Diving safari in Maldives (report with pics)

[BartW]

While some of my friends from the diving club have saved for this trip for a while, and its their
“ ones in a lifetime” experience, I have to admit that I’m a little bored,
As this is my 3th Maldives dive cruise,
but nevertheless always interesting.
Here is a short report,
I’ve put some boat pics in this post, not to be banned 

this speedboat brings us to the safari boat

Here’s the taxi parking at Malé airport

This is the port/anchorage for the diving safari boats and yachts

Preparing for a dive on the Doni (small extra boat with the diving stuff)

And some underwater pics

Every day we spotted Dolphins

Current was quite strong at some corners, but my dive systems are OK.

can you spot the scorpion fish ?

we were dropped in a group of Dolphins

To be cont.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Those plates in the last pic look rather small, did you come home hungry?

 

[BartW]

You know that we enjoy fresh fish for Dinner, here we were spoiled

3 dives we saw manta’s

The very rare and difficult to find frog fish

During a night dive we saw 5 octopus

our safari boat has a strange (wrong) shape, but we enjoyed the trip

Pictures are made by one of our friends; Jaro, he's good !

 

[BartW]

Those plates in the last pic look rather small, did you come home hungry?

couldnt you wait until I finished my post ?
moreover these were the plates from the desert

 

[AndieMac]

couldnt you wait until I finished my post ?
moreover these were the plates from the desert

He may have meant, the food shots were not to your usual high standard Bart .

Great photography, looks like a fantastic holiday.
I dare say your slight lack of enthusiasm in this holiday could have something to do with being pre-occupied with the new boat. You've just put a lot of energy and focus into your newest toy.

The pics with the eels emerging from between the rocks, remind me of glove puppets

 

[MapisM]

The pics with the eels emerging from between the rocks, remind me of glove puppets

Yeah, I see what you mean.
But trust me, you wouldn't say so when looking at that beast in flesh, from one foot or so distance...

Thanks Bart for your report, some very nice stuff here.
The pic with the clownfishes which seem to be swimming together with the divers in background is lovely, for instance.
Are the original pics saved directly as JPG files, or does your camera shoot in RAW format?
Because if the latter, it's relatively easy to remove the blueish dominant, getting more natural colours.
I tried to do that on the pic I just mentioned, to give an idea, but there's only so much that can be done with JPGs.

 

[scubaman]

Your mate Jaro is really good, fantastic pics! I especially like the two with lurking moray eels and divers on the background.

He must have a decent kit, the lighting seems to work perfectly. And the water is so clear you can't see it. Just amazing!

Thanks for posting!

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Great pics.

Looked like you had great viz underwater.

Interesting that all the outboard powered boats have two engines.


I'd love to have done that trip. Envy envy.

 

[BartW]

.
The pic with the clownfishes which seem to be swimming together with the divers in background is lovely, for instance.
Are the original pics saved directly as JPG files, or does your camera shoot in RAW format?
Because if the latter, it's relatively easy to remove the blueish dominant, getting more natural colours.
I tried to do that on the pic I just mentioned, to give an idea, but there's only so much that can be done with JPGs.

well done, your collor editing , much more natural now !

the pics are original, from the memorycard from the camera, in JPG,
Jaro is good, he tries to make them as good as possible without correction,
he might do some correction afterwards, but in this occasion I got the pics, before he could do any editing.
I'm alway's surprised by the deep collors he can acheeve,
can only be done with manual settings on the camera he say's.

I've no experience with making underwaterpics, nor editing photo's, But
I used to do underwater filming, made at least 10 holliday report films, Sony digital film camera and underwater housing, max 75m (but it is tested at 83m depth) but not anymore on this trip, was fed up with the hassle...

 

[BartW]

Your mate Jaro is really good, fantastic pics! I especially like the two with lurking moray eels and divers on the background.

He must have a decent kit, the lighting seems to work perfectly. And the water is so clear you can't see it. Just amazing!

Thanks for posting!

yes he's member of a small group underwater photographer enthousiasts, many years experience,
Only know Jaro sinds last year, but I like the pictures he make.
camera and housing is Olympus, and lenses are Inon, flashlight I don't know.
equipment is good, but not exceptionally expensive

 

[MapisM]

I used to do underwater filming, made at least 10 holliday report films, Sony digital film camera and underwater housing, max 75m (but it is tested at 83m depth) but not anymore on this trip, was fed up with the hassle...

Yep, good point. Dealing with the equipment definitely requires some attention, and can spoil a nice dive.
I used to always take the camera with me when diving, right after I bought its u/w case, but not anymore now, unless I'm told that there's something very peculiar and worth some pics or clips in a specific dive.

 

[Kipper]

Amaizing pictures bart, you sure know how to enjoy the water dont you

 

[BartW]

I used to always take the camera with me when diving, right after I bought its u/w case, but not anymore now, unless I'm told that there's something very peculiar and worth some pics or clips in a specific dive.

Ones I've been told that I should take the foto / film equipment "alway's" with me, "even for the checkdive"
and in some occasions this was thrue, we encountered nice creatures very unexpected,

but now I think that most fishes already have been photographed so many times, and much much better then I could do it, so I leave the stuff at home.

by the way, for 2012 we are considering a dive trip towards Sardinia, with our own boat, not with a dive center,
two questions:
- do you need a diving permission (like Croatia ?), or can you do more or less what you want like in France ?
- wich area around Sardinia is the best ?

will make a new tread about this later, when the plans become more real

 

[MapisM]

two questions:
- do you need a diving permission (like Croatia ?), or can you do more or less what you want like in France ?
- wich area around Sardinia is the best ?

will make a new tread about this later, when the plans become more real

1) nope, no permission needed, aside from some areas classified as natural reserves, which are either completely forbidden or allowed only with authorised diving centers. As the "tonnara" dives for instance, which are the ones inside areas surrounded by nets to catch the big red tunas.

2) well, I don't know where to start from... Looking forward to your new thread! Anyway, in your boots I would go wherever you prefer, and then look for the nicest spots in that specific area. You'll surely find plenty, anywhere around the coast. Anyhow, if I must name just one, probably that's the area around Tavolara island. Which IIRC is one of those requiring some special permit, though.

 

[AndieMac]

Amaizing pictures bart, you sure know how to enjoy the water dont you

He's got the right attitude.....and if you look closely, he does resemble Neptune, all he needs is a trident

 

[BartW]

He's got the right attitude.....and if you look closely, he does resemble Neptune, all he needs is a trident

ha ha brings back nice memories,
on the previous maldives cruise the dive guyde called me Neptun,

may need a trident from now
and let the mermaids come

 

[AndieMac]

may need a trident from now
and let the mermaids come

I reckon Elly will use the trident to chase them away, then use it on you

I guess there are worse things than being called a Greek God

 

[BartW]

I reckon Elly will use the trident to chase them away, then use it on you

I guess there are worse things than being called a Greek God

LOL

Our Karnic is Called "Aegir"
when I saw a picture from that God on the net,
the name was secured

Bleu Angel amost changed name to "Epidaurus"
but we wil continue to call her an angel, not yet a god

good night

 

[AndieMac]

Bleu Angel amost changed name to "Epidaurus"
but we wil continue to call her an angel,

A place of healing, good thought, but Blue Angel is good.

Besides, any ladies who have had a cesarean section may think it is the Greek word for an anesthetic procedure
Sorry mate just messing with you

 

[MapisM]

any ladies who have had a cesarean section may think it is the Greek word for an anesthetic procedure

Blimey AM, 'twas worth browsing the forum so late at night for this comment alone...