Beneath the Waves | the Year Ahead

For the first time, I have put together a calendar with some of my underwater images. With twenty-fifteen around the corner I thought now is as good a time as ever to share this. The images included in the calendar were taken in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean and consist of wide variety of marine life. The calendar is available for purchase at RedBubble.com 

May the year ahead be full of health and happiness!

  

Holiday Blues

A couple of years back I had the opportunity to join a group of divers from Singapore on an adventure to Thailand. It was the week of Christmas 2012 when we set sail for the Similan Islands, via liveaboard. Let me just say, sinking beneath the waves on Christmas day was certainly one of the coolest gifts this diver could conjure up.

But generally, not a whole lot of diving takes place at this time of year if you happen to be one of the many who live in a landlocked location. Traveling at this time of year (for whatever reason) isn't practical. The cost of flights become ridiculous, the airport congestion is a nightmare, and of course, there are those festive holiday parties you don't want to miss. For those that do have a chance to get in the water and dive in December, I envy your persistence.

While in recent years we have remained at home for the holidays, I have tried to come up with ways to keep the ocean nearby. If you are like me and going through diving withdrawal here are a few ideas to lift your spirits.  

Marine Inspired Christmas Ornaments:

Inspiring Preservation of the Arctic with Arts & Science

Expedition - August 2015

ELYSIUM ARTISTS FOR THE ARCTIC is a project that combines the expertise of some of the world’s top scientists, artists, and explorers to create a multi-faceted interpretation of the Arctic. Artists for the Arctic hopes to inspire greater appreciation, understanding, and love for this critically important part of our planet, while drawing attention to the impacts of climate change. This icy ecosystem is regarded as one of the most enchanting wilderness regions of our planet, yet volatile and under severe threat from the warming of the world’s climate. This expedition promises to deliver the most awe-inspiring and stunning visual representation ever seen of the Arctic. The sights, sounds, and science captured by the Elysium Team will inspire ways to preserve and protect life at the top of the world through art, education, and outreach. 

THE MISSION: The Explorer Team’s mission is to encapsulate the splendor of the Arctic through the sights and sounds of this enthralling region, into one exquisite volume, a film and exhibitions around the world in eight major cities in 2016-2017. Elysium's science team will record and study the impacts of disappearing sea ice in the Arctic, inspiring, educating, and engaging the public about the wonders of the Arctic and its importance to our global climate. Through cross-cultural dialogue and educational outreach programs, Artists for the Arctic aims to exchange knowledge with Inuit groups and Elders about their home and the animals that live there. These first-hand accounts will be broadcast through a series of exhibitions worldwide, global social networks, and media channels, inspiring conservation for the diverse life of the Arctic as well as drawing attention to the impacts of climate change, ocean change, and disappearing sea ice. Only with your support will we be able to spread this critical message around the globe. You can have a direct impact on the way the world sees and understands the Arctic, and consequently on how we protect this precious polar region in the near future.

Elysium Artists for the Arctic is a carbon neutral expedition funded by Ocean Geographic Society.

WHAT WE NEED:  We need to maximize our time in the Arctic, and what we can accomplish will directly depend on how much money is raised in the next 2 months. Our goal for this campaign is to raise $350,000.  

We projected $80, 000 to bring in specialized scientific equipment: Open source ROVs with HD cameras, temperature and salinity instruments, mobile aquarium and scientist to bring in the video plankton recorder, laboratory and plankton sampling equipment. We'll need $85,000 to create and produce the Elysium limited edition book and movie, $25,000 for the Elysium Arctic Report,  $20,000 to produce the full soundtrack, and $150,000 to transport and curate exhibition for eight cities. 

Please consider donating to this one of a kind project.  Click on the Polar Bear below and you'll be redirected to the Indiegogo Campaign Site to learn more about the interesting rewards for getting involved:

Cage Diving with Great Whites (False Bay & Shark Alley)

For easier reading, click on the first section to enlarge text.  

