Pics from Yap

I just got back from 6 days diving in Yap with Yap Diver/Mike Veitch. Well, it is supposed to be dry season but we had rain pretty much every day. Visibility around the outer reef was excellent but Mi'il Chanel where all the mantas supposed to be was not. I saw total of 6 mantas and viz was rather poor so there may have been more but I could not see.

At least my manta curse seemed to be lifted somewhat. In the past, I only saw mantas from afar in Komodo, Burma and Thailand and dnver got closer than 7-8m of one for more than 5 second. Thanks to Mike, I even got a video to prove that I got pretty close to some

Unfortunatley I did not see dozens of mantas as I hope and no manta train.

The high light of the trip for me was the shark feeding. Viz was excellent and mother nature actually cooperated for once iwth bright sunny afternoon and good visibility. There were about 20 grey reef sharks and a few black tips.

I have not had time to process the pictures yet as I took my laptop with me but without the power supply

So far I only have 2 pics to show but hopefully I will be able to add some more over the next few days.

Too bad my new DS200 strobe did not arrive in time and my Subal zoom gear for 17-55DX only arrived in Bangkok 2 days ago. It would have been great for the shark feeding dive as the 12-24mm was a bit too wide for the grey reef sharks in Yap!

I also just watch the video that Mike took of me. Bad mistake, I thought I was pretty comfortable underwater but after seeing the video, comfortable, I may be but definitely not graceful or even competent looking

Good stuff. I am solid lump underwater! No grace at all - but good for long exposures!

Alex

Sawadee.

Weren't the mantas suppose to be getting it on in Feb? I only had a manta and sailfish(1/2) breach since I went all crittery in Indo.

Now you know why I never am near another video shooter... the evidence of incompetency would be too glaring.

No manta mating sighting however I did try my best to rub my belly against a female manta's belly to no avail (but I got close enough that 12mm end of 12-24mm and 10.5mm was not quite wide enough on a few shots )

Here is one more shot

That last pic is really nice. Too bad that line is in the pic.

Joe

Good stuff. I am solid lump underwater! No grace at all - but good for long exposures!

 

Alex

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Alex,

Forget magic filter, I think you need to invent graceful filter

From now on, I will definitely shy away from video camera

Joe, I agree, it would be nice not to have to bait and line in the picture. Unfortunately from my angle, it was a bit hard to do that, beside I wedge myself behind a rock pretty well that only my head and camera was exposed. To my right and slightly in front, there was another guy with dual SS200 strobes with big long arms who also kept blowing bubbles my way so whenever the shark came that way, I would get a picture with no line but with strobes and giant bubbles in the picture

Here is another pic:

a 12 ft female manta that I got to name!

Mmmmm, that one is a money shot! I love the diagonal lines. It really pulls you into the manta's world and lets you feel its grace...

Now, how did you get to name her? I thought all the mantas in Yap were residents and had all been named? Did she just show up when you arrived? I have not been to Yap, but its on my 'must hit' list.

Mmmmm, that one is a money shot! I love the diagonal lines.  It really pulls you into the manta's world and lets you feel its grace...

 

Now, how did you get to name her?  I thought all the mantas in Yap were residents and had all been named?  Did she just show up when you arrived? I have not been to Yap, but its on my 'must hit' list.

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Yap Diver and Mike is keeping the data base of all the resident mantas with all the marking detail. When I took the shot, I went to their board to see if I could match her to one in the database but I could not. So I gave a picture to Mike and he let me name her!

I am naming her after a son of a very good friend whom I try to talk into doing scuba diving So far the plan works pretty well!

I think you should name her jbonehoss in honor of my *awesome* wetpixel handle!! haha

Great honor and excellent photos!

I have two questions:

- How do you know if it's a male or a female?

- How many mantas there called Mike?

- How many mantas there called Mike? 

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Actually thats Mike Jr....

What can i say i have no social life, got to get it somewhere....

Great shots Boi, sorry bout the rope...

- How do you know if it's a male or a female?

 

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In my very non scientific term, a she-manta has a pair of whats its name pair of thingy where as a he-manta has 2 pairs of whatever thingy there (see the attached picture)!

Mike probably has more experience than I at picking out female mantas!

Here is one with no rope

Mike probably has more experience than I at picking out female mantas!

Boi.....very nice color

Karl

WOW, Bio I love that blue water, wish we could get that here.. amazing and cool shot of the shark. Mike Im jealous of your blue water........no wonder you want that Phenom sorted.

Rope what rope, I had a bit of fun with ya pic Bio. Amazing what 5 mins in Photoshop can do.

http://www.hdvunderwater.com/testshark.jpg

Wags

Stuffed that up try again...

WOW, Bio I love that blue water, wish we could get that here.. amazing and cool shot of the shark. Mike Im jealous of your blue water........no wonder you want that Phenom sorted.

Rope what rope, I had a bit of fun with ya pic Bio. Amazing what 5 mins in Photoshop can do.

Wags

Did I say rope? I mean, I am on dope....Excellentttt.

Joe

Cool! Now, can you add Mike's head to the shark's mouth? Now that would be the picture of the year

I know I should try to remove that rope before showing the original picture. Now everybody knows

The water at Vertigo where shark feeding took place was incredibly blue.

The water around southern reef was kind of strange blue. In the channel, it was blue but viz was only 5-7 m. If you look hard enough, there were actually 3 mantas in the first manta picture that I post but it is really too dark to see all 3 clearly.

Definitely a nice change to the often greenish water we get around Andaman Sea lately!

Boi

Well I did not have any pics of Mikes head but will this do......

The things ones does late a night....

Hey we have horrible green water here as well at Ningaloo.

Maybe something is going on.

Wags... put down the crack pipe!!!