Behind the Shot: Gorging Basking Sharks

A few years ago in June I headed for Sennen Cove, Cornwall, armed with my camera, wide angle lens and underwater housing hoping to get shots of basking sharks. I had been trying to capture a portrait of the world’s second largest shark (which can grow as long as a double decker bus!) for several years. Under the right conditions it is possible to see lots of these sharks aggregated together feeding, but conditions can quickly change and I had on several occasions travelled half way around the country only to be bitterly disappointed.

Sennen Cove is well known for its basking shark sightings and for once my timing was perfect. The cove had been battered by a storm for several days which was quickly followed by warm and settled conditions triggering a large plankton bloom. Around twenty basking sharks were in Sennen cove, unmistakable as their large dorsal fins sliced through the water.

Although Basking sharks are harmless plankton feeders they have still been known to lash out with their tails if startled. One of the best ways to photograph basking sharks with minimal disturbance is to be quietly dropped by kayak in the vicinity of the shark and allow them to get used to your presence. I slipped off the kayak, put my mask and snorkel on and let the current gently drift me into the vicinity of the feeding sharks. Suddenly the dark shadow of a shark only just visible in the green murk appeared briefly before disappearing. Back on the surface I noticed the shark’s fin abruptly change direction. I quickly put my head underwater again. Seconds later its huge gaping mouth appeared out of the blue, heading on a collision course directly towards me. When I pushed the shutter the shark was less than half a metre away from me!

Dive Photo Guide on Over-Unders in Temperate Waters

I was really pleased to be asked by Dive Photo Guide Magazine to produce a techniques article on split level 'over under' photography in temperate environments. The article can be seen here. The article was focused on  highlighting the advantages  and challenges of using the technique around temperate coasts. The article also provides practical tips on getting the most of this technique, particularly in shallow tidal pools which I regularly use for split shots. Dive Photo Guide is a comprehensive underwater photography and videography resource and award-winning website with a  community of over 50,000 underwater photographers and videographers from around the globe.

Split level images in Daily Mail

I got a good selection of split level images in the  Daily Mail this week. Check  them out at this link. The focus of the images was to try and capture a selection of split-level images specifically offshore from popular UK holiday spots as people can sometimes be unaware of the diverse range of marine life just feet from the shore! Hopefully this might inspire people to venture a bit deeper, even if it’s just a couple feet below the surface. 

Over-under (or split-shot) photography is a really useful technique to connect topside viewers with what lies underwater. I chose recognizable coastal features to be shown in the top half of the frame, with the underwater level displaying a less familiar perspective of the coastal zone. The topside portion also shows the viewer that the image was taken just below the surface at an accessible location near the coast rather than a mysterious location miles offshore.

Galapagos Penguins

We really wanted to photograph the Galapagos penguin underwater on a recent trip to the islands. Sadly the species is endangered and is now the rarest penguin in the world and so we didn't want to get our hopes up! While visiting one of the islands called Bartolome we noticed about five penguins feeding offshore around the base of a pinnacle rock. We quickly grabbed our snorkel equipment and swam over to the penguins. Within seconds the penguins were all around us, cutting through the water like torpedoes with jets of bubbles marking their trail.They are slow and clumsy on land but very adept in the water as they propel themselves by using their wings as flippers. The penguins were feeding on small bait balls (fish shoals). Sometimes the fish would shoal around us and so the penguins would swim all around us zig zagging and flipping with incredible agility.

Snorkeling with penguins was one of the highlights of our trip to the Galapagos and I recently gave the Galapagos Conservation Trust permission to use some of my images on their website.

Telegraph Picture of the Day: Manatee Underwater

One of my underwater manatee shots was picture of the day in the Telegraph this week. The image was taken at Crystal River, Florida. Its an amazing place to view manatees in great visibility conditions. Kings Bay and the headwaters of Crystal River, encompasses more than 70 natural springs which produce a constant flow of 72°F water. Combined with areas of shallow water, the abundance of natural springs provide a winter haven for hundreds of wild manatees. The best time to experience the manatees at the springs is early in the morning as they tend to disperse to the wider area to feed in the afternoon and you also avoid the majority of other tourists. Winter mornings are surprisingly cold in Florida, getting down to only a few degrees Celsius. Once we has stepped out of the warm of the chalet into the frosty dawn conditions, a rapid change into a wetsuits was required! This was defiantly more reminiscent of getting ready for a cold winter surf at one of our local spots in the UK rather than what you expect in the ‘sunshine state’! The manatees were incredibly curious and playful, particularly the young calf's. They would often come right up to our masks and swim all around us, often turning onto their sides for a belly rub!