There and back again

With some trepidation, I'd made it to paradise and back again. This time there was no drama to the level I had in the previous trip as described here. A little respect goes a long way after all. The trip to Kapalai was a blast and was fairly rewarding in terms of photography. The company was great, the diving fantastic and the photo opportunities I had was awesome. The ocean and marine life was simply amazing; so beautiful, graceful and varied. I am well and truly spellbound. At the end of the trip, I'd managed to photograph what ranks as some of my all time favourite shots so far. Enjoy these and know that I am thrilled to no end with them.
This shot was captured at a site aptly named Mandarin Valley at a depth of 15m. Having camped at a single spot over coral rubble for over 15minutes trying to spot the very shy mandarin fish, this pair finally came out and mated right in front of my camera. In it's mating ritual, the mandarin fish briefly rise in the water column at sunset, mating for a precious few seconds suspended in mid-water before hiding back among the coral rubble.

The mandarin fish (Synchiropus Splendidus) is small (up to 6cm), extremely shy, locally very common but extremely difficult to find due to it's choice of habitat. Known for it's complex, fluorescent orange, green and blue livery it is also know as the psychedelic fish.



In my previous trips, I'd gotten the opportunity to photograph the tiny Pygmy but never managed to get a nice shot of it. This time, I guess with more experience and no camera difficulties, I've managed to take a shot that I'm very happy with. Taken at the Seaventures site, this seahorse lives exclusively on Muricella soft coral colonies in deep, current swept water. This shot was at 22m depth.


This Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus Bargibanti) is small (up to 2cm) and extremely hard to spot. The cryptic body shape, coloration and skin texture matches its soft coral habitat providing it an almost perfect camouflage. Spot it in the following photo, circled in yellow.

More photos here.

Sylar is back!

It's human nature to look to the past, to the road that you've travelled, to what has so far defined us. But only by leaving our past behind can we push on into an unknown tomorrow, into the dawn of a new future, into the light of a new beginning.

-- Mohinder Suresh, Heroes: Evolution

Where'd you go

Linkin park rocks as far as I’m concerned. Mike Shinoda and his Fort Minor project is just as awesome. I love the CD and have been listening to it again… Remember the name, Petrified… and especially Where’d you go.

Fort Minor - Where'd you go.

Respecting the island and ocean

There’s a superstition amongst islanders that you do not disrespect the sea nor the island, as we mere mortals, are simply visiting. Late this week, I will be making my way to the Celebes Sea for some diving around Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai for the 3rd time this year. I was rather quiet about my last trip to this paradise area as that turned out to be quite a lesson in humility and respect. I had hyped that trip (telling anyone who’d listen) about it being a photography trip and how I was going to be taking some awesome photos. I did manage to take some shots, but it came at a cost.

Back in early July, I planned a photography trip to Sipadan and as such, I went packed with 2 underwater digital cameras. To cut a long story short, within 5 minutes of my 1st dive, I had 2 cameras well and truly fucked.

By the end of the trip, I had:

• 2 cameras out of commission
• 1 well and truly flooded
• 1 with a blank display screen.
• 1 underwater housing busted
• 1 underwater strobe fiber optic cable snapped
• 1 underwater strobe o-ring snapped
• 1 rental camera fiber optic cable detached
• 1 underwater torch flooded

As far as this trip is concerned, I am looking forward to it, but with greater respect and humility. I will take the trip as it comes and accept the grace of the ocean and the island, with hopes that it would welcome my visit and allow me to take photographs of its beauty and the wondrous marine life that thrives in it.

I’m a borderline superstitious and there is no reason to disbelief as it certainly put its case forward to me. Circumstances? Perhaps. Regardless, it is always best to respect nature. The moral of the story, don’t ever blow your horn. Murphy’s just waiting to have some fun with you. I hope that won’t be the case this time.

It’s time to visit paradise again. I will be here.

Apple rocks!

I just got an email from Apple announcing their latest awesome gadget… the iPOD nano with Video. Looks awesome doesn’t it? My reaction when I saw the email was… “I WANT ONE”.

So I went to the Apple website and found this instead… iPOD touch!!!

My reaction? "I NEED ONE!!!" Jaw dropping, eye-popping, salivating, uncontrollable need to have one… unfortunately it’s only coming soon… So what if it's just an iPOD!!!

I know what I want for Christmas this year!!!

Surely they have better things to research??

Apparently, after years of research, they've finally came up with this amazing conclusion... hmmm... I could have saved them a ton of money and precious time. Good call, scientists... you'd think?!