Shark Shoot Out, Nassau, Bahamas

For those of you that don't know the Shark Shootout takes place annually in Nassau, Bahamas.  It is hosted by legendary Stephen Frink and Stuart Cove.  Hollywood conditions are created to provide underwater photographers like myself the ultimate encounter with dozens of Caribbean Reef Sharks.  I have done many Reef Shark Dives in Nassau over the last 10 years and none of them come close to providing you with the access and saturation of sharks that this contest does.  Over the course of the week  I never stopped snapping shots. Click here to meet my good friend Mangle Mouth, he was like a puppy and followed me around sniffing my head over and over.  At one point I thought I was being strategically moved by another photographer, but when I turned around I realized I had just gotten tossed by a reef shark that managed to shred some of the plastic surrounding my regulator hose. Luckily it was just cosmetic damage.  There are times when you come home from a trip and you have to search and search for a decent shot, this was not one of those trips.  As I filed through my pictures all I could do was smile.  To view my winning shots please checkout the SHARK SHOOTOUT 2007  Gallery 

Great White Sharks, Isla Guadalupe

Flew into San Diego, Ca and boarded the MV Horizon at the H&M Landing and prepared for our 2o some hour boat ride to Isla Guadalupe, Mexico.  We were fortunate to have decent seas on the trip there.  The crew did an exceptional job and the food was great!  This was a cage dive on a hooka system so the divers went in shifts.  Can I just say that there were white sharks every day on every shift.  At one time there were 4 white sharks with over 90 feet of visibility.  On this trip we encountered a dozen or more different white sharks including a juvenile male and a 16 foot gorgeous female.  This trip is a photographers dream, shallow depths, ambient light, and endless subjects.  I will be returning to seal prison later this fall hoping to capture some shots of the local inmates this time.

Kona Classic 2007

EELS, EELS, and more EELS.  This June was my first trip to Hawaii.  I went out there to participate in the Kona Classic 2007.   My goal was to photograph the Manta Rays, but no such luck.  I went out almost every night but unfortunately no Mantas to be found.  I was lucky to have an amazing encounter with a pod of Pilot Whales  and two Oceanic White Tips, the unfortunate part of the story is that all I had with me on that dive was a macro lens.  I had a wonderful time and really enjoyed diving with the Kona Honu Divers.  They run a very smooth operation and I would definitely recommend them.