With that fame largely derived from the many published images of its most celebrated visitor - Galeocerdo cuvier, the tiger shark. Tigers are considered one of the “big three” most dangerous sharks. And, along with the great white and bull shark, are believed to be responsible for the vast majority of unprovoked attacks on humans. Renowned for their inherently predatory behavior. Where, much like their terrestrial namesakes, they close in their intended prey slowly and silently. Before …
Diving New Ireland Province in PNG
Diving New Ireland Province... Located along the edge of the Bismarck Archipelago, the province of New Ireland forms the eastern flank of Papua New Guinea. It is quite remote from the main island of New Guinea. And the province has its own remarkably interesting and quite distinct traditional cultures, together with some fantastic diving. It is also world renowned for its fabulous malagan carvings and tatanua masks. Together with its kulap sculptures and overall, the province offers an experience that really is quite different to the rest of PNG. The province consists of the large, musket-shaped island of New Ireland, which is …
Great Hammerheads of South Bimini
The Great Hammerheads of South Bimini... Like a fashion model up on the catwalk, great hammerheads sashay into your field of vision. And, if they were human, you would probably say they have just “made an entrance”. Their strange mallet-like head, robust body girth and tall sickle-shaped dorsal fin makes them well-nigh instantly recognizable. With most other sharks in the immediate area spot that too and give them a wide berth. The Great Hammerhead has a unique and distinguished presence in the water. Cautious but confident and seemingly in control of the environment. Their space… And as they approach, their distinctive head sweeps …