Prepping for Elysium Arctic Expedition

In late August, early September my husband and I took a short flight from Wroclaw, Poland (where we currently live) to the Tri-City up along the Baltic Sea.  We had always heard great things about the region however after living in Poland for a year and a half we somehow hadn't made it up there.  With Santi as one of the equipment sponsors for an upcoming expedition to the Arctic, and with their headquarters so close by in Gdynia, we decided to make our way north to personally place our dry suit orders.  Flying in on Saturday afternoon and leaving Monday evening we had roughly 48 hours to see the highlights of the three cities (Sopot, Gdansk, & Gdynia) and get fitted for our first drysuits. It was a hectic but exciting trip!

We had a hotel booked in Sopot since it is situated between Gdansk and Gdynia, however quickly realised it is the heart and soul of the Tri-City.  The salty air, long expanse of the sandy shore and wide array of seaside restaurants was a nice break from landlocked Wroclaw.  With Europe's longest boardwalk just outside of our hotel, I must admit it felt as if I was back at home along the Eastern Seaboard.  The three cities were definitely worth the visit and from what we learned there are some really cool wreck dives along the coast.  Since the Baltic isn't known for its warm temperatures we would first need some drysuits before getting involved in that.

Monday morning, once inside Santi's headquarters we were immediately impressed with both the hospitality and layout of the office/workshop.  The atmosphere was very welcoming and also visually intriguing.  Highly saturated diving images and graffiti art were splashed across the white walls while a large assortment of dive gear seemed to be calling out to us.  

                                                       The first order of business was the measurements and there were many.  This was our first time ordering dry suits and we were probably a bit too particular but they are really too expensive to have mistakes made.  It was an interesting and rather warm experience as we layered ourselves in to thermals, heated vests, under suits and then the outer shells.  Surely I would be warm in the Arctic but once everything was on I struggled to understand how exactly I was supposed to move; let alone dive and photograph in such an alien environment.  If you'd like to learn more about the upcoming expedition, Artists for the Arctic; click here:  http://www.elysiumepic.underwaterartists.com  

Where it all Happens ~ The Dry Suit Factory (above)

Recap of the Digital Shootout in Little Cayman

Recently I wrote an article on an incredible week diving in Little Cayman with Backscatter   Underwater Video & Photo for their annual Digital Shootout Workshop & Competition which was published at Uwpmag.com.  If you have ever thought of attending one of these events read on! (To enlarge text click each section):

Little Snippets from Little Cayman

With a trip to the States and Cayman Islands back to back, June has been quite a whirlwind.  Eight flights later, I am trying to recover from a bout of severe jet lag and a cold I caught somewhere over the Atlantic.  Hence the reason my writing has been seriously lacking.  Although, now that I've clarified my silence I feel comfortable moving forward and talking about the awesome week of diving I had in Little Cayman.

Completely the opposite of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman is a quiet, undeveloped retreat with much more of a relaxing vibe to it.  A short thirty minute flight and you have made it to your own deserted island.  Ten miles long, one mile wide, and a population of under two hundred one can understand why.  Before you read any further, I should mention if you've got a thing or two about small planes this might not be the place to plan your next trip; as the cockpit is wide open, the tires could use some air and well the weight of each piece of luggage is taken very seriously.  But if small planes are more your speed, likely you'll find the person sitting next to you is making the hop over to LC simply for some scuba diving.  Seriously though, with fifty dive sites around the island and a regulator bag on everyones lap this isn't too difficult to figure out.

So all the hooplah about Bloody Bay Wall is definitely right on and really the sheer size of it isn't understood until one has the courage to swim off the wall, and out into the blue.  Confirming your regulator is snug in your mouth, stop finning and pull a 180.  Let your eyes adjust for a moment and hold that regulator tightly.  Quite likely your jaw will have the urge to drop.  Ignore it.  Take a photo, make sure you got it and swim back to the safety of the wall.  Of course you can't see it but that wall descends to about 6000 feet.  Pretty amazing, huh? One last thing, do me a favour and email me that shot?!

While the wall was mighty impressive I'll admit I get weirded out by deep depths along reef walls.  I've probably read one too many stories about downward currents and have really got to stop reading I think.  This is definitely my problem! But I did dive the bloody wall several times and loved every second of it.  The gi-normous barrel sponges were my favourite and snuggling up inside one may have crossed my mind for a split second ;o)  But really up in the shallows, you've got the ambient light flickering about, the garguntuan loggerhead turtles barrelling across the reef, nurse sharks playing hide and seek with you and giant barracuda's that seem to appear out nowhere.  For me this is where it's at.

