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Yes - because sharing whale sharks with 100's of your "best friends" is an experience everyone is looking for ;) The Isla Mujeres whale shark "experience" is somewhat similar to the Oslob whale shark "experience." Neither is ideal for photography, with Isla Mujeres benefitting from more whale sharks most of the time.

They're so far behind the competition now time wise this has to work or the company is finished.

Hey, so to be fair, I'm not a big fan of tropical diving...I'm a professional photographer/guide who specializes in weird, off-the-wall stuff. That said, I have tons of friends who love tropical diving and Cozumel is one of their highest rated dive locations. Eagle rays, the Mesoamerican reef (2nd largest barrier reef in the world), reef sharks, etc...etc...but the scuba in Cozumel, not Cancun/Isla Mujeres...scuba off Isla/Cancun is mediocre. However, if you look at the map, Cozumel is a large island just south of Isla Mujeres/Cancun. There is daily ferry service directly between the two islands...or you can also rent a car or take a bus (legit and comfortable) from Cancun to Playa del Carmen (about 60 minute drive). There is regular ferry service to/from Cancun to Isla Mujeres and to/from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel. If you google that stuff, its all online and you can even buy your tickets for the ferry and buses online. I can vouch for the Whale Sharks off Isla Mujeres. I've guided numerous trips there and the fewest I've seen at a time was about 20 individuals and the most we estimated at 300. 80-100 per day seems to be about the norm. They migrate to the area to follow the tuna who are spawning and when they locate a tuna spawning aggregation, they cruise across the surface sucking up the eggs. They literally just go back-and-forth across a particular area (like mowing a lawn). My recommendation would be to spend 2-3 days with the Whale Sharks and then relocate to Cozumel and do a couple of days of scuba/reef diving there.

Reducing to $600 plus shipping.

Thanks for your input @Grantmac. Yea, I think I'm pretty aware that if I really want to get serious seafrogs isn't really the deal, but let's see! Wasn't ready to spend a fortune yet!

Aloha and welcome @DuncanB - I’m sure you’ll find shooting macro underwater is a challenge. Hard enough to see them much of the time!

@rwe I have mostly been using Mickey Charteris' book, and that was my conclusion as well. This was a fairly small one, so perhaps it hasn't developed the spot yet. Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.

Open to negotiation for offers. Need to get this sold.

Shoot in AF-C mode instead of AF-S—that will definitely work better. The MF-O 1 helps reduce the minimum focusing distance and improves the quality of your lens; personally, I haven’t noticed any improvement in autofocus. One more thing: the 90mm struggles more to focus in low light; a small flashlight might help.

I'm just getting started shooting this lens on an A7RIII and the hunting is a challenge. I don't really want to go down the focus limiter route since I do occasionally want to shoot larger subjects. I find myself right at the limits of close focus regularly which then tends to make the lens go to maximum focal length when it hunts. Would a mild diopter help?

This site might be helpful. Coryphopterus tortugae: https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/4746 Goldspot: https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/4170 The only specie I see with a vertical bar through the eye in the "this species" or "similar species" links for either of these is the goldspot. Your picture doesn't show the spot near the gill cover but there are some pictures in the "this species" link for the goldspot that don't show it either.

Nice project! Unfortunately, I have two original Nauticam blocks, but they're too thick and don't fit the 8-15 or your design. For now, I've cut a piece of rubber to size and it's working, even if it sometimes shifts a little. It would be great if you could recreate that piece in 3D as well; everyone would really appreciate it

Yes, crowded is the word, hectic and downright sketchy when speedboats from Male join in... It's one of the reasons we left quickly when we were working there in 2021-22. On the plus side you do see them diving quite often as well on certain sites, which can be a nicer experience. The're also attracted to lights of liveaboard mooring at night in the Maamigili area, and tend to hang around there.

I haven't updated the initial post in a while. Now I should have included all the projects you've posted. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for this project!

South Ari atol in Maldives is organised snorkelling trips not diving Can also get crowded -about 6 boats when we were there 2024

@Vitaly My daughter has shot the 90mm on the A7III, the A7RIV, and now the A7RV. With each body upgrade the lens AF response has gotten a little better, but still not a "world class" macro lens for anyone who has shot with a Cannon or Nikon previously. The A1 helps quite a bit more, however the lens still hunts at times. The new Sony 100mm macro lens is significantly better in cutting down the hunting. Some of the best practices (with the 90mm) that people use include "pre-focusing" in a narrow range for your subject (focus on something a similar distance away, then focus on your subject); utilize back button focus; leverage the focus limiter switch; utilize the rocking back and forth focus method, and use a high-lumen focus light. With these techiques you can get the best out of this lens, which can provide tack sharp images (when it focuses on what you want to shoot). An MFO-1 does help a bit (by reducing the focus range). Others here will tell you the lens is "fine." If you use several of the techniques above the lens can be quite good. However, if you've shot a camera like a Nikon D500, D850, or any of the better Cannon bodies (along with the 105mm for Nikon or 100mm for Cannon macro lens) you notice the difference. The Sony 90mm just hunts more... The new Sony 100mm lens seems to be significantly better... we've tried it locally, taking it to Indonesia in May to give it the full test.

One can snorkel with whalesharks also in Tansania/Mafia island, near the delta of the Rufiji river. I have been there 2024 and 2025. On one excursion it was approx. 15 individuals. The excursion with the least whalesharks was 3 individuals. Several boats with snorkelers are usually present, but the activity was still o.k. (maybe one dozend of snorkelers around)... I returned on Sunday, 29.3. from the Maledives (Omadhoo island in Ari Atoll). Also there whaleshark excursions are offered, also from other close islands and resorts. According to divers, who have participated, at these spots there are around appox. 150 snorkelers plus several groups of scubadivers UW, producing a lot of airbubbles. We gratefully declined from participation in such an excursion... Wolfgang

Welcome aboard - fellow Melburnian here, though not a native 😁

Hi, any coatings on UW- ports are on the inner surface. Br Markus

My monitor is able for Adobe RGB and the water looks nicer when I view and process in Adobe RGB. Since my main device for viewing (a 2K projector) and internet are not able to display Adobe RGB correctly, I process and store all photos in sRGB (with few exceptions, when I know that the output will be in Adobe RGB). Also this photo is entirely sRGB...

Tbh A1 shouldnt be the problem. I assume you have latest firmware installed? There has been AF improvements in the updates. Maybe some settings are wrong? Theres couple of YouTube videos by Alex Mustard (probably others also) about UW settings on the A1. In my opinion MFO-1 should not be the solution, it should be an addition or enhancement.

A1 body. I talked to Backscatter, and they also mentioned the MFO-1, but I’ve read some mixed feedback about how much it actually helps with focusing.

This is an issue with older Sony bodies if i remember correctly. I dont remember it being a problem with my A7RV and 90mm. Which one are you using? Maybe MFO-1 helps little bit?

I recently got the Sony 90mm and took it underwater last weekend. The focus hunting was pretty frustrating. How do people deal with that?

I was told the glass has a coating, so any polishing compound might damage or remove it.