Underwater Photography

I got my open water diver scuba certification in June 2000 with a group of friends; a year later we all reconvened for a day of diving off the coast of the Big Island, where the photo below was taken. Yours truly is on the left.

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One of my all-time favorite scuba snapshots. Sea turtles are abundant in Hawaii's waters but they usually dive as soon as swimmers approach. Fortunately scuba divers can follow them to the depths where they are relatively easy to photograph. The picture below was taken at Shark's Cove on the North Shore of Oahu, one of the island's primary turtle-viewing locales. Shot at a depth of 30 feet.

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The farther away from Honolulu one gets, the less human impact and the more likely chances of seeing some of Hawaii's larger marine creatures. The best diving spot in the state by far, in my humble opinion, is off the islands of Niihau and Lehua Rock in the far northwestern part of the state. Abundant sharks, monk seals, and eagle rays are just some of the amazing things that can be seen in this area.

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A couple shots from off the western coast between Waianae and Makaha. First, one of the many octopus encounters possible in these waters, and next a closeup of a moral eel with a cleaner shrimp.

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Giant manta ray passes on the ocean surface about 20 feet above me off the Kona coast.

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The Turks & Caicos Islands featured more barracuda than I've ever seen in the water before as well as some of the friendliest groupers anywhere.

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A few shots from the British Virgin Islands.

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From Ningaloo Reef, Australia's other barrier reef on the Indian Ocean side of the country.

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Some shots from La Union and Boracay, two scuba diving locales in the Philippines I was fortunate enough to visit.

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French Polynesia has some of the clearest water in the world, and I am always amazed at the clarity of the shots I take there, even with small disposable cameras. Below, a photo of a whitetip shark in Rangiroa, shot at a depth of 90 feet.