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Filmed during my June 2023 trip to Galapagos. Best watched in 4k.

A few "magic hour" shots from Cuba, let me know what you think! [IMG=https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agier-Cmg9MtqqMngurDNgg9eCi1Ew?e=O1ujqO] [IMG=https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agier-Cmg9MtqqMu-IzEfYEoPOWDFw?e=wh8cSq] [IMG=https://1drv.ms/i/s!Agier-Cmg9MtqqMfFj7feEF3xHSVdg?e=Go6eUN]

Underwater shots with Sony A1 in Nauticam housing with WWL-1b wet lense and 28-60mm combo. Turn the quality up to 2160p if you can.

Hi Divers Sadly we can't dive in Thailand these days and I miss it badly. But it's given me time to do something I've wanted to do for a long time, to rewatch and rank my favourite underwater documentaries. So I made a video about my top 10 favourites. What's your favourite? Check out my video:

Hey guys. I'm new on wetpixel but I've been freediving for quite a while. I've always loved having a camera in my hands underwater. My brother recently passed away and I adopted his setup. I used to shoot with my 5dmkii and an Aquatica housing. I proudly run my brother's 1DXmkii now in an Aquatica housing with his name on the back. He had such a gift of sharing the underwater world with people. He saw the world through childlike fascination and it showed in his imagery. So proud of what he accomplished and I'm happy for what I learned from him. This video was shot in a grand total of about five freedives. The hammerhead footage was taken with my 5Dmkii. The sand tigers were shot a couple years later with my brother's rig after he passed here in North Carolina. John Through_Brother's_Eyes.mp4

Free in February! The ebook Polynesia ~ An Ocean Realm by Pete Atkinson available for download from this Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g8jkf4yz82jyqep/Polynesia - An Ocean Realm EBOOK.pdf?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR0eu0D-3r7t7ZM9pNxVlN35WZWhE6n0VHo5EhJiOjhkctcltYzl5bpeJgY Inspired by the underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau, Pete Atkinson bought an old yacht on the south coast of England in 1982 and sailed to the South Pacific. He had no experience, relevant qualifications, life-raft, radio, GPS (or insurance) but he says, "I had read a lot of books and I had a plastic sextant I had bought at a jumble sale..." He also had a degree in marine zoology. For 20 years he sailed 45000 miles all over the South Pacific having the life of which he had dreamed, diving with whales and sometimes too many sharks. He found adventure above and below the sea aboard a beautiful, but somewhat marginal, wooden yacht! Escaping the rat race is the dream of many, but few achieve it. This book shows that with passion and determination anything is possible, even on a limited budget. Pete made ends meet by shooting pictures underwater - using home-made acrylic camera housings - and writing articles for diving and sailing magazines. The twelve chapters cover French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tonga and Pete's favourite, remote Beveridge Reef, where there is no land at all. But it has what he loves most, exceptionally clear water and lots of sharks! Two appendices look at the Moody-built cutter Eila and underwater photography. This is a book not only for those interested in adventure in the ocean, Polynesian life, marine biology, sailing and diving but also those who aspire to escape a humdrum life and become a pirate! About Pete Atkinson. Award-winning Getty Images photographer Pete Atkinson studied marine zoology at Bangor University in North Wales where he learned to dive. His articles have appeared in Cruising World, Classic Boat, Tauchen, Diver, Sportdiver, Dive New Zealand etc and his photos have won many awards, including the Innovation Award at the the 2004 Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the award for "Best British Underwater Photographer" in 1999 and 2001. He now lives in Phuket, Thailand with his wife, photographer Darin Limsuansub.

Hi all there is a proposal for shark culling in Western Australia because... well they eat fish. If you care to learn more, here's a summary: https://www.scubadivermag.com.au/western-australia-shark-cull-proposed/ Please sign the petition, and share: http://chng.it/rzpswtBNHJ @adamhanlon worth putting on Wetpixel front page?

Have you ever seen a Diver Narcose And Go Crazy? Narcose Diver Go Crazy!!!

