Capturing the Moment

  This was my favorite shot from the morning. This whale surfaced very close to our small boat, then rolled on its side and gave us a pectoral fin slap. We were looking up at a whale! The sunrise colors were beautiful over Haleakala volcano. This was taken with a wide angle camera. The whale was that close! It is always a great time to be in Hawaii, but January through March is the best time to be here for humpback whale encounters. This morning I had my guests wake up early, before the sunrise, to go for a sunrise whale watch from our small boats. Almost every guests took me up on the offer...and the early birds definitely got the worms. We had amazing encounters and different behaviors with the whales. We even had some whales come so close to us that I had to switch to my wide angle lens. Even if we hadn't seen a single whale, the sunrise itself was worth the trip. Early morning is just a wonderful time to be out on the water. Everyone was very glad that they went. Here is the mo...

Sunrise Humpbacks Humpback Photos   After going a few days without seeing any cetaceans (whales), we got lucky running across a few humpback whales near Thrasher Rock in British Columbia. It looked like a mother with a yearling, maybe getting ready for the long migration south to the breeding area. While we watched the duo we were also basking in a beautiful sunrise. I guess this is why they call this part of British Columbia's coast the 'Sunshine Coast.' The colors and backlighting added a little uniqueness to an already magical encounter with these whales. Big Bull headed my way    It turns out that our whale watching for the day was not over after we left the humpbacks. A few hours later, close to the Canada USA border, I spotted the telltail tall black dorsal fin of an orca from a couple miles out. I couldn't believe my binoculars just happened to scan right over that area as it came up for a breath. It took another fifteen minutes for us to get...

Sunrise over the Bluff   Looking back at growing up on Isle of Hope reminds me what an amazing place it was, and still is. Going back now I have the urge to capture some of the southern charm of the island in photos. With this mission in mind I took off around the island on foot and by bike and found some beautiful scenes. Find this photo and more at www.daimartamarack.com    The first place I always head to capture the beauty of the island is the waterfront. Isle of Hope's famous Bluff Drive at sunrise is a sure fire bet for photography. The old wooden docks lead your eyes out into the intercoastal waterway and the rising sun. Early in the morning often brings glassy calm water which can add to the scene reflecting the colors of the sky. Looking away from the water one can see the early morning glow of light on the old plantation houses. The blue house on Parkersburg Wormsloe Historic Site   Another feature of Isle of Hope that crowds my memori...

Low Clouds and Sunrise over the Bluff Isle of Hope Frame Whenever I get back to Savannah I always try to take in a sunrise over the marsh from Bluff Drive on Isle of Hope. I have scored some of my favorite sunrise photographs from the vantage. Today I was lucky again, with beautiful sunrise colors bouncing off the low lying clouds and then reflected in the flat calm water.   Savannah is one of those places that gets prettier and prettier everyone time you visit. It happened again this trip. The iconic bluff drive on Isle of Hope

After a nine and a half hour direct flight from Honolulu to Washington D.C., and a quick regional flight I found myself back in my hometown of Savannah, Georgia. It is not often that I get a chance to visit so I try to pack in as much southern themed experiences as I can in the time that I am back. This trip was only a week but included catching alligators, sunrise walks on Bluff Drive, a road trip to Atlanta, a late late night Braves game, a photo tour of downtown Savannah, and drinks with the gang.     Southern food and eateries are always high on my list of experiences when I visit as well. I am pretty sure all but one of my breakfasts included grits and I had some classic Southern breakfast charm at the Waffle House and Cracker Barrel. And since a road trip to Atlanta was in the plans I had to grab a yellow dog and varsity orange at the Varsity. Some things never change...while at the same time new developments, homes, and other buildings catch my eye each time I come ...

Bumphead Parrotfish Sunrise at Tulamben Beach There is no time to sleep-in here in Tulamben. Doing a late night dive searching for nocturnal creatures isn't an excuse to miss the very special dive that happens at 5:30am every morning. Sometime late at night, a resident school of bumphead parrotfish make their way back to the wreck of the U.S. Liberty to sleep into the morning. Different fish have different sleeping or resting methods. Bumphead parrotfish rest by floating motionless just off the sandy bottom with all of their buddies. Unlike small fish who have to hide at night so they aren't eaten, the bumphead parrotfish's massive size is defense enough. Floating together in a large group can make them look even more intimidating. Part of the school   If you are one of the first groups of the day in the water here at Tulumben, you have a good chance of hanging out with these big fish. Their clown like grins and beautiful blue green colors make them a favori...