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We are proud to announce that the winner of the 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, Overall category, is our fellow member Ross Gudgeon for his photograph titled "Fractal Forest". Fractal Forest - Macro By Ross Gudgeon, Western Australia From the 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year announcement: The overall winning shot, Fractal Forest, skews perception and leaves us questioning reality with an inside-out view of a cauliflower soft coral, captured by Western Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon in the Lembeh Strait of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Our judges remarked that the photograph gives us a unique perspective on coral, with the photographer taking us out of the marine habitat into a whole new world. There’s nothing fake here, but still we ponder, is this nature or a painting? Technical details: Inside-out view of a cauliflower soft coral. Named for its characteristic appearance that resembles a cauliflower, with numerous small, rounded, bump-like polyps that give it a puffy texture. This unique perspective was made possible by the Nauticam EMWL, an underwater version of the probe or insect eye lens. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS with Nauticam EMWL wet lens, 1/100, f/9, ISO 400, Sony A7RIV, handheld, 2 x Retra Pro flashes. Here the competition winners announcement: Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the YearEntries for the 2020 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year are now closed

Mafia Island is located in the Indian Ocean, off the East African coast of Tanzania. I learned about Mafia Island from reports of several scubadivers in internet platforms, who consider it an “insider tip”. In November/December 2024 three divers (Lisi, Franz and me) set out towards Mafia in order to experience firsthand the diving and possibilities for UW-photographers. Mafia Island is not difficult to reach via international flights from Vienna/Austria to Dar es Salaam/Tanzania. From there, the travel continues with a short 30’ flight via domestic airline. The airport in Kilindoni, the largest village of the island, is small and, accordingly, the airplanes are small too (the photo shows the main building of the airport and, to the left, the nose of the aircraft that brought us there). By default, only 15kg of luggage, including the cabine luggage, are allowed in the small aircraft. It is very positive to note, that one can book extra luggage in advance by EMail with the domestic “Coastal Airline” (https://coastal.co.tz/), in order to avoid unpleasant surprises when arriving with masses of unannounced luggage. This way, our extensive diving and photo equipment was “nullo problemo” (in order to avoid overload of the aircraft, we had to book an extra seat in advance, that remained empty). There are several resorts located on Mafia Island, but only a single one, “Big Blue Mafia Island Diving Centre” (https://bigblumafia.com/) is perfectly positioned within the Mafia Island Marine Park, where most of the diving spots are located (the marinepark fee, that has to be paid for every single day of the stay once upon entrance, is worth every single cent). This resort is owned and managed by Maura, an Italian, who is the friendly contact person for booking and payment. She is married to a local diving instructor, native to the island, who runs the diving base (their son is working as diving guide, one can say it is a true family enterprise; also the other instructors, guides and employees contributed to a very pleasant stay including safe and wonderful diving). Accommodation is simple, but corresponds to western standards, comprising tasty half (or, when required, full) board and aircondition. Cleaning and freeing the huts from mosquitoes with pesticides is done twice per day. At this point it is appropriate to mention that effective repellants and malaria prophylaxis are strongly recommended by our Austrian tropical medicine specialists. Diving is done using Dhow style boats, that provide plenty of space for the few divers. They are made from heavy tropical woods and are powered by an outboard engine. When winds allow, the boats are also able to sail along silently and swiftly. Chole Bay is the heart of the natural reserve and accordingly most diving spots are located within the bay. Depending on weather, diving spots outside the bay can be dived