This spring I went to the Bahamas aboard Dolphin Dive. We dove off of Tiger Beach. We spent 8 days there!! Had a great trip. Here are some pics from the trip: Here is a link to the rest of the pics: https://www.seansydnorphotography.com/p606434102

My husband and I have spent the last few years doing filming projects in Indonesia and spent a fair bit of time in Cenderawasih Bay, Papua. It seems like more and more people are headed to the area to dive/swim with the whale sharks but we have noticed that it is a nightmare to find good information online about Nabire and getting out to the whale sharks. We wrote up this guide on our blog to hopefully help others navigate Nabire (always an adventure!). It is an amazing place to spend time with whale sharks. Best of luck to any one headed there! Katy https://nomads-expeditions.blog/2017/03/14/the-whale-sharks-of-cenderawasih-bay-nabire-papua/

I have always been under the impression that constant lights (video) do not appeal to sharks but I may be wrong and I was looking for any research on the subject I am quite positive that strobes are almost invisible to sharks that are almost blind as I have never seen a reaction but for video lights I have always find marine life to react in some ways and therefore always excluded sharks and video lights as a combination Recently though I have seen some some footage of sharks shot with video lights so I am particularly curious about it Has anyone any evidence empirical or scientific to understand more about this?

Hi everyone, This year I made a short film advocating for shark conservation, and I worked with shark conservationists Cristina Zenato in the Bahamas and Jim Abernethy in Florida to tell their personal stories, as well as my own. I showed it at Aperture Gallery in NYC in May, and as part of the official selection of the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in NYC in October. Would love for you guys to check it out and tell me what you think! www.vimeo.com/juliabahlsen/cageless Julia

hello all, I've always wanted to dive and photograph whale sharks. Can any one give me some recommendations on where to go and best time to go?

Went back to FL again this year with a LDS to do some shark diving in Florida. The conditions were not the best. A couple of days the water was green and had an east current. Had to make the best of the situation. Here are pics from the trip. I hope you enjoy: All were shot with a Canon 5DM3 in an Aquatica housing with 2 Ikelite 161 strobes. For this trip, I used a Canon 8-15mm Fisheye lens. More pics can be found here at: http://www.seansydnorphotography.com/p948662645

Here's a short video of a dive at La Jolla Cove in San Diego, CA from March 13, 2018. Poor viz so not really good quality, shot with existing light and a Panasonic GH5 w/ Panasonic 14-42mm lens in a Nauticam Housing. At least there were plenty of sharks around, although I wasn't able to get too much good footage of them due to conditions. Water temps warmer than usual for this time of year, about 59F. -Roger Uzun

Went Snorkeling here in San Diego, CA this AM (April 1st). Water temps were very cold, 50-51F. Still there were several turtles around, and some seven gill sharks as well. I don't know how the turtles can stand such cold water. The air temps were warmer but the turtles never seem to leave the water so... Here's a short video of the mornings swim, shot with a GoPro Hero 6 Black - -Roger Uzun

Traveled to the Philippines in Nov 2017, Coron and Malapascua. Here's a short video showing a few highlights of the trip. Some fantastic diving with great guys. Shot using a Panasonic GH5 camera, panasonic 14-42mm lens, +10 Diopter (+3 in water), CMC-1 diopter and WWL-1 Lens in a Nauticam housing. Surface shots taken with a Panasonic VX870 camcorder, aerial shots with a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone. Same video on Vimeo here - -Roger Uzun rogeruzun@gmail.com

Tiger Beach and Wild Dolphins Combo trip to The Bahamas MV Dolphin Dream II May 18-25, 2018 $3750 pp dbl occ (two cabins with a total of 4 spaces left) Join Mauricio Handler on this extended combo expedition to photograph and film Sharks and wild Dolphin pods in the Bahamas. Tiger Beach Sharks (Tigers, Lemons, Hammerheads and Reef Sharks) Plus Wild Bahamas Bank Dolphin Pod encounters during the day and hunting on Flying fish and squid at night! We leave from West Palm Beach. No Air travel to the Bahamas required. One on one technical and creative support by mauricio. Contact Mauricio for details: mauricio@handlerphoto.com 207-504-0733 www.aquaterrafilms.com

