The Sharks of Protea Banks... It is often described as the African equivalent of the Gulf Stream. One of the world’s most powerful oceanic currents – moving almost 70 million tons of water a second! Its name is the Agulhas Current and it forms to the south-west of the huge island of Madagascar. When the powerful Mozambique Current merges with the equally strong East Madagascar Current. From that tumultuous beginning, the Agulhas runs straight down the 2000km long east coast of South Africa. At surface speeds of up to 8km an hour, bringing with it warm Indian Ocean water rich with nutrients. Where those waters touch offshore reef …
Dive Locations
The Bahamas Shark Sanctuary
The Bahamas Shark Sanctuary - The true relationship between sharks and man in the sea is not that easy to understand. We are after all terrestrial creatures that submerge under the water briefly at best. So our opportunities to even comprehend the underwater world are somewhat limited... Whereas the oceans are where sharks live. It is their home and their natural environment - one that they try to dominate. And few creatures can provoke the irrational, almost primeval fear within us the way that sharks do. Without doubt the mass-media has played a significant role in creating this extremely negative perception of sharks. Leveraging our …
Tiger Beach – Like Nowhere Else….
Tiger Beach... Simply stated this shallow sandy area, some 30km north-west of West End on Grand Bahama, is like nowhere else. And, without doubt, it is the best place in the Bahamas to experience sharks - in particular the Tiger Shark. First dived back in the early 1990's. The area was known as Dry Bank and had a strong reputation among big-game fishermen for shark action. Only much later did it become known as Tiger Beach. Basically because the first published shark photographs looked like they had been taken at a beach… Tiger Beach - Reality Bites! Arriving for the first time at Tiger Beach is somewhat of a soul-searching …
Oceanic Whitetip Sharks
The Oceanic Whitetip Sharks of Cat Island... It seems almost unbelievable that as recently as the mid-1960’s Carcharhinus longimanus, the Oceanic Whitetip shark, was widely considered to be one of the most abundant large animals in the world. And just over 50 years later, these sharks are on the IUCN Red List as "Vulnerable" globally. And "Critically Endangered" in the north and central western areas of the Atlantic Ocean. All because a diminutive, but incredibly resilient, former PLA general managed to seize control of the Middle Kingdom. And then implemented the economic reforms that have lifted hundreds of millions of …
Great Hammerhead Sharks of Bimini
The Great Hammerhead sharks of Bimini really are very special... There is literally nowhere else in the world where you can come face-to-face with these incredible animals so reliably. Large, increasingly rare and generally solitary animals - Great Hammerheads are really difficult to see underwater. When underwater encounters do happen they are typically fleeting at best, but not in Bimini! Where every winter a healthy population of Great Hammerheads gathers just off the coast of the island. Great Hammerhead Sharks of Bimini - Discovery The annual aggregation of Great Hammerheads was discovered by the staff of Dr Samuel …
Australian Leafy Seadragons
The Incredible Australian Leafy Seadragon... Australia is famous for its many iconic and often strange looking creatures. Both above and below the water, but few are as unique and visually spectacular as the Leafy Sea Dragon (Phycodurus eques). Known locally as “leafies”, they are endemic to the southern and western coasts of Australia. But are most strongly associated with South Australia, where they have been adopted as the state’s marine emblem. Timid creatures that grow to between 20 and 24 cm in length. They use their ornate leaf-like appendages as incredibly effective camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. Becoming …
The Amazing Australian Giant Cuttlefish
The Amazing Australian Giant Cuttlefish - The first ones start to appear in early May, as the southern hemisphere autumn fades away and the winter months loom. Initially they just blend in with the abundant seagrass. And, to the casual observer, there is little to indicate what will happen over the next three to four weeks… But as June approaches and the water temperature drops below 17°C, things change rapidly as the full aggregation is triggered. By the middle of month, tens of thousands of Sepia apama will have gathered in the only known “dense aggregation” of spawning cuttlefish in the world. One that has been called the “the …
Aircraft Wrecks of PNG
The aircraft wrecks of Papua New Guinea offer some of the best and most interesting, dives in the country... PNG was a major battle theater during the Second World War. Many lives were lost on both sides in the bitter fighting between the invading Imperial Japanese forces and the Allies. Thus the tide was turned, halting the PNG's occupation and the planned invasion of Australia to the south. Aircraft Wrecks of Papua New Guinea - Lost Souls Allied and Japanese aircraft played a very significant role in the fighting in PNG. Because of that many planes were lost - either shot down in combat, mechanical failure and simply …
Open Boat Whaling in the Azores
Open boat whaling in the Azores is something I thought that I could never come to terms with or understand. But then I had never been to the Azores before. And I certainly had no idea about the people who live there and their culture. I went to the Azores for purely selfish reasons - I wanted to photograph sperm whales. And the islands are one of the few places in the world where you can do that in-water. Albeit under a special permit... The islands of the Azores are simply spectacular and Pico Island where I spent my three weeks is stunning. The main town of Madalena was a small but very pleasant place and the local …