also. Since the tidal range within Chole Bay is substantial, departure times for the two-tank boat dives are dominated by the tide, are highly variable from day to day and were between 05:00 AM and 14:30 PM during the two weeks of our stay. Despite careful consideration of tidal times, substantial currents are possible. At low tide the visibility within the bay can be pretty modest (as low as 4-5m), but at high tide and also outside the bay it can be remarkably good (up to 30m). Taken together, the diving conditions are certainly not easy for UW-photographers. This is more than compensated by outstanding biodiversity and abundance of species that guarantee the presence of great motifs in high number, rewarding those that take up the challenge. School of common blue-striped snappers (Lutjanus kasmira), outside Chole Bay. Sony A7R5, WACP-C, Sony 28-60mm @28mm, 1/160s, f/10, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): Also inside Chole Bay, the quality of hard coral is good. Sony A7R5, Canon 8-15mm @15mm, 1/100s, f/10, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): Attracted by me, since I was using the macro setup (when I was equipped with the fisheye lens, mating Nembrothas were almost guaranteed), a giant Potato Grouper (Epinephelus tukula) shows up inside the bay. Sony A7R5, Sony 90mm macro, 1/200s, f/9, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): The diving comprises plenty of motifs for wideangle photography, but Chole Bay can be regarded as a true macro destination for UW-photographers as well: Numerous nudibranch species can be encountered around Chole Bay. Noteworthy to state, our stay coincided with the mating season of the Golden Nembrotha (Nembrotha aurea). These seaslugs are hermaphrodites and mating takes place by connecting the sexual organs, located on the right side of the body, with each other in order to transfer the sperm. Sony A7R5, Sony 90mm macro, SMC-1, 1/250s, f/14, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): Blue Pseudoceros flatworm (Pseudoceros bifurcus) moves leisurely over hard coral. Sony A7R5, Sony 90mm macro, SMC-1, 1/200s, f/14, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): Shrimp city is a coral block located inside Chole Bay that is not only populated by countless camel shrimps (Rhynchocinetes durbanensis), but also glassfish, damselfish, anthias, muray eels and groupers. Sony A7R5, Sony 90mm macro, 1/250s, f/13, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) sitting on black coral. Sony A7R5, Sony 90mm macro, 1/200s, f/13, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): Reef octopus (Octopus cyaneus) peeks out curiously from its shelter. Sony A7R5, Sony 90mm macro, 1/200s, f/18, ISO 100, 2* HF-1 (4500K diffusers): A report about diving at Mafia Island cannot be complete without whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Outside the marinepark, between the African eastcoast, where the impressive Rufiji river ends up in the Indian Ocean, and the west coast of Mafia Island, the Mafia channel is formed. The high input of biomass from the Rufiji river delta causes plankton to bloom within this strait. This results not only in poor visibility (6-10m; and hence (again) challenging conditions for UW-photography), but, at certain times of the year, whale sharks gather for feeding. Snorkeling excursions by boat are offered and we were able to spot up to 15 different whale sharks on a single day (including a touching encounter with a female shark, closely accompanied by her half-grown up offspring). Whaleshark feeding on krill. Sony A7R5, WACP-C, Sony 28-60mm @31mm, 1/200s, f/7.1, ISO 200: Whaleshark fading away into the blue. Sony A7R5, Canon 8-15mm @15mm, 1/250s, f/6.3, ISO 250: It was an unforgettable diving trip and fond memories will endure. We already have booked flights and resort for another two weeks in November 2025, in order to visit again this little paradise… 😊

Waterpixels is delighted to announce that Maria Munn has joined the team as our Compact Systems Specialist. For many years Maria has taught and specialised in producing amazing images using compact systems especially the Canon G series. She’s been looking too at action cameras and housed smartphone systems and has posted some really helpful guides and reviews. A more detailed resume for Maria is on our About page. We’re sure members will welcome warmly her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm. Great to have you with us, Maria.

Some time back, I wrote an article about creating your own fibre optic cables: a quick, easy, inexpensive and very satisfying process. In case you missed it it, a link to the piece is here. https://waterpixels.net/articles/articles_technique/diy-fibre-optic-cables-easy-r32/ Now, many months on, a couple of additional suggestions: BURPING On entering the water and descending the plugs at both ends of the cables often need burping. Tiny air bubbles seem to be able to block fibre optic light transmission. Easy to resolve of course: simply remove and replace the plugs at the camera bulkhead and strobe ends of the cable. Worth checking especially before setting up for that crucial, once in a lifetime image. DAMAGING THE CABLES On a recent long dive trip in Raja Ampat, my system was being hauled in and out of RIBs with the strobe arms being moved and folded sometimes by me, sometimes by the boat crew. At some stage one of the fibre optic cables gained a small “crimp” which resulted in the attached strobe not firing consistently. Annoying of course although easy to replace the cable. This got me thinking about a way to protect the cables. For my next trip I used some cheap garden micro-watering system hose tubing to provide a protected route for the cables from the housing bulkheads to the strobes. Cost was a few cents. I found it slightly better to cut the tubing slightly shorter than the fibre cables as this allowed for easier curves at each end. The tubing is held against the float arms using short loops of bungee cord. I found it worked best to push the fibre cables into the strobe plugs only on descent or at depth. This allowed for burping and avoided any strain on the connections whilst handling during entry. In general I’ve found it better not to have fixed connections at both ends of the fibre cable. If one end can pull loose when strained, (best I've found is the strobe end) this avoids breaks and overstrains especially during transportation or in rinse tanks (avoid them at all costs!). If stretched or tugged the cable will simply pop out of the strobe end bush. No damage results and the cable is easy to push back in. The first photograph shows the fibre optic cable and the garden hose tubing; next one with the fibre pushed through the tubing; then "hung" on the strobe arms; and finally the loops to hold the tubing and cable in place.

I have long fascinated with shooting ring lights underwater starting with the Inon Quadflash, through the various Athena modifications to Sea and Sea strobe heads, continuing to the Saga fiber optic rings and now to the Weefine 3000. The Weefine 3000 is the latest version of the LED lights made by Kraken and Weefine. The Weefine 3000 CCW Weefine 3000 CCW Ring Light It's similar to the earlier 3000 lumen LED modules but has adjustable color temperature and a 3000-lumen burst (strobe) mode. It also has a super closeup mode that can shoot subjects as close as 25 mm (1 inch) from the strobe. It is powered by a protected, 26650, 5000 mAh Li battery. The battery can be charged via a built-in USB-C port. One very neat thing about the light is that it allows for a very small, compact system underwater. No arms necessary, just the camera/housing/port and a single fiber optic cable. The light is shown below on an AOI housing for the OM-1 camera. AOI housing for the OM-1 camera with the Weefine 3000 CCW Ring Light The ring light can attach to any port with a 67 mm thread and can be rotated for any angle once attached. One nice feature (or bug) is that when you are using the light in the strobe mode, it remains on at low power to act as a focus light. During the day it was not terribly necessary but worked fine at night, although you will also need some kind of dive light to find your way. My wife said it was very easy to find me in or small group, just look for the circular dive light. How well did it work? Better than I had anticipated. Years ago, I had the Kraken version of this light, and it was fine; this version with improved ergonomics (no multiple button pushes) worked great. Here is a nice little clown (Triopha catalinae) from a dive in local Southern California waters before the Raja/Triton Bay trip on the Wellenreng. This was shot at 1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200 using the Olympus 30 macro lens on an OM-1 in an AOI housing. Certainly, enough light to illuminate the subject, I slightly reduced the shot exposure by 0.1 to increase the contrast a bit. For other local subjects, such as this anemone it also worked well. This one was shot at f/5.6, 1/160 sec and ISO 200. I shot with the light quite a bit on our trip to Raja/Triton Bay. Here is a nice little Goniobranchus coi, shot with the Panasonic 45 lens, f/6.3, 1/160 sec, ISO 400. I was very close; you can see the out of focus gills. I love Christmas tree worms, here is one from Triton Bay. Same lens, 1/250, f/7.1. Here is a crinoid shrimp, same settings. I shot a lot of tiny things, but also a bunch of anemone fish. Here is a Clarke in an orange anemone. f/14, 1/250, ISO 400. Overall, the light worked well for the things I was shooting, it of course is completely useless for anything more than 250 mm (10 inches) away. The color temperature is fine but shooting in raw lets me adjust as needed. A friend used the light as a video light for a TG7 with a 52 mm to 67 mm adapter and said that for most nudibranchs the light was much easier to use than independent lights on arms. I wish it had more power, a 6000-lumen burst mode for this type of light would be awesome, but the current version is adequate for micro 4/3 shooters and awesome for the smaller sensor cameras like the TG series.

