Maldives 2012!

[Andrew]

Hi All,

I have been back a few weeks now but until now just haven't found the time to go through all my photos from my trip.

After 2011 being a dive washout with little diving and no big trips... 2012 is looking to be a great year which started on the 1st January for 2 weeks in the Maldives, a week in the North Male Atoll and then a week in BAA Atoll. The visibility was very disappointing in both Atolls where January the water is normal crystal clear with excellent vis, we were faced with rather murky water. The bonus is that we saw a few mantas swimming on the surface between dives where they have normally moved on by this time of year.

Anyway... here are some pictures!

Cheers
Andrew

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/417379_10150574354024784_1204034234_n.jpg

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[Sharp]

Beautiful pictures Andrew. :)

Sad to hear that visibility wasn't so good.

[sorvju-f]

Hi All,

I have been back a few weeks now but until now just haven't found the time to go through all my photos from my trip.

After 2011 being a dive washout with little diving and no big trips... 2012 is looking to be a great year which started on the 1st January for 2 weeks in the Maldives, a week in the North Male Atoll and then a week in BAA Atoll. The visibility was very disappointing in both Atolls where January the water is normal crystal clear with excellent vis, we were faced with rather murky water. The bonus is that we saw a few mantas swimming on the surface between dives where they have normally moved on by this time of year.

Anyway... here are some pictures!

Cheers
Andrew



Hi Andrew

YOU ARE OUR REAL MACRO MAN!

I love the shrimp...tell us some more how you did it...looks like snoot?

Jukka

[Andrew]

Thanks Sharp, the vis isn't so important to me due to my liking for macro subjects but it is always nice to dive in crystal clear water! It wasn't bad, just wasn't great.

Jukka... what makes you think I like Macro?? :p Not sure how I am going to get on with the great whites... maybe a closeup of their eyes or teeth??

You found me out... I did a bit of a trade when I bought my housing and got myself a snoot. Its very hit and miss and I find it is very difficult to line up on a subject as well as looking through the viewfinder, getting focus and the subject not moving before you can press the shutter. It comes in loads of different size barrels to get smaller beams of light but the small ones are really tough and I did not get any pleasing photos with it. The best way for me (without having time to play and practice with it) was to rest the strobe on the top and in the middle of the housing and point exactly where the lens is pointing, that way it is easier than trying to adjust the strobe arms etc and you can just point up and down a little depending how far the subject is away. The disadvantage of this approach is that you light up the background a little too much whereas if it was on the side you would only illuminate the subject.

Also the 45 degree finder I bought is good, but hell does it take some getting used to and I was still struggling with some subjects at the end of the trip and it is not as immediate as being able to hold my Ike housing to my eye and snapping away. Not 100% sure how good it will be for quick moving subjects (sharks) but will give it a go.

Not really Jukka style... but here are a few more...

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[Jonathan Bird]

Great shots Andrew!! Love the shrimp on the moray.

You seem to really like the Maldives. What do you make of what's going on there now??

[solisti]

Cool critters and superb colors!

[tkelly]

Great shots Andrew. Some fantastic macro work!

[dascubanut]

Love your photos Andrew, really beautiful work. I hope to get there someday, but this kind of thing really makes me wonder if it will happen.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gpQRnwpootZot3dABRpS168QzLbg?docId=CNG.b7b84 d73ae0e2b3179e9deb594bd393e.481

Doug

[Jonathan Bird]

Doug,

That's why I was asking what Andrew knew about the current events. Doesn't look like I'll be going back anytime soon. Looks like we hit Hanifaru at the right time! I expect that Aggressor will either pull their boat out or have to discount it a LOT to get any Americans on it.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

It's really too bad because the average Maldivian (in my limited experience) is not a crazy extremist Muslim. Just a dude trying to get along in life. They don't care about the Muslim party line. Hell, we went drinking with our Maldivian divemasters. (No names, they actually can get in trouble for it).

[Andrew]

Sorry for not coming back... currently enjoying the heavy snow in Europe and schools half term to do some great skiing, even if it is a bit cold!! -24 yesterday at the top!

