Galapagos... Yippee!

[sorvju-f]

Originally Posted by Ken Hawk

They are blue footed boobys

I want you to get a similar pic of a red footed booby, thats your challange

Ken, doing my best

Jukka

[Andrew]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your top tips, we always carry an SMB and reel which I think is something to do with being cold water divers! It does surprise me though when I go on holiday how many people do not class this as essential kit (or know how to use one) when the water is warm and clear!

Good tip about the whale sharks and ambient light, think I will give this a go as the strobes certainly do create some drag... and no I am not close to an Olympic swimmer!

Red footed booby challenge on, if Jukka and co do not get there first...

Thanks
Andrew

PS... Holding Breath... think we have all done it to try and get that perfect shot

[Andrew]

Forgot to say, good luck Jukka, Jonathan and team, I look forward to seeing your trip reports to get me all geared up and ready for some action!

Please make sure if you see the whale sharks that you have a word with them and ask them to hang around for another couple of weeks.

Andrew

[sorvju-f]

Originally Posted by Andrew

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your top tips, we always carry an SMB and reel which I think is something to do with being cold water divers! It does surprise me though when I go on holiday how many people do not class this as essential kit (or know how to use one) when the water is warm and clear!

Good tip about the whale sharks and ambient light, think I will give this a go as the strobes certainly do create some drag... and no I am not close to an Olympic swimmer!

Red footed booby challenge on, if Jukka and co do not get there first...

Thanks
Andrew

PS... Holding Breath... think we have all done it to try and get that perfect shot

Andrew have a nice trip also!

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the well wishes, and we'll post updates as often as we can, but obviously not while we are on the boat.

My trip is one of the last "grandfathered" 12 day trips, so we plan an extended stay at Darwin, plus some more out-of-the-way destinations!

Originally Posted by Andrew

I was talking to guy over here who has just been and he was telling me that the normal spots where you can dive for the red lip batfish have been closed by authorities as they were being disturbed too much by divers. You know better than I, but are they found in just one special area or all over?

They are found all over, but reliably they are found at one dive off Wolf. I have no idea if they closed it. Hadn't heard that. Will report back.

Originally Posted by Ken Hawk

I presume you have read my trip report on here about Darwin & Wolf being the only sites worth going to the Galapagos for.

I hear where you are coming from but I disagree. I will agree that for someone on their FIRST trip, Darwin is where it's at because everyone wants to see big whale sharks and hammerheads. However, once you have done that a couple times, there are some other amazing places. David Doubilet's favorite site is cousins rock! (In the south, considered a newbie dive where you test gear! But he made some incredible images there that have been published thousands of times.)

Originally Posted by Ken Hawk

The bat fish are great to see, but that is all that dive site is about,to be honest, and they are very skittish

Photograph them at night. Much easier!

Originally Posted by Ken Hawk

The most important thing is your dive safety, TAKE A DSMB AND REEL
What will happen is, a Whale shark will come along and you will forget all your training and end up on your own or a buddy pair in a bit of swell, a DSMB will make it a lot easier on your mind if you do.

I agree 100%! The Galapagos is the only place where a person on a trip of mine got bent by diving like he had no brain because he was thinking more about video than air.

Originally Posted by Ken Hawk

The way to get the best pics Is how you interact with your subject, hope JB will put some pointers up for us here

I agree again. Best way to photograph hammerheads is to crouch in the rocks and don't move. Hold breath. Pray. Don't breathe or move. If you chase them, you get squat.

Originally Posted by Ken Hawk

Whale sharks
Unless you are an Olympic athlete, you will never keep up with one, especially with strobes on you camera, you may be better off shooting ambiant ( I think that was one of Marks tips for my trip )
And the Whale Sharks in Galapagos are not little things like the babys in the Maldives

Agreed. Those are some big mothers. They make the whale sharks I have seen in every other place look small. I have always photographed them with ambient light. I may try a strobe to be different this time--a little light on the face. But in general, you can't light them up anyway because they are too large. Keeping up with them sucks. Problem is, you want strobes for the hammerheads. So I often fold the strobe arms up as tightly as possible when the whale shark comes along, and swim as hard as I can.

I'm bringing both stills and video. When we went in 2006, I had just switched to digital, but the guy who got bent kept us from diving Darwin. So now I'm finally going to get a chance to shoot some digital images at Darwin. And some HD video!

I'm at the Admiral's Lounge in Boston right now waiting for my flight to Miami, then on to Guayaquil this afternoon with Pierre, Tim and Bob. Jukka, see you in the early morning! Have a safe flight!

Jonathan

[Jonathan Bird]

P.S. Mark, we really are going to miss you on this trip.

[sorvju-f]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Bird

P.S. Mark, we really are going to miss you on this trip.

I am also missing Mark!

We are here in Guayaqil know...just met Jonathan, Pierre, Tim and Bob.

Big part of our group is arriving this evening.

Everybody have had some sort of problems on our ways here....but what is most important we are here and everybody have their gears OK with them.

More to report later.

Jukka

[Christie]

Hey you guy...just wanted to tell you all to HAVE A BLAST and take lots of video and pics so I can see what I missed!!!

[tarczy]

Hey There Galapagos Crew . . .

Good luck over there!! Hope you all have a great time. Nobody gets bent . . . ya hear me!! I know I should be there with you, but you can blame Obama for my lack of attendance.

I'll be on other trips with you folks very soon. Thinking about joining you on your next Hammerhead trip.

I'll miss being there, but I look forward to seeing all the images and reading your trip reports.

Best,

Mark

[sorvju-f]

Originally Posted by tarczy

Hey There Galapagos Crew . . .

Good luck over there!! Hope you all have a great time. Nobody gets bent . . . ya hear me!! I know I should be there with you, but you can blame Obama for my lack of attendance.

I'll be on other trips with you folks very soon. Thinking about joining you on your next Hammerhead trip.

I'll miss being there, but I look forward to seeing all the images and reading your trip reports.

Best,

Mark

This is to you Mark.

I think this picture is good to start picture reporting



We have been like the real tourists here today. Whole group is here and tomorrow morning we are heading to real action...

Jukka