As someone said before me – Mother Nature is amazing but fickle, tooooooo. The first week we were here was totally dry, with only one whale encounter in seven days.
Now we’re starting the second week – and it is only the second day – and every one of my four guests is in love with another Sperm whale – we are experiencing about a dozen encounters per day.
However, nothing is like seeing Scar in the water (see first image below) and Enigma, his pod member…(middle image). They both are about 10 meters (33 feet) long. Scar is easily recognized as he comes very close to the swimmers and requests to be petted. Enigma just hangs around and demands that we swim along with her. As long as we do, she’s happy, and she has stayed with the swimmers once for 20 minutes and another time for over 30 minutes.
Yes, we all have great expectations from Mother Nature – now we hope to see a socializing group of seven or more underwater looking into our cameras…
Keep your fins wet, and remember that I am planning to return with three more expeditions next year…
~Amos
Here are some images. There are more on my Facebook album. Equipment? I use the Canon 1D Mark IV and the Canon 1Ds Mark III. Lenses used are all wide angle – from the latest lens, 8 – 15mm, and also 14mm, and 16 – 35mm. Underwater housing - Seacam.
There was a time when Blue whales were hunted almost to extinction. That changed in 1966 when protective laws were enacted to save the blues, the largest animal on earth. Now there’s a new development, and it’s a good one. A huge Blue whale colony has been discovered in Sri Lanka.
Last year I scouted Sri Lanka for the fifth time in order to set up diving and photography operations - my first exploration there was in 1982. I was amazed at what I saw. I have been waiting all this time for the moment of peace and freedom. I’m very glad to start my first Biganimals Blue whale photography expedition. I’m offering three departures to Sri Lanka in March and April, 2012. I’ve prepared a PDF for you with all the details. Click to download it.
Also, the new BigAnimals Expeditions Blue whale schedule for 2013 is in the making. March 20 – April 1, 2013, March 29 – April 8, 2013, and April 5 – 19, 2013. I accomodate only four guests per adventure – space is very limited. If you’re interested please email me at bluewhales@biganimals.com to reserve your place on this amazing adventure.
Reefs have had it tough in recent times. Pollution, overfishing, and global warming have all taken their toll, as msnbc.com’s Future of Technology reported recently. Higher water temperatures, for example, can result in something called coral bleaching. Warmer water causes some of the algae that sustains a reef to leave. An sustained event like this in 1998 killed one sixth of the world’s tropical reefs.
But there’s new hope for the world’s reefs, and the process might shock you. Actually, it will send an electric current through the waters where reefs need help A technology called the Biorock Process runs low-voltage electric currents through seawater. This causes dissolved minerals in the water to crystallize metal frames place near reefs, growing a white limestone similar to that which makes up a coral reef. According to the Global Coral Reef Alliance, the artificial reef grows quickly. A Biorock project needs electricity, of course, and that can come from solar panels or tidal current generators.
If you want to support this work you can sponsor a baby reef through the Biorock group. There are other ways you can help, too, because reefs are negatively affected by pollution from runoff. The Nature Conservancy provides some suggestions, like supporting reef-friendly businesses and practicing safe and responsible diving and snorkeling. (You know that touching a reef is bad, right? And you should never anchor your boat near it.) More tips from the Nature Conservancy at this link.
I’m about to embark on an adventure to the Caribbean island of Dominica. I’ll be there with a few new guests and old friends to photograph what was once one of the world’s most hunted animals – the Sperm whale in Dominica. These whales have made an amazing comeback from near extinction. We’ve sold three departures with four guests to each team. I’ll be there until February 9th … and always pleased to be working with my camera with guests and friends among the Ocean Giants
island of Dominica. I’ll be there with some guests and old friends to photograph what was once one of the world’s most hunted animals – the Sperm whale. These whales have made an amazing comeback from near extinction. We’ve sold three departures with four guests to each team. I’ll be there until February 9th … and always pleased to be working with my camera with guests and friends among the Ocean Giants.
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