Hi Everyone, Wanted to share my latest. This was a trip to Roatan Honduras last week. Hope you all enjoy! -Dustin

Hi, I'll be on a 3-day basking shark trip in August and am looking for tips on photography. I'm planning to utilize the 8mm fisheye on my Olympus setup for majority of the UW work, as it's the widest lens I've got. I assume the 14-42 zoom would not be sufficient in capturing these big beauties. However, would it be advantageous to acquire a wide-angle zoom like the 9-18? Also, I've never done a tour like this. I am considering bringing two cameras, one at the ready, loaded in housing, to go overboard with when something awesome swims by the boat, and a second body with a long telephoto to capture breaching animals and such while in the boat. Does that make sense or will I not be frantically switching between topside and underwater subjects? Packing light is a goal as this is part of a larger Scotland/England trip, so if I can get by with one camera to use that would be a big plus.

Tigers, bull sharks, nurse sharks and lemons, black tip and grey reef sharks! Meet the superstars of the world famous ‘Cathedral’ in Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Your 5 night/6 day tour gives you quality time in the water, up close and personal with these magnificent animals, plus you’ll explore some of the best soft coral diving the ocean has to offer. Not only will you experience some of the best shark encounters imaginable, you’ll receive a program of expert tuition designed to take your photography to the next level of technique and creativity. This is your chance to shoot alongside Canon Master Darren Jew and gain personal insights into the creative processes that goes into capturing his award-winning images. A mix of structured workshop sessions and supervised lab time will be led by Darren each afternoon and will ensure you make the most of the images you capture. Your Sharks Underwater – Beqa Lagoon tour price includes: • Expert photography guidance, tuition and education • Group transfers Nadi-Pacific Harbour-Nadi • Group boat transfer to our island resort from Pacific Harbour • 5 nights twin or double share per bedroom in our 2 bedroom apartments - • 4 guests per apartment with large living space, air conditioning, private bathroom with separate toilet. • All Meals from dinner on arrival day to breakfast on departure day • 4 days diving/ 9 dives, as per itinerary • Exclusive use of dive boat for our group • Free House Reef diving and snorkelling at any time • Nitrox Dive Package. If you are not Nitrox Certified an SSI Nitrox course is available at the dive shop on day of arrival, at extra cost) • Mask/snorkel/fins/wetsuit/BCD/reg set hire as required • Workshop and supervised Creative Lab time • Personalised photography tuition • Wi-fi (one device per person) Full Itinerary here: http://whalesunderwater.com/sharks-underwater/ Contact Darren Jew for further information: darren@darrenjew.com

Here is a short clip taken with a Sony AX100/Gates Housing/Gates GT-14 Lights & Tiffen Filters, shot onboard Mike Ball's Spoilsport out at Osprey Reef, Great Barrier Reef Australia.