It is something we were actually discussing with one of our dive guides when we were there last month and they said it was nothing new and there has been unrest for years. As far as they were concerned, the violence and serious problems congregate around Male and advised us not to go there to wander around. We have been there quite a few years ago and it honestly is not worth going around anyway from what I can remember. Our guide said he only goes to Male when he really has to otherwise will just stay clear. As Jonathan has said, most of the average maldivians are just wanting to get on with their lives and are among the friendliest people we have met in the world.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out over the next 6 months as if the tourist industry fails, then the Maldives goes bankrupt and is in worse condition than Greece. There is no real other business, fishing is the next biggest industry and a lot of this supplies the hotels, so it is a vicious circle.

I just hope they get there act together and get some common sense otherwise it cannot go in a good direction. We do love it there as it is one of those places in the world where you get ace service, good food, luxurious accommodation and some good diving spots. With children it is great as hotels are seriously setup for them and you know that they cannot go anywhere while you are out on the dive boat as could happen on the mainland somewhere.

Cheers
Andrew

[Jonathan Bird]

Andrew,
That sounds a lot like Fiji, which also generally has a coup every few years, but it poses no risk to tourists. The locals feud with each other constantly, but they are universally pleasant to the tourists. (I guess they know where their bread is buttered!)

Jonathan

[Andrew]

Here are a few more to share....

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[sorvju-f]

Here are a few more to share....

[/IMG]

Nice work again Andrew!

:p I have o ask that have you lost your wide angle lenses:p

What is that "!drawing" in Moray face?

I have never seen this color of nudi...beautiful.

Jukka

[Andrew]

LOL Jukka... I put them in the bin! I didn't take many wide angle shots but took my new small dome port, the reefs were not that great or the visibility. Its funny but unless going diving for sharks, mantas, whalesharks, wrecks or on really colourful reefs I just find it boring to have one on my camera...

I always like looking for the small things while everyone else is looking for the bigger stuff which I have seen many times before. It was great on this trip as I ended up showing stuff to the dive guides they had never seen before as they never look for these things.

I will certainly be taking my WA set next month to Fiji as I hear the soft corals are amazing.

I think it must be a parasite or something on the morays face, I forgot to ask the dive guide.

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[sorvju-f]

LOL Jukka... I put them in the bin! I didn't take many wide angle shots but took my new small dome port, the reefs were not that great or the visibility. Its funny but unless going diving for sharks, mantas, whalesharks, wrecks or on really colourful reefs I just find it boring to have one on my camera...

I always like looking for the small things while everyone else is looking for the bigger stuff which I have seen many times before. It was great on this trip as I ended up showing stuff to the dive guides they had never seen before as they never look for these things.

I will certainly be taking my WA set next month to Fiji as I hear the soft corals are amazing.

I think it must be a parasite or something on the morays face, I forgot to ask the dive guide.



:eek: Fiji...sounds like something....livin' the dream man...

We are not jealous or...:rolleyes:

Jukka

[Andrew]

Jukka.... you forgot 'with passion'!!

I am actually having a bit of a working holiday in Australia next month to visit some clients and taking the family along, so thought... where could we jump to from there to do some decent diving without taking several flights and a couple of days of travel. There are direct flights there from Sydney so am taking 2 weeks at the end to see what diving it has to offer! From what I have seen on the web it looks like soft coral capital of the world and I am sure plenty of MACRO opportunities :D

Has anyone else dived there before and know of any good sites I should be asking for?

Andrew

[Jonathan Bird]

Fiji is definitely a wide angle destination. I haven't been for 10 years, but the soft corals are very nice in many sites. As with any destination, there are plenty of sites that are nothing special.

[Andrew]

I am sure I can find plenty of macro too :cool: I am taking the full setup and with 2 weeks and 2 dives a day should manage to do a good mix... Trip report to follow :D

[Jonathan Bird]

Yes, lots of great macro, though not as great as Indonesia or the Philippines.

[Andrew]

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[Jonathan Bird]

That last flatworm is WOW!!! What a critter!!

[sorvju-f]

Andrew, can't you find smaller anemon fishes...this is giant...at least size of pygmy sea horse...:p

Great set of pics...

Jukka