During our first stay in the Philippines, just after COVID, we skipped Moalboal. At the time, it was still "complicated" to change islands. For this trip I studied an Anilao – Romblon combo but it seemed relatively complicated to me... I gave up. Good for us with the typhoons, we would have been stuck for a few days. Anyway, we went back to Cebu again, with Moalboal and its sardines as our first stop. For the rest of the season we chose safety by returning to the Thalatta Resort south of Dauin in Negros Oriental. It was also an opportunity to re-test this hotel, following the change of ownership. For the third place, another safe bet, the Island View Beachfront Resort and its Anda Scuba Diving club. Resort at the top of our possibilities with the "real" rates and not the promotional ones we had in 2022. FYI, if you are a "returning guest" there is a small discount... but also by making a "long stay" from 7 or 8 nights. This helped us a lot, without these discounts, we would not have gone back for so long. So if you go, stay at least a week. I tried to minimize the trips but we will have done close to 600 km by car and boat. The route, once again it will be with Singapore Air that we will fly, still departing from Zurich. ZRH -> SIN 12 hours (return more than 13 hours) and a little less than 4 hours from SIN to CEBU. I always enjoy this long night on the plane where you can land, especially since on the way there and back you arrive in the early morning. Some go through Turkey when I look at the schedules, no thanks, especially if it's to earn only a few euros on the flight and then it's a hassle when arriving in Cebu at 2 a.m. For us, it was an arrival in Cebu around 3 p.m., everything went quickly and without the slightest problem. Provided that you have thought carefully before leaving to fill in the online form on the Philippine website in order to obtain a QR code that will be requested on arrival. This form, on the other hand... uh... A real hassle to fill, I had to start over a good dozen times... bugs galore. So avoid doing this at the last minute, you risk having surprises. It's a long journey, especially if you still count the journey to Zurich the day before the flight. 44 hours door-to-door on the outward journey and 56 hours from the departure of Anda for the return. Here we are at the exit of the airport and our driver is waiting to take us to Moalboal at the Cebu Seaview Resort. This will be the most difficult part of the journey. Almost 3 hours of winding roads with part of the night. But we arrive without any problem at the first stage of our journey where we will dive for 4 days. A quick dinner, before assembling the photo and video equipment... tomorrow the dive starts at 8 o'clock. With the 7-hour difference in winter between France and the Philippines, we will have to set the alarm clock... But it will not be useful, only too happy to be back in the warm waters of the Golden Triangle. In the morning, a little check of the papers (certifications and insurance) and of course the small form with liability waiver, in short, classic. Everything is very well organized, the tank are rigged on land by the divers but transported on the bankas by the many crew members and guides/instructors. Once everything is installed on the banka, the signal is given to join the boat. A small staircase to go down and then, depending on the tide, a small walk in the water to reach the access staircase to the banka. I strongly advise to wear booties, if possible with good thick soles, your feet will thank you. Here as in the other places where we dived, pebbles, corals and especially sea urchins can be formidable when accessing the boat. The first dive will be in Pescador, a small island in front of Moalboal, renowned for being surrounded by a teeming life. A few years ago there was a large sardine bar that had taken up residence there... We won't see the slightest of them, just a lot of fish. Nice dive to start our stay. After the dive, it's back to the center, everyone disembarks, there's something to make coffee or tea... but nothing to nibble on while waiting for the 2nd departure. Cebu Seaview being located more or less in the middle of the Moalboal coast we will do the dives less than 15 minutes away from sailing and just a little more for Pescador which we will do 3 times in 4 days. The conditions were not great so we only did the west side but nature is well done, it was different each time. In the afternoon there is a 3rd dive and it is possible to do night dives. We will not do it. On the second day we change guides that we will keep for the remaining 3 days. Not bad... I would say better than the first one who was an employee of the center while Cino was a freelancer. A guide with a bottle... A pleasure to dive with him. We will always leave first and will often, if not always, avoid "traffic