On my Big Animals trips, it’s the locals who make the difference in our journey. Observing Cubanos’ colorful, robust and up beat tempo overshadows the limitations I’ve observed imposed on their lives. They live in a city and countryside that is basically “frozen in time.” There is a fifty-year “time warp.” San Cristóbal de la Habana or Havana, Cuba’s capital city is only a short ninety miles from Florida. Having visited the island country four times, I have fallen in love with its beauty, culture, and now its scuba diving. Yes, I would rate Havana as a city comparable to Paris, Rome, Oslo, London and even Shanghai. Travel to Cuba is now permissible for US citizens through cultural exchange programs sanctioned by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, which in the first phase of my journey gave me the freedom to interact in the daily activities of the Cuban community, experiencing their architecture, history, art, culture, and the music of daily life in and around Havana. In the second phase of the trip, I visited the Gardens of the Queen to witness first hand the efforts being taken to preserve and protect a marine ecosystem that is unique to the southern coast of Cuba. “Jardines de la Reina” was declared a Marine Park in 1996. By limiting the number of divers per year to 1,500, this intricate network of untouched marine ecosystems will be preserved for future generations. Part 1: HAVANA Most visitors especially enjoy their time exploring Habana Vieja (Old), a beautifully restored collection of colonial buildings complete with winding cobblestone streets merging into central plazas. La Habana Vieja is one of the world’s more interesting colonial old towns. Designated a UNESCO site, the area includes more than 900 historical buildings with architecture varying from baroque to art deco. Havana is undergoing a fast transformation, despite lingering limitations imposed by the government, from tourism from all over the world and now, unbelievably the United States of America. During my visit, in a few short days, I met Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, European of all nationalities, Canadians, Mexicans, Argentines and Brazilians. In spite of the tourist influx, a day in Old Havana rivals a city tour anywhere. It is colorful and entertaining to wander the narrow streets bustling with people, some colorfully dressed and walking on stilts, through antique, unique building architecture lined with small shops. El Floridita, Ernest Hemingway’s historic fish restaurant and cocktail bar hangout is famous for its daiquiris and mojitos. You can feel the tempo of the salsa music. In Havana “eye candy” is seeing a rainbow, those lime, pink, yellow, blue, plus black and white convertible and sedans dating back to the 1940s and 50s. Fully restored to their past glory, if we are lucky, we can find one for hire as a taxi. Evening adds another flavor. It is time to eat well and there are great places to get fresh seafood and a variety of excellent paradores (private restaurants.) Vegas-type shows are a must as well as the Buena Vista Social Club. I danced the night away and like me, maybe you would like to feel that salsa tempo again, too. Those forbidden (embargoed) Havana cigars are, well, just a puff of the temptation. Cigar blends, including the more popular and critically acclaimed Choiba, Monte Christi, and Romeo & Juliet can be purchased at wholesale factories at better prices plus the opportunity to see them hand made. A visit to a cigar factory and city art and historical museums offers a deeper respect of the country and its people. Not to be missed is the availability of 15-20-30 year old Santiago rum…a superb shot costs a dollar for each year of aging. Part 2: GARDENS OF THE QUEEN My visit to Havana was only the opener to my main event: diving at Jardines de la Reina, or Gardens of the Queen National Park. The nature reserve and archipelago is a large coral reef and mangrove forest, about 48 miles southeast of Cuba’s southern coast. Years ago, the Cuban Government granted a permit to just one operator to establish a floating commercial and conservation base. The operation’s name is Avalon Cuba Fishing Centers. It is an Italian outfit. It began years ago with a floating headquarters and a few vessels for fishing, but later on it added diving services only after placing underwater hooks at the many good dive sites. No anchors need to be dropped on the fragile coral; heavy ropes lead to the surface and are attached to floating buoys. There are numerous dive sites, so there’s no need to dive on the same site every day, which allows the reef and wildlife to recover after divers visit. The reefs in Gardens of the Queen are surprisingly untouched, and I have not spotted any broken corals in the area. At one site, there is a garden of more than five dozen elkhorn coral heads. They are beautifully situated in shallow water no more than 16 feet deep against a sandy bottom, with hard-coral polyps reflecting the sunlight, in a yellow glowing color amid thousands of fish. Porgy, schoolmaster, blue-striped grunt, and goatfish all roam in big numbers among the coral heads and arms. At the Los Sabalos dive site, I discovered a complex array of grottoes and pillars. Amid those dramatic formations, I photographed a large school of tarpon hunting anchovies. All of a sudden, I heard Noel, my