Sea Life | Reeftraveler

Whale Tale

May 132013

Each year from December through May, humpback whales migrate to Hawaii’s Kohala Coast to breed and give birth. It is estimated that as many as 12,000 humpbacks, weighing up to 45 tons, can be found in Hawaii’s waters each year. During this time, you can not only see them from shore, but you can also hear their songs if you free dive or snorkel (with your entire head submerged).

In March I went on a whale watch boat for the first time. The wind was fierce (gusting up to 30 knots) and the waves were high, but we had an amazing day as nature put on a show for us.

There were whales to port and to starboard and forward and aft. We saw giant males propel their massive bodies out of the water, and small calves swimming timidly with their mothers.

For those interested in humpback whale watching, other stellar locations around the world can be found in Rurutu, French Polynesia and Vava’u, Tonga (which is high on my ever-growing list of places to visit).

On Fish Portraits and Full Memory Cards

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Apr 202013

It was in the Maldives that I realized that I really like taking fish portraits. I can happily spend hours observing fish behavior and hovering quietly while awaiting “the shot”. Many of these photos were taken while snorkeling in shallow water. Unlike diving, snorkeling has no obvious time fuse as long as you are in warm waters and adequately protected from the sun. I often emerge from the water 2 hours later, all the while thinking that I have been in for only 45 minutes (give or take), and usually it is a dead camera battery that triggers my exit.

I took over 3000 photos on a weeklong trip to Mirihi Island in the Maldives two years ago. I’m curious as to how this number compares to other photographers (underwater or topside). Ridiculous amount? About average? I delete the obvious bombs and leave others for editing and further consideration.

Below are some previously unpublished fish portraits that I found in my Maldives archive.

Maldives Striped Surgeon 1024x770 On Fish Portraits and Full Memory Cards

Striped Surgeonfish

Maldives Orange Trigger 1024x663 On Fish Portraits and Full Memory Cards

Orange Banded Triggerfish

Checkerboard Wrasse

Parrotfish

Dascyllus

Maldives wrasse 1024x754 On Fish Portraits and Full Memory Cards

Blackeye Rabbitfish

Maldives Fish 2 1024x819 On Fish Portraits and Full Memory Cards

Orangespine Unicornfish

Maldives Fish 1024x731 On Fish Portraits and Full Memory Cards

Humpnose Bigeye Bream

So I’m curious, how many photos do you take per day or per week? How do you know when it’s time to put away the camera?

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St. Thomas Dive Photos

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Apr 052013

During one of my periodic raids of Mr. Reeftraveler’s Lightroom catalogue I came across some previously unpublished (and unedited) shots that I thought were real gems. These shots were taken while diving with Aqua Action in St. Thomas.

St. Thomas shouldn’t be overlooked as a dive destination. It’s clear, warm water and easy-to-reach reefs make it a great choice for Caribbean diving. And as you can see, there is plenty of marine life to see and photograph.