Sardine Run, Wetpixel Trip

Hey, guys! The Wetpixel Sardine Run group has been having great luck so far. We haven't had any big bait balls yet, but both days we've been able to go out (2 of 4, so far), we've had small bait balls and tons of dolphin, whale, and ganet activity. This is extreme diving at its finest.

The Wetpixel group:

We're bumping into Drew every once in awhile. He maintains that he is staying in "civilization" down the coast for us, but you don't see him logging on and posting photos. hehehe.

Giles is having many "firsts" here. "That's my first whale!" "That's my first dolphin!" "That's my first sandwich!" etc. etc. He hasn't been in cold water since he was certified, so it's funny to listen to him complain about being in a 5mm suit.

We tried to get out early this morning (7am), but the conditions were too rough for a launch and probably too bad to be worth being out there. It's an off day today, so I thought I'd post a few images from the last two days.

The Mbotyi River Lodge, from the air:

More photos from two days of water time:

Hi Eric

You guys look like something out of Team America Aquatic Version..... but where are the all the babes

Great pics.....

The sardine run is bearable in 5mm?

Cor

Eric:

Great shots as always! I love the last one. Keep 'em coming!

Doug

Nice pics! What a great adventure...

Cheers, Jett

Have fun and be safe Eric. Great pix.

Oh, and tell Giles that I think he looks super-sexy in that wetsuit!

Cheers

James

Have fun guys - you all suck!

Thanks for the pictures Eric - my fav is the last one too.

Great stuff! What kind of birds are those torpedoing from the surface?

"but where are the all the babes"

a look at the photograph of this motley crew answers that question...

Looks good so far...

tell Giles to lay off the beer or Alex will fire him as a model...

The water has been really warm here, so a 5mm would be totally fine at the surface (20 deg C). However, when (if?) we get some action and get in on scuba, it will be much more comfortable in a 7mm.

By the way, the Wetpixel group is:

Eric Cheng

Ken Howard

Matt Moreno

Giles Shaxted

Flann Horgan

Jurg Vonwil

Lucien Schmidlin

Son Ly

Also, Michael Aw and Franco Banfi are here. There are multiple film crews around, too, including an IMAX team with a helicopter.

Bad weather prevented us from going out again today, so it's been 2 of 5 days out on the water! 3 more days in the water with SEAL, and then Giles, Ken and I will be out 7 days with Drew.

Looks like a lot of fun. Keep shooting!

Looks like you are having more luck than I did in 2003. We had unseasonally warm water and no sardines!

We've just finished our 10 days with SEAL Expeditions. Of our 8 possible days, we were actually out on the water for 5, and even though we saw (small) bait balls around, it was unusual for everything to come together in such a way that even warranted getting into the water. At least 9-10 boats out on the water rushing to get in on big action didn't make anything easier, and sometimes it seemed that the incoming zodiacs themselves would break up the action (when skippers decided to just zoom in instead of skirting around the edge).

But the entire experience was altogether enjoyable, and we've all had a great time here.

Ken, Giles and I are now at the Outspan Inn in Port St. Johns, and will be here with Drew for 6-7 more days out on the water. I hope we get a proper bait ball so we can have the opportunity to attempt to get some good images!

More photos:

Matt, Giles, Son, and Cain (our guide) on horses. Gallopy horses, that made our bums sore.

The most beautiful double rainbow I've ever seen, right from the Mbotyi River Lodge:

Magwa Falls:

Ken Howard, freediving on a small bait ball:

Cape Gannet surfacing after a dive:

Common dolphin and sardines, with plenty of space for text.

Crazy topside action. Moving too fast to get in.

Cape gannets diving into the water.

A juvenile cape gannet eats a sardine on the surface.

Bull and copper sharks on the surface, feeding on a bait ball (rare to have them grouped together shoulder to shoulder!)

A challenge?!?

I don't pepper the board with images. Just 1 will do.

Great pics guys, yep I'm jealous....and drew you have to be happy with that shot

Did you crop it from a larger shot or was that it as taken.

Great shots -- sounds pretty wild (not just IN the water, but vying for space with all the other boats ABOVE water!)!

Exciting shots as usual Eric!

And Drew, that whale is, well absolutely awesome, but I bet you already know that!!

Looks and sounds exciting,

Thanks, Carol

yes was good fun but also tough and as already posted the big show was not (yet?) there...maybe next week for Eric, Ken and Giles or next year for me (maybe). In addition I got sick in between and have not many good underwater shots... but another highlight was the return trip since Lucien did not want to take the 5 hours bus ride and hence ordered a private chopper! And from up there we got some humpbacks mother-baby and breaching action! unfortunate not as tack sharp as I wished albeit shot with the 70-200 VR (plus 2x teleconverter) at ISO 200 and between 1/750 and 1/1500 sec! Would you believe that? Obviously shooting out of a fast moving helicopter with a tele lens requires something like ISO 800 and 1/8000 sec max shutter speed...another new experience!