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Scalloped Hammerhead and Mahi Mahi : I took a trip down to Marathon, FL to check out www.keyssharkdiving.com. Owned and operated by Bryce Rohrer, Keys Shark Diving is relatively new to Florida however Bryce has been interacting with sharks for many years. Bryce offers shark viewing (stay on the boat), a shark cage (submersible with full view of the action), and of course freediving/snorkeling. For me, freediving was the only option. The game plan was simple, travel about 10 miles off the coast of Marathon, throw some bait in the water and see what shows up to the party. It took a little over an hour for the first shark to come in: a Scalloped Hammerhead. My time stamps on the images indicate that this magnificent animal stayed with us for just over 30 minutes which allowed for plenty of up close and personal interaction. The Scalloped Hammerhead made a multitude of passes trying to find the source of the bait in the water. The shark for the most part was completely disinterested in the divers, occasionally making a close, inquisitive pass but immediately turning away when any of us made a quick movement or splash. This is far and away the most common reaction I have seen from sharks. The Hammerhead's pace was very controlled unless startled by one of the divers or being lured in closer by bait. The shark would travel directly up to the boat and then circle around just out of sight only to return seconds later. From a photographer's standpoint, there were no excuses not to have a few "keepers". I did have my strobes on for the Hammerhead though I turned them off for half the shots published below. There was no apparent difference in the images though some of the images with the strobes had slightly different color temperatures in editing. There was a bright sun overhead allowing for fast shutter speeds (> 1/200sec) and mid to narrow apertures (all shots > f9). Fast shