A few shots from Wakatobi

Returned from Wakatobi last weekend; my first long trip with the 5D. Had some wonderful dives. The camera performed beautifully. Here's a few to get started. It'll probably take about a week to sort out the ones I like into an album.

Really like the two-spot lionfish. They are a tough species to shoot because they are always moving and run away from your lights (they are usually only seen at night). All that and you got it coming towards the camera and on a nice background.

Alex

Nice stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing the whole gallery.

Hi Herb,

I love the two-spot as Alex stated. But I also like the first one, too. I think my ex wife was one of those things.....leaches are they

hahahahahahahahahah..... ah Joe, you always crack me up

good shots herb

Very nice Herb,you did well with those skittish fish. Pleasure meeting you, how did you make out with the Mantas & Mola Molas?

Very nice Herb,you did well with those skittish fish. Pleasure meeting you, how did you make out with the Mantas & Mola Molas?

Hi Cindy. It was great meeting you also. Hope you got in some great shots.

I was very lucky with the mantas & molas: 5 mantas and 3 molas and one thresher shark in 3 short dives at Nusa Penida. It was cold! 72F at Manta point and 68F at Crystal Bay.

Really like the two-spot lionfish. They are a tough species to shoot because they are always moving and run away from your lights (they are usually only seen at night). All that and you got it coming towards the camera and on a nice background.

 

Alex

Thanks Alex. I think the adjustable brightness of the FIX mod light really helped. The dive guide had warned us during the briefing that these fish didn't like lights so I turned my light to minimum when one of the other divers spotted it and called me over. That fish didn't seem to mind the light at that intensity too much. I was able to spent about 5 minutes with it before it ran off into an area that was not very accessible. It was an interesting fish to watch. The way it moved was closer to running than swimming. It never came off the bottom.

Hi Cindy. It was great meeting you also. Hope you got in some great shots.

I was very lucky with the mantas & molas: 5 mantas and 3 molas and one thresher shark in 3 short dives at Nusa Penida. It was cold! 72F at Manta point and 68F at Crystal Bay.

Lucky you! Some great photos as well I hope? Hey better you than WWW me, 68-72 brrrrrrrrrr.

Thanks yes, have a few keepers in the photo department, but better yet, fond memories of a grand adventure.

I've heard Wakatobi is really militant about touching the reef, with a no glove policy......photogs and video types, often we need to come to rest on our knees underwater to stablize for a shot.....

I try to find an area where there isn't anything growing, just sand...and some times something I really wanted to shoot I can't because there is just too much growing for me to be able to kneel upon....

So how was Wakatobi dive guides on those issues?

I've heard Wakatobi is really militant about touching the reef, with a no glove policy......photogs and video types, often we need to come to rest on our knees underwater to stablize for a shot.....

 

I try to find an area where there isn't anything growing, just sand...and some times something I really wanted to shoot I can't because there is just too much growing for me to be able to kneel upon....

 

So how was Wakatobi dive guides on those issues?

Dave,

For myself, I didn't find Wakatobi militant at all about their policies. They have a beautiful reef and suggest means to divers and photographers how best to handle the shot. Although the sandy areas we dived in were few, there really isn't much opportunity to kneel anywhere.Scorpionfish, Lionfish, Jawfish and Gobies tend to haunt those sandy areas there are, so great care must be taken. The dive guides on pointing out marine life to divers, would often offer their shoulders for stablization to those needing or desiring it.Other times they would point to a spot on the reef that was available for a finger rest. All in all, I applaud their efforts. Never once did I feel I was in the presence of Dive nazis, but rather DMs recognizing a potential problem and doing their best to offer means to handle situations, with the health of the reef and diver in mind.