Dasher

The reefs are still very nice, and the weather is capricious as always (we're about to get hit by the same typhoon that mucked up the water all weekend ). Interestingly, Sunabe seawall and Kadena Steps, two of the most frequented sites becuase of their proximity and ease of entry, have the best soft coral. My favorite sites are Onna and Toiletbowl in the north, and Channel Crevices in the south. The reefs are relatively dead compared to the outer islands, but the diving is still pretty great. I'm told that there were many more Cowries and other shellfish in the 80's. The Crown-of-Thorns is our current biggest menace (next to mankind, of course). NOTE: for those who are unfamiliar with Okinawa, it is an island in the Ryuku chain that extends south from the Japanese main islands, arcing all the way down to Taiwan. The island is about 70 miles from N to S, but very narrow -- only about 2-3 miles wide at some points. The island is entirely coral in its origins, despite its location in the "ring of fire". There is a barrier reef practically surrounding it, and many potential dive sites inaccessible without a boat, which is problematic as boats are not so common here.

Ken, I just got the 8080 and after doing some research cancelled my PT-023 order and got the Ikelite housing with a DS-125. I absolutely love them. One or two key issues to consider: using internal flash with the Oly housing uses your precious camera battery life and generates heat inside the housing that may lead to fogging. The DS-125 with smart charger provides more light and has enough battery for me to shoot 200+ times. I use a 512 MB high speed flash card, and can WEAR IT OUT before the camera or strobe batteries start to falter. I can usually get about 150 shots on that card, so have tested it by erasing while still diving. Also I give thumbs up to the exposure I get with the TTL sync cord. I'm still learning the system, and continue to make mistakes, but I am glad I paid the money. Good luck!

ACDSee is a great browser and has a decent image editor (if you buy the Power Pack) however the search and crossreferencing capabilities are NOT what you are looking for. Price is around $50-60.

Hi folks, I'm a physician stationed with the Marines on Okinawa (Japan). I have been diving since 1982, but started photography here two years ago with a Sony Cybershot. Having gone through two of those I am now using an Oly 8080, with Ikelite housing and DS-125. I'm thinking of more light soon... I dive virtually every weekend (only Saturday a.m.'s or the wife and kids don't appreciate the absence), and look forward to learning and sharing on this site. It will be difficult to hold back all my questions until I have had a chance to really read through all the forums! Here are some shots from my last couple dives, to give you an idea how beginner-ish I am. I'm looking forward to the criticism (constructive I hope... ha ha). Cheers, Dean

Scorpionfish at 12m, on a coral reef wall. Is this oxycephala?

Thanks! I looked up your answer in fishbase and it looks right. Hard to tell with out seeing teeth, etc. Interestingly, fishbase lists G. tessellata as a synonym of G. favagineus.

I thought this might be a whitemouth moray but the spots are kind of backwards (black on white rather than white on brown). Perhaps a peppered moray (s. picta)? Photo from west coast of Okinawa. Depth 4 meters.