dive guide, screaming underwater through his regulator, and I raised my eyes above my viewfinder to see a 14-foot great hammerhead passing between Noel and me. Noel got it on his video. I got it in my personal memory bank. Shark feeding also takes place on several dive sites. Divemasters carry boxes full of fish extracts, and then place the boxes among the coral heads. On my visit, it only took a few minutes for a dozen Caribbean reef sharks to start arriving from different directions. At one point, I counted more than 35 sharks. Lying on the sandy bottom at 45 feet, looking through the blue water at sharks circling above my head but exclusively fixated on the box with bait, I could even be careless about my bubbles. At another location, the bait was used to attract silky sharks. They arrived even faster, and in greater numbers. To my delight, Noel advised me that if he removed the box from the reef, the sharks would follow him to the boat, leaving me alone to photograph the sharks swarming around the dive boat, all in the purest blue water. It was a fantastic photo opportunity, with numerous shark silhouettes beside the dive boat, all above me. At still another site, la Finca de Pepe, Noel brought the bait box with him again, but this time it was to attract goliath groupers—each three- to four-feet-long, and weighing from 100 to 120 pounds. At the start, they were shy to approach us, but only a few minutes later, as we hovered in one place, a grouper was in my face and just above my camera dome. The reef fishes here have no fear of divers. They don’t swim away, since no fishing or hunting has been allowed in these waters for many years. The shallow and healthy reef of yellow and black coral—plus red and purple sponges 10 to 15 feet below the surface—are all washed in bright sunlight, and colors of the fish will be vivid to your eyes. Of course, I must also mention the presence of a few saltwater American crocodiles that are amazingly friendly. Yes, these crocs have been fed by the floating center for years. The local divemasters will make a call, and then the crocs come out of their hiding places among the mangroves to hang out beside the dive boats, hoping for a handout. The crocs here are small, from four- to five-feet-long. At first, most divers elect to stay onboard, and take pictures from above of the crocs’ brownish yellow bodies against the refreshing blue water. However, as soon as one diver goes into the water and starts photographing them from the side, just two or three feet away, others realize that the approach is easy. As long as you do not touch the crocs, divers can approach one at a time and come home with exciting images of an animal that was once considered fearsome, but now the fear is gone and beauty is what remains. The weather was superb during my spring stay, warm and sunny on the surface, with a water temperature rising to 82F (28C). A 3-mm or 1/8” wetsuit was just enough. Underwater visibility differs from low to high tide, ranging from 60 feet (20 meters) to 100 feet (30 meters). The operation’s newest liveaboard is the Avalon II—just one year old, 110-feet-long, and able to accommodate 16 people in eight fully air-conditioned double cabins, each with a private head and shower. There’s also a large diving deck, good diving gear for rent. Nitrox is also available. What else can you ask for? Oh yes, a Jacuzzi on the top deck and superb meals, with pasta, lobster, shrimp, salads, and plenty of tropical fruits, including guava, pineapple and papaya. Experienced, polite, and accommodating dive guides all are English-speaking, as are key members of the crew. But the truth is that I must let my pictures tell the rest of the story. Start your new year off in the best way possible by joining this BigAnimals expedition to the time capsule that is Cuba. Drink your New Years Eve bubbly on board the Avalon II and then spend the next week making your own bubbles and unforgettable memories in the warm, blue waters of Gardens of the Queen. For more information, please visit www.biganimals.com or email info@biganimals.com.

Just got back with my first outing with my A7Rii with Nauticam housing and Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes. I'm a complete newbie when it comes to underwater photography (especially with strobes) but have been reading a lot and also am surrounded with camera in my day to day job. I used to futz around with a 5D and split level / surf photography.. this is my first outing using a housing while scuba diving at the same time. Would love some feedback. Here's a flickr album with a few of them. https://flic.kr/s/aHskz7kjSa

I have multiple spots open for a Saturday trip out of Point Judith Rhode Island, on the Charter boat Snappa. http://www.snappacharters.com/cage_diving_newsletter.html This is a private charter not on the regular schedule It is one of the rare Saturday Trips this season. No need to take a vacation day. The cost of a spot is $250. Unique to the boat is a snorkeling cage as well as the traditional scuba shark cage. This allows those family and friends who may not be certified, to stay on the snorkeling cage, and experience the wildlife first hand. Mostly we see blue sharks, but Mako's are not unheard of. Must be at least 13 years of age. Divers must present certification. PM me if interested or if you have any questions. -Todd