jams" and "jacuzzis". It is therefore with him that we will make "the Sardines". Sardines... They migrated for an unknown reason a few dozen meters from the coast. This is where they are visible to divers but also to snorkelers. The number of boats on the surface made me fear the "worst", I could already see myself having to elbow my way underwater, a bit like Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives. Cino jumped us into the water first and "traced" directly to the north... small shock... "But where is he going?" and then magic sardines... sardines everywhere... thousands, sorry millions, impressive. We were the only ones for the first few minutes. Then a few divers joined us but at no time was there a crowd, really great. An experiment to be done at least once... We did it again 2 days later without any regrets. It's not easy to convey the atmosphere in photos, I did the best I could. It's up to you to judge. The dive center is not the "family" type, it's closer to the factory... but very well organized, where it is good to dive. We did 11 dives in 4 days and were happy to go to see something else. The hotel is comfortable, nothing to say, nickel, quiet and the a la carte restaurant is very good. It's not on the level of the next ones but excellent for the price. Very good mention for the bar. The cocktails are very well dosed... (I suspect the bartender reversed the dose of rum with that of orange juice... ) It was really not worth having 2 drinks to sleep well. As is often the case with great encounters during these few days, there are no regrets about having passed through Moalboal... Sardines undoubtedly deserve the destination to be bet on a "ToDo", even if bubble factories are numerous here. After 5 nights it is the departure for the Negros Oriental. The transfer is arranged at my request by the Thalatta Dive Resort. A taxi picks us up at 8 am and after about 2 hours 30 minutes we arrive at a small port where small fast shuttles go back and forth between the islands of Cebu and Negros. The crossing is done in less than 30 minutes. Remember to have Pesos (PHP) in order to pay porters and luggage tax on arrival. The whole thing cost us a few hundred PHP (1 € = +/- 60 PHP). Upon arrival, a driver is waiting for us to take us in less than an hour to the Thalatta. We will arrive in the early afternoon and will be able to sit quietly and enjoy the pool before the return of the divers who spent the day with 3 dives at Apo Island. When we arrived, we met "our" guide Nadi with whom we had dived 2 years ago. He no longer dives. Alex, the new owner of Thalatta Resort, asked Nadi to take over the reins of the diving club. He now manages the entire small team and the maintenance of the diving center. We will dive with Oien during the 7 days. He is now the most experienced guide. He was trained by Nadi. We had already dived with him during Nadi's "day off" in August 2022. He is very good and has gone out of his way to show us as much as possible.... Ouch that's where it starts to get stuck. The season is really not ideal, not too much life, few nudibranchs, shrimps and others. It's nature and you have to accept it. We are "just" a few weeks, even days before the gradual return of the little beasts. Nature... hmmm that includes the weather. Not really at the top of the wind coming from the north-east and some clouds. But overall it was very nice. A little frustrated at having been able to fly very little with the drone. Big frustration on the day of departure with flat seas.... And to think that 2 days before, on the way back from the last dive, my wife, while jumping from the Banka "at the wrong" time, sprained her ankle... It is therefore with a crutch that she will leave the Thalatta. Thanks to the carpenter, who quickly made him something to move around without putting too much strain on his foot. Thanks also to the masseuse who worked a miracle. Our physiotherapists should learn from this... More than an hour of massage to relieve pain and try to unravel problems and restore mobility. Back to diving. After the first day where we did a double dive trip to the south (Basak) and then in the afternoon a House Reef for the two of us, we left for Apo and three dives on the second. The crossing is slightly hectic but it goes well with the very comfortable banka. First dive on the bow of Apo.. hmmm but where have the fish gone? The place is still beautiful with soft corals everywhere, a few turtles but very few fish. The next 2 dives will be the same. Frustration, disappointment and sadness. After a little discussion, it seems that the locals are fishing in the "marine park"... Two days later the 2 bankas are scheduled for Apo... we will have a short day of rest. That's how much we were marked by this first outing in Apo. On the way back from the banka (yes there was only one that went out, the