Biodiversity of Isla Verde

 Fun with wide angle. Some places in the world contain such underwater biodiversity and life while having clear tropical waters that the scuba diver has to just sit back and take in the big picture. Usually I am looking for small macro critters but sometimes it is definitely worth it to bust out the wide angle lens and capture the entire scene.
  This dive off the coast of Isla Verde, Philippines, was one of those dives. Fish in the millions, soft coral waving back and forth, and every color imaginable.

Inside an Underwater Cave

Sea Cave is an adventurous dive site on the south shore of Oahu. It is on the outside of the cinder cone which makes up Hanauma Bay. Layered rocks form a steep cliff which plummets 60ft down into the ocean. At the bottom of this underwater cliff lays the opening to a massive sea cave that houses turtles, sharks, and more. The ceiling opens up as you get farther back into the cave sending rays of light down to the huge boulders below.

The Over-Under Split Shot

 One of the most challenging photos that an underwater photographer can capture is the split shot. Some people call this an over under shot where part of the lens is above water and part is below.
 For this effect the wider and bigger your lens the better. I have an 8 inch dome port over my 10mm super wide angle lens. The large lens port can break the surface and give you the desired effect. I have seen this style of photography done with GoPro cameras so don't hesitate to try. Also having your camera on continuous burst mode gives you a better chance of getting the wave and the subjects in perfect harmony.
  As always practice this technique so you will be ready when the perfect moment appears.

Where to get your SCUBA certification

Descending like skydivers to 160ft.

  There are a few places around the world where scuba divers unite in island communities to form a kind of dive family. Kho Tao in Thailand is good for this but if you want to go a little closer to home then the island of Utila is your answer.
  Utila is one of the bay islands just off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. It is surrounded by dive sites and has many dive companies to choose from. Here you can find some of the cheapest diving and most inexpensive dive certification classes in the world. For a month in 2009 I stayed at Cross Creek Dive Center and dove over 60 times in order to get my PADI dive master certification. It cost me under $1000, lodging included.
   The sites are beautiful here and there is a chance to see some big game like whale sharks, dolphins, and rays but those occurrences are pretty sparse. The fish are all colors and small things like sea horses and flamingo tongues keep the search interesting.
  The island has dive sites all around it. Steep 100+ foot dropoffs on the north side, submerged sea mounts like Black Hills, underwater arches and caves, and shallow sandy spots which are great for classes. Other islands like Roatan are just a day trip away. And sometimes you can see the week long Agressor liveaboard hanging out in the protection of Utila's leeward bay. Even with the amazing diving, cheap living, and good eating (try balleadas and fresh cinnamon rolls), it is the other divers which really make the experience memorable. Diving by day and partying by night at bars built on rickety second hand wood out over the water. You can sip your beer and watch an octopus hunt through the conch garden and I haven't even gotten to the best part. Once you get your dive master certification...you can come back and dive for free, for life.

Hawaiian Monk Seal Underwater

Hawaiian Monk Seal

 Inside a partially underwater cave which leads out to the ocean I encountered one of the rarest sea creatures on Earth. Less than 2000 Hawaiian monk seals remain around the Hawaiian islands. These intelligent and curious animals are so few in number that a massive protection effort has been put in place. Volunteers help tape off beach areas where the seals rest and vast tracks of the northwest Hawaiian islands has been turned into a protected area called the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Charged by a Sea Lion Underwater

Underater bubbles accompany this roaring sea lion.

 Looking back at the beginnings of my underwater photography. I bought a little 4 megapixel digital camera with a housing from a friend of mine out in California. I was hooked from the very first time. I had some amazing encounters those first few years. As always with technology I wish I could go back to those encounters with the gear I have now and the knowledge of underwater photography.
  Take for example this picture of a charging sea lion off the coast of Santa Barbara Island. This is a famous sea lion rookery and one of my all time favorite snorkel and dive locations in the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. Younger sea lions playfully charge and roar underwater. Occasionally a big bull silently swims through your vision, eyeing you suspiciously. All the while the 'man in the grey tuxedo' may be just out of your vision.

A different view of the ship

 Look up through the clear waters off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Our boat, the Sea Adler, brought us through storm and doldrums from the beautiful Colombian fort city of Cartegena, to the San Blas islands. My fellow sailors are on the bow looking down at me a few feet under.

Underwater Poker Match

                Underwater Poker

   This was not an easy thing to set up. The three of us were very comfortable in the water after going through our PADI divemaster certification together in Utila, Honduras. We wanted to push the challenge level up a bit so we grabbed a table, some beers, and a deck of cards to set up the ultimate poker game...30ft underwater.
  We took off our BCDs and tanks and hid them under the table. You can see Brian getting a quick breath from his regulator still. If you have ever been scuba diving you can understand the difficulty. Notice, no mask, instead sunglasses. What we hadn't counted on was the surge. Every so often a big wave would pass over head and even at 30ft down our poor poker table would get knocked over. With us soon following.

The 'Not So' Gloomy Nudibranch (Tambja morosa)

  They call this the 'gloomy nudibranch'! Doesn't look so gloomy to me. This hard to find sea slug has the deepest royal blue I have ever seen in an animal. The blue markings are different from slug to slug but the blue vizor over the 'eyes' is a pretty common feature. If you catch it in the right light the dark black features meld into a green tint especially towards the exposed gills.

  You will have to be pretty lucky to find this nudibranch in Hawaii, but you can see different color variations elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific.

  Check out my sea slug gallery at: www.daimarsphotos.com

Saddleback Butterflyfish, Chaetodon ephippium

 As an underwater photographer I love taking pictures of nudibranchs because they are colorful and move very slowly. This makes taking photographs relatively easy. Fish often present much more of a challenge. They swim very fast, and usually away from you. It takes a fast shutter speed and a keen sense of timing to capture moments like this.
  The saddleback butterflyfish, Chaetodon ephippium, is a rare species of butterflyfish to see here in the Hawaiian islands. They usually travel in pairs but this picture is of a loner. I knew I had a chance to get a good picture because this fish was being cleaned by a cleaner wrasse. Fish will usually stick around for that critical extra second when getting cleaned. 
 The other tip is to get the fish sideways but just turned to look at the camera. Having its mouth wide open in this moment was an extra bonus. If you find yourself snorkeling out here in Hawaii, put this fish on your underwater treasure hunt list. Its a beauty.

Commerson's Frogfish Close-up

A close up of a Commerson's Frogfish. One of the weirdest fish out there but one of my favorite to find. As an ambush predator they rely on camouflage and a lure to bring their prey close in. Then they swallow them up before you can blink an eye.

  See my frogfish gallery at: www.daimarsphotos.com

The Deadly Sea Snake

 Sea snakes can be found in warm tropical waters in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. They are one of the most venomous animals found in the oceans. While their paddle like tails give them an eel-like look, they are still air breathing reptiles. They are close relatives to cobras, and while some sea snakes have a very mild disposition and only bite when provoked (caught), others are more aggressive.
  This picture is of a sea krait, a kind of primitive sea snake that still spends some time on land. Underwater, brave scuba divers who get close enough can see the snake's forked tongue barely come out. The tongue's olfactory sense is much for effective in the water. The tongue action also has the added benefit of being able to rid the body of some of the salt intake.

www.daimarsphotos.com