With shallow depths your air lasts so much longer, giving you the time to find what you're looking for and hopefully photograph it well.  In the shallows I came across nurse sharks, turtles, octopi, squid, giant barracuda's, stunning sea fans, and the peculiar but pretty trumpetfish.  Unfortunately it wasn't until my very last dive that I had a run in with some fire coral as I was trying to photograph a trumpetfish.  This was my first mishap underwater and hopefully my last.  Fire coral really has a bite to it and at first I wasn't sure what happened.  I just knew my hand was on fire.  Hence, the name fire coral.  In any case, I survived to share a few shots I snapped while diving Little Cayman.          

    

Crete's Underwater Cathedral

I didn't have overly high expectations for Crete, either above or below the surface, which I think was a good thing as the island was full of some exciting surprises.  The terrain is rugged and mountainous with rocky to sandy shores that merge with an azure blue sea and the thought of the scuba diving has me yearning to go back to explore more of the island.  Only in town for four dives we tried to make the best of the short time we had on the north side of the island in Chania.  We explored three different underwater sites, Spotlights, Cathedral and an unnamed site near Stavros Bay where we enjoyed complete solitude on a quiet Sunday afternoon.  The image below is from our favourite site, Cathedral.

As I swam slowly out of the darkness into a massive underwater cathedral, my eyes readjusted and before me lay this spectacular image.  I then made my way closer to the "altar" via the sandy and ascending aisle, where I knelt down (slightly frustrated for not bringing a strobe with me) and prayed I'd be able to properly convey the magnificence of this place to others.  

Exploring Jardines de la Reina with Ocean Geographic

Recently I wrote an article on my amazing experience diving with Ocean Geographic in Gardens of the Queen and it was published at Uwpmag.com (Underwater Photography Magazine). Check it out! (click each section to enlarge text):

Drysuit Diving in Malta

One of the first steps in preparing for an underwater expedition next summer in the Arctic is getting acquainted with a type of exposure suit that will keep me warm and dry in one of the most extreme places on the planet.  Having only been scuba diving in warm, tropical destinations I've only ever needed a wetsuit.  So I wasn't sure what to expect when it comes to drysuits.  But I do know that if I want to dive in the Arctic, getting drysuit certified is obligatory.

Arriving in Malta for Easter weekend, I made my way over to the dive shop, Divewise, in St. Julian's Bay.  I spent some time diving with them back in September and felt confident that I'd be in the best hands on the island.  Viv and Jacques (the dog) are quite welcoming and quickly get things sorted for the course.  I'm given a new Otter dry suit to try on and while getting my head through the latex seal was much more difficult than I anticipated, I like the look and feel of the red and black suit.   I slightly feel like an astronaut; especially after I learn that the zipper on the suit traces its roots back to the space program's need for a water/airtight seal.  I've certainly never seen a similar zipper anywhere before.

As I took my first steps into the chilly 16C Mediterranean Sea, I quickly realized the importance of the undergarments I had on below the shell of my dry suit.  Ultimately these undergarments are where the warmth comes from as the shell itself simply keeps the water out.   Adding air to the suit will also provide necessary insulation between your body and the cold water.

*Freeze frame from GoPro Hero3+ with Backscatter Flip 3.1 Filter

Diving with Whale Sharks

This was a bucket list item of mine for a while so when I finally got the chance to jump into the water with this gentle giant in the Maldives, I was beside myself.  Trying ridiculously hard to keep up with this baby whale shark was a beyond my abilities.  However as you can see from this image my fellow diver was certainly keeping pace with him.  I clearly need to hit the gym! The experience was brief but the incredible memory is everlasting.  I definitely need to get back in the water with some whale sharks again soon.

  

Step Aside Modesty

A recent shot of mine from Gardens of the Queen in Cuba was awarded "Image of Edition" in the latest edition of Ocean Geographic.  It is really a huge honour to have won this award and even more so that it was presented by Ocean Geographic (which in case I hadn't mentioned is my favorite magazine)! Silky Sharks are classified as "Near Threatened" by the IUCN and as their numbers are diminishing worldwide, it was such a privilege to be able to dive with dozens of these brown sweeties.  It was definitely the highlight of my time in Cuba and having this image selected feels really great.  Thank you, OG!  

A wise inVESTment!

On a recent trip I decided to wear a photography vest to the airport as a precaution against carry-on limitations.  And honestly, I couldn't be happier with how it worked out.  All too often I check in for a flight without being asked to weigh my carry-on case which is usually filled with sensible items.  But then when I arrive at the gate I get raised eyebrows from the flight attendants and next thing I know I am being directed to a scale to weigh my bag.

Chasing Crocodiles

Up until recently I’ll admit photographing saltwater crocodiles in their natural habitat was not high on my list of shots to get. At least not face to face in the water. But that’s exactly what I set out to do with five other crazy divers one calm February morning in Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen). Our adrenaline was already pumping as we had just finished up our first dive of the trip with two dozen Caribbean reef sharks. It was an incredible way to start off the trip so our spirits were high as we were heading back to the main boat for some coffee. Through the noise of the boat engine and water breaking we heard our expedition leader, Michael Aw, shout Niño (pronounced neen-yo) in a suggestive tone to our guide Noel Lopez. Unless you have been to Jardines, the word Niño means nothing to you but for me Nino had meant a few restless nights alone in the dark with my wild imagination. I knew we would meet some saltwater crocodiles on our trip, I knew I would be getting in the water and photographing them, but I hadn’t realized just how quickly it would happen. The fact that the time had finally arrived was a bit unsettling.

Why YOU Should Dive with Sharks

Sometimes people ask me what it’s like to dive with sharks and why I choose to do so.  “Aren’t you afraid of them?”, is a common question or maybe just another way of saying “You’re an idiot!”.  Of course I understand where this feeling comes from as not very long ago I was the one asking the same thing.  I really enjoy answering these sorts of questions because I hope that through my little stories others will be encouraged to let go of their fears and see sharks in a different light. 

I’ve come to realize that giving in to your fears can be very limiting. Certainly a healthy dose of it can be handy from time to time but letting it control you is a mistake far too many people make. People always say that when you set aside your fears you are capable of accomplishing anything. You see, there were so many things that I had always wanted to do but my worries kept holding me back.  It took far too long for me to realize I was missing out on so many amazing experiences because I kept getting in the way of myself.  In the beginning of my diving days I constantly worried about sharks. Having never had any close encounters with them I really couldn’t justify it. So what did I do? I went looking for sharks, of course! 

Surprise Cameo

Last Saturday, I was lying in bed when my husband brought me a hot cup of coffee along with a fresh copy of Diver Magazine (to try to inject some life into my body).  He knows me so well.  Coffee and diving magazines get my attention!  As I was skimming through the pages I came across an image that startled me a bit.  It was an image of me.  Not the most flattering image but nonetheless I made it into a Dive Magazine! First goal of 2014, check! Lol.  I'm kidding.  Of course that doesn't count! But doesn't it?!                

My husband had to be in London for work so I tried to find something worthwhile to do while we were there.  I spent a few minutes googling events in London that week when it occurred to me that I should search 'dive events in UK'.  Sure enough, there was an expo being held in Birmingham.  Not only that, but the underwater photography speakers lined up were excellent.  So naturally, we rented a car and drove up to Birmingham for the weekend.  I got to listen to Michael Aw, Martin Edge, and Alex Mustard talk about underwater photography (and I couldn't have been happier).  Oh, and apparently I had my photo taken while doing so too!

She Makes a Little Ocean

“But in a way you can say that after leaving the sea, after all those millions of years of living inside of the sea, we took the ocean with us. When a woman makes a baby, she gives it water, inside her  body, to grow in. That water inside her body is almost exactly the same as the water of the sea.   It is salty, by just the same amount. She makes a little ocean, in her body.   And not only this.  Our blood and our sweating, they are both salty, almost exactly like the water from the sea is salty. We carry oceans inside of us, in our blood and our sweat. And we are crying the oceans, in our tears.”

One of my favourite quotes from Gregory David Robert's book Shantaram and I think most appropriate for this post.  Let me introduce my gorgeous friend Nisrine.  She is currently on her third pregnancy but unfortunately has never had herself photographed pregnant.  We decided it was time to change that.  

My Happy Place

Finding the time to dive is an ongoing priority of mine.  Being in the water and behind the camera has become really important to me because I feel the happiest there.  But I realised a while ago that I don't have to be in some exotic dive location to be in the water snapping photos.  

While portrait photography on land never interested me much, its a different story in the water.  The fluid environment creates a sense of movement you don't find on land.  For me, seeing someone suspended in the water; weightless and free-spirited is a beautiful thing.   

For nine months of our lives we live in this fluid environment yet many of us never find a 

connection with it again.  Our bodies, our planet, our minds are all dependent on this one element.  Why not create images celebrating this fact? In my journey throughout the underwater realm I hope to do so.  In these photos I tried to capture the love these two great 

people have for one another . . . 

Diving with Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

This place is definitely off the beaten path, but well worth the effort of getting there.  The service here is top-notch.  Everything is taken care of and everyone’s there to dive.  Of course you don’t have to dive to have a good time as there is plenty of snorkelling along their extensive house reef that will keep you entertained for some time.  On the short boat ride from the airport you'll pass by the local town which is supported by visitors to Wakatobi.  It was great to hear that the resort has had sucha positive impact on the locals livelihoods as well as the protection of the reefs.

 

Speaking of reefs, it doesn't get much better than this.  Cut off from mass tourism, Wakatobi truly is a remote island refuge.  It is situated in the heart of the Coral Triangle and if you know anything about reefs, you know this is where it's at in terms of diving.  But do take note, if you are hoping to see large pelagic you're headed to the wrong island.  This place is all about macro.  For those of you that are into photography, be sure to pack your macro lens and port.  Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time with video on this trip and don't have a lot in terms of macro shots.  But I can assure you if macro isn't your thing there are many other options.  The walls and reefs capes are incredibly dramatic.   

Giant Strides

As I wrote in my first post, I had some anxieties about the ocean, however as much as I feared it, I couldn’t stay away.  Living in Southeast Asia at the time, I realized I needed to seize the opportunity to get acquainted with the Coral Triangle.  So I went to Koh Tao, an island off the eastern coast of Thailand to get certified through PADI as an Open Water Diver.  This island is well known for pumping out certified divers like they are on an assembly line, however, I decided to go a different route.  Having a one-on-one instructor

from the Jamahkiri resort helped me overcome a few of my hangups and by the end of the week I felt pretty comfortable in the water.  If you are heading to Koh Tao you should take a look at these guys as an alternative to the crowded dive operations found everywhere 

else on the island.  

My biggest obstacle of this trip was definitely clearing my mask.  If you are unfamiliar with diving, this is an important skill to master. If and when water seeps inside your mask, whether intentionally or unintentionally (leaks or even comes off completely), being able to 

clear the water from it needs to be second nature.  For some reason I had an irresistible urge to inhale any drops of water resting in the nose piece of my mask.  So I am sure you can understand my hesitation with having to remove it completely, put it back on and clear the seawater from it. I cannot tell you how many times I inhaled water while practicing this skill

in a pool.  It was extremely frustrating and embarrassing to say the least. But at least in a pool you can stand up and cough it out. With 15 meters of water above your head this becomes a bit more tricky.  Even though this was my last task in completing the course and the entire reason I was in Koh Tao; I felt close to bailing on the whole thing.   As my PADI instructor waited patiently for me to muster up the courage, I started to fidget around and grew more and more anxious.  My shifting in the sand caused a bit of an issue with the visibility and this just added to my anxiety.

Wet Feet

The idea of scuba diving has always intrigued me. It’s was one of those bucket list items I thought would be great to try once, just to say I did it. But the truth is, scuba diving is not something you can say you’ve tried if you’ve only been once or twice.  I’ve always loved the ocean. Marine life of all shapes and sizes piqued my interest. But for some reason, I was also slightly terrified of it as a kid and that fear followed me into adulthood.  So when the 

opportunity to finally give it a shot came about, naturally all I could think about were the sea monsters below the surface waiting to get me.  Instead of focusing on how amazing it was that my first ever dive was in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, I focused all of my energy on how much I did not want to see a shark.  All I could think about after both feet were safely back on the boat was how lucky I was to be in one piece and that while it was an amazing 

experience, I probably couldn’t bring myself to try it again.  Why take the risk? By the way, about that shark I didn't want to see; I saw him and he saw me and I was shocked at how quickly he wanted to get away from us.