group that had booked the second one cancelled at the last minute ) those who dived there were delighted... obviously there was life... But it was the first time... or we had fallen on a very bad day. We will have to go back to find out for sure. A day doing nothing feels good but it's so long . We will continue by diving on the coast of Dauin to the north and south and for me a little "night dive" on the "House Reef"... and on the last day a single dive on the HR with a very sporty but then very sporty launch and return. The photographic harvest was less, as was the quality and variety of the subjects. It's nature, you have to know how to accept it. A small overview of the result. More here The Thalatta Resort, for those who know it, it's always the same. You feel good there, you should say: always so good. The restaurant is always good, as is the staff of the whole hotel who are very attentive, helpful and smiling. No regrets about coming back. The changes now: Alex, the new owner, obviously has plans not to change anything... i.e. to keep this family atmosphere. Keeping the same concept of what Patrick has built. But there is an important point, he intends to do better... To improve the Thalata little by little, in small steps and I don't doubt for a moment that he will succeed. He started by redoing the inflation installation New compressors, and nitrox per membrane... The best of the best, a very good start. On the hotel side, renovation work is being carried out everywhere. Small things like the restaurant toilets, the new fresco and different layouts tested. Everywhere, gardeners are replanting new plants to further embellish the setting. I like it. At the bar, installation of shade sails so that you can sit there during the day. I'm curious to see how it will evolve in a few months. Anyway, you can go quietly, you won't be disappointed, the Thalatta Resort is a place made for divers. If you stop by the Paris Dive Show, there should be a booth with the Thalatta. Alex should be there with the former owner Patrick. We will go there to say hello to them. There is a difference between Patrick and Alex.... Patrick didn't dive, Alex, yes and he's not a beginner.... I believe that there will be positive surprises in the future on the diving side. Small downside... As a child, the prices of the dives have increased slightly. After 2 stays of 10 and 8 nights I will not hesitate for a moment to go back but at another time when there is more life... why not spend Christmas 2025 there... the whole team is well on its way to make the atmosphere there, with the decoration and a nice "Christmas menu"... I almost placed an order . Let's move on to the 3rd part of our stay. Once again we made the choice to go back where we would be sure not to be disappointed. Yes, yes I know maybe we should go elsewhere to be more adventurous... Of course not. I totally assume this choice to return in order to enjoy even more and a little differently. We appreciate finding what we loved, in order to savor the place once again. If possible, we do a small combination of safe bets with "experimentation". The next trip will again be in this style 2/3 of novelty and to finish 1/3 back... But let's get back to this trip which ends in an hour with our landing in Zurich. Anda in the south-east of the island of Bohol is a remote place, it is the price to pay to find the calm... almost 3 hours drive from Tagbilaran without counting the 2 hour crossing by speedboat from Dumaguete. We will arrive at nightfall... very tired but happy to find the Island View Beachfront Resort that we had found magical the first time. Peter the owner has made small improvements such as terraces on the front of the cabanas bungalows. Sorry for posting all this pictures but it is such a lovely place. The restaurant, the "Old Plantation" is always at the top, the reference in Anda, and guests from other hotels come there to treat themselves. We had a great time... Too much maybe the scale won't like it, I'm afraid. After a visit to the room, we meet at the bar, Hubert the boss of Anda Scuba Diving whom we did not know yet since he was in France during our 1st visit. There is also Olivier who is in his third season here. Zack, with whom we had dived in 2022, has returned to France. Nice contact and appointment for the next day before 8 am for the paperwork and our first dive. After a restful night, we are at the club with "Captain Thomas" still in place, but now there is still Jason, a young Filipino, who takes care of the inflation and supports Thomas in all the preparations on the boat. He looks serious and during our stay he passed his Open Water. Hubert intends to train him to become a guide, and thus expand the team. The boat... It was replaced by a larger one but kept the same flat bottom philosophy in order to be able to sail in a few centimeters of water and be able to approach the beach at low tide. I find it really very good, comfortable, the edge is very wide, you are well seated and equipped with the block, it can be placed stable on it while waiting for the launch. The service is top-notch, and the security system is at the forefront. Only downside, yes I know I'm a born complainer there are only S80s.... But Hubert is well aware that it will be necessary to invest in some S100 in order to make heavy consumers feel comfortable and safe. I managed but I admit that I was a bit frustrated to often stay a little higher, just to keep the hour of diving... on the other hand I never used my reserve on fins which came out regularly with 100 bar... I let her enjoy her dives without playing parasite, attached to the rescue. Underwater, the same as elsewhere, less life and always the same reasons given. Not really the season, and in addition the water being particularly hot it seems to accentuate the phenomenon. In the end, the water lost 1 to 2 °C, going from 30 to sometimes 28 on the last day. There were quite a few turtles 2 years ago... But this year we have moved to a whole new level. There are many more of them and they are less shy. I think we are slowly approaching the "level" of Bunaken. Awesome. Unlike Dauin, we had a very calm sea being protected from the wind by the big island of Bohol. Very well. We enjoyed ourselves even if, as already said, I regret a little lack of life. But the last 2 days, there was starting to be a little more to see. According to Hubert, the high season is fast approaching, More to watch here On the diving side, as well as on the hotel and restaurant side, no regrets about having gone back to dive in Anda and as for the Thalatta I can only recommend the address. If the opportunity arises, we will return without the slightest hesitation. It's a good way to end a stay, with a little more upscale services. Depending on the return flight, it is necessary to leave a day earlier and spend a night not too far from the airport. This was our case. We made it simple by going to the Waterfront right next to the airport. Decent room, big and beautiful pool but on the restaurant side there is better. I regretted not having dinner while having a simple meal in the domestic flight airport lobby right in front of the hotel. In Singapore, the work is now complete. There weren't too many people I found, at least that's my impression. Singapore Air nothing to say, the economy class is not bad and when you see the comfort that those who fly in business class can have... I understand why this company is always so well ranked. Here we are back in Europe and tomorrow work resumes. The 7-hour time difference is really complicated on the way back, on the way there it goes very well. Who knows why Nice little trip of more than 3 weeks including the trips. But small frustrations due to a lack of life, yes, yes I'm jaded, there's no need to remind myself of that. Just like the weather which was not at the top of the best and which could have led to even more serious consequences for my partner's ankle. We were hot on this one. In the end, I dived a little less than expected with only 47 dives distributed like this: Maolboal: 11, Dauin: 16 and Anda: 20 On average, they had 1 hour, a maximum depth of 34m and only 3 dives of more than 30. A hiccup with a 38-minute dive because a member of the group was at 40 bar after 35 minutes of diving Now I'm going to get ready for the next trip which will be soon and to a mythical destination for divers, Raja Ampat with a short week in Lembeh on the way back, a destination just as famous for its Muck Dive. Thanks for reading. I publish the report in french and used the automatic translate module of Microsoft Word. I hope this stay comprehensible and you enjoy my report. Feel free to ask if you have question. Comment are also welcome. Hugues

Managing underwater photography collections can be overwhelming, but with Adobe Lightroom's robust metadata features, organization becomes seamless. On his blog, Mike Jones outlines a systematic approach to metadata management, emphasizing the importance of consistent practices to enhance searchability and gain deeper insights into marine environments. Key steps include: Rating: Assigning ratings to evaluate image quality. Keywords: Applying terms to describe the environment and subjects. Title: Using a consistent format for easy grouping. Species: Recording both common and scientific names. Category: Grouping similar species under broader classifications. GPS: Adding precise coordinates to document the exact location of each shot. Implementing these practices transforms your photo library into a valuable dataset, capturing snapshots of time, place, biodiversity, and behavior. For a comprehensive guide, visit Mike Jones's blog: https://mikejonesdive.com/lightroom-metadata