.Greg

You are a braver man than me. That up close and personal with the biz end of a sperm whale would test my resolve.

I searched for the Tokina 11-16 and have found a few threads including one from Undertow with example shots, but he was using a 9.5" dome. I will be taking quite a lot of split shots and shallow water shore diving shots. The Tokina 10-17 is not an option because of the barrel distortion. (Digital correction softens.) I also prefer the 11-16 over the 10-17 because I can switch to topside shots on the same trip without a second lens. If any can point to some example photos it would be greatly appreciated

Tim, While I agree with what you say about certain pelagics in captivity, bringing people face to face does personalize them a bit more which will persuade more people to support their causes. (Orcas in a swimming pool is absurd, not referring to them.) If you want to go to the full tree hugger extreme perspective for just a moment, underwater photographers are very wasteful in terms of a high carbon footprint for their photo gear, travel, diving gear, diving transportation, etc. Absolutely none of it is an essential. Yet from a standpoint of personalizing the oceans, reefs, etc. I think recreational photography is a net positive for the environment.

Thank you Rocha, exactly my point. I am not saying hunt GG's, all I said was I would not personally sign a petition against 400. However, I don't live there now so I am not suggesting what anyone else does, just stating why I wouldn't based on the observations I made. If you are going to continue to protect the GG's now that they seem to be doing better (at least where I was), then please do some studies on their impact of their prey combined with the added pressure of recreational and commercial fishing. And if that study points to increasing fishing restrictions on other species, then please do so. If you made the entire state of Florida catch and release only for all species that would be fine by me. I am not a fisherman and I don't even eat fish. Anyone who eats seafood is contributing to the problem by increasing demand. I am not a fanatical tree hugger so anyone who wants to eat fish, knock yourself out, just letting you know why I don't. Walt, sorry, but you misunderstood my point about private spots. I did not imply I knew of any secret honey holes with GG's. Anybody with a little bit of time can ride around and see where people are are anchored, especially locals or tour guides, and come back to the spots later. By private spot I meant they do not receive even a small fraction of the fishing pressure that more accessible spots like bridges and channels receive. From your comment it also sounds as if you think I am referring to the GG, I am not, I was referring to the prey fish: crevalle, snappers, grunts, etc.

Could I get away with a pair of S&S YS-27 DX's for a compact dedicated super macro setup? (D90, Nikon 105, Subsee 10+) The strobes will be as close as possible but I still want as much light as needed.

At least 2 patch reefs I know of had tons of fish for more than 7 years. In both cases after GG's took up residence, the decline in the fish was such to the point we finally quit going back after more than a year of continually checking it out. BTW, these were not spots targeted by fisherman or tourists. When you live in the keys a long time you find a lot of "private" spots so to speak. However, if you read my post carefully I am not making any scientific claims, my main point was that they should do more studies to know exactly what the impact is. Please re-read my post carefully, in at least three places I mention it is US my friend. Years ago fishermen were not harvesting GG's and the reefs did just fine, but there was also not a massive harvesting of other game fish at the same time. A continued complete protection of such an apex predator might have a negative impact on other game fish species because of the added pressure from fishermen. Having witnessed the rise in GG population for years and the related impact on the rest of the reef, I would never sign a petition against harvesting 400 fish. If it was a complete lifting of protection, count me in because GG's are just too voracious, inquisitive and friendly to survive on their own against fishermen.

Thanks for the quick reply. Got it, will stick to basic LR tutorials.

I have bought a couple of tutorial books for LR but I am better with video training. Would a tutorial like "Underwater Photoshop" be applicable to Lightroom? I don't need it to be exact, just that it uses similar tools and layer controls. Thanks

(Guy behind the bar) "Yo buddy, you got your beer." (Guy in striped shirt) "Yep, definitely in your hand." (Guy with beer) "I can't hear either of you."

Hi Walt, I consider myself a conservationist and Goliath Groupers are one of my favorite fish when diving in Florida. However, after living and diving for many years in the lower Keys, the "big picture" would have to include a study on the impact of continuing to protect an apex predator combined with added pressures on other species. Years ago the GG's declined severely and their protection did an excellent job of bringing them back. I don't think a limited collection would be the end of the world for a couple of reasons. First, their numbers have increased significantly. Second, they do have a dramatic impact on the reefs where they live. There is a definite decline in the number of fish on a reef when you have multiple resident GG's move in. This is not a hypothesis, I have seen it first hand on a couple of favorite dive spots. Years ago fishermen were not harvesting GG's and the reefs did just fine, but there was also not a massive harvesting of other game fish at the same time. A continued complete protection of such an apex predator might have a negative impact on other game fish species because of the added pressure from fishermen. Having witnessed the rise in GG population for years and the related impact on the rest of the reef, I would never sign a petition against harvesting 400 fish. If it was a complete lifting of protection, count me in because GG's are just too voracious, inquisitive and friendly to survive on their own against fishermen.

Thanks!

Does anybody know if Reefnet is finally shipping their Subsee adapters? The only thing I could find was a thread on Digital Diver as late as October 9th, and still no word. I emailed Reefnet last week but no reply yet.

News article about shark finning in Australia: Australia shark finning.

Sorry, found what I was looking for here: Reefmote Control

Did a search and was unable to find another post with this information. On the following page is a photo documentation of whale shark hunting from creating the hook all the way down to boxing for shipment. Whale Shark Hunting Photos It is from years past, but whale shark hunting still happens.