Capturing the Moment

  Maui has to be one of the best places for an underwater photographer to find and take amazing photos of sea turtles. You don't need to go on an expensive boat ride to some far off location, you just need a bit of local knowledge. If this is high on your radar for your trip to Maui you can find that local knowledge here .    These are all photos of Hawaiian green sea turtles, or Chelonia mydas . If you would have snorkeled in Hawaii 40 years ago it would have been very difficult to find a sea turtle, they were hunted almost to extinction. They were mostly hunted for their meat, which is supposed to be delicious but has a green color to it caused by all the green algae they eat.    To give you an idea of the possibilities for sea turtle photography, all of these pictures were taken over the course of two 45 minute snorkels. The first snorkel I concentrated on feeding turtles surrounded by red algae and crashing waves overhead. I really like the addi...

      How To Take Professional Quality Photos of Dolphins in the Wild    This article hopes to help you get the most out of your wild dolphin encounter. If you have ever tried to take photos of wild dolphins you know how hard it can be trying to time it just right as they leap out of the water. Or if you are headed to a place like Hawaii you may be lucky enough to see them in the water. After living on the water for the greater part of the last decade I have had countless opportunities to photograph dolphins, and I have found several tips and tricks to nailing the best shot. Leaping Spotted Dolphins    As with any wildlife photography, the more you research and learn about your animal subject, the better position you will be in to nail the best photograph. Different species of dolphins act differently so knowing what their behaviors are can be essential. What makes dolphin and whale photography so difficult is the fact that they only spend ...

   Scuba Diving in Cape Town, South Africa: Wide Angle Photography   The cold water off Africa's southwestern tip near Cape Town is teeming with life. It is also teeming with wrecks of ships that didn't find the 'good hope' while navigating around the infamous Cape of Good Hope. There are dozens of colorful nudibranch species for the biological treasure hunter, and quite a few opportunities for some fabulous wide angle underwater photography.    Diving in the southern hemisphere winter will grant you a bit better visibility, but during the summer months a god day will run you 10-15ft at most spots. Now, (October) is the shoulder season so we lucked out with a good 20ft of vis on the reefs, 15 on the wreck, and about 40ft at the Cape Fur Seal rookery.    You can dive both the east and west sides of the peninsula and there are several dive operators that work mainly out of Hout Bay on the west, or Simon's Town on the east side, depending on w...

Scuba Diving in Reunion Island: Underwater Photography   Still a secret to most Americans, the hidden gem of Reunion Island lies off the east coast of Africa in the warm Indian Ocean. Tropical coral reefs surround the island, attaching to the old and recent lava flows from the shield volcanoes that make up this island. The island is also known for surf, so keeping an eyes on the size of the swell is a must if you are planning a dive vacation there. Stingray and Lion fish under a ledge in Reunion     Reunion Island stays a bit under the radar while the Seychelles claim much of the diving fame in this part of the world, but uncrowded reefs followed by delicious French pastries can be a real treat for those adventurous enough to make the long journey. We chose Reunion after looking into different diving options leaving from South Africa including Mozambique, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar. It turns out the 4hr plane ticket to Reunion was cheaper tha...

Lava flowing from Kilauea Volcano Pele Battles the Sea   It has been three years since lava has flowed into the ocean on the south shore of the Big Island. Kilauea Volcano has been active this entire time, and even came close to destroying the town of Puna. I always keep a close eye on the flow at the US Geological Survey website here: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php . This gives you daily updates on the crater lakes at the summit and the outbreaks of lava like the one entering the ocean right now. There are several families who run hiking tours out to see the lava, as well as some boat companies that will go in for great photo opportunities. Be prepared to use some long exposure to get good nighttime pictures. This natural phenomena is one of the coolest spectacles on earth. Stars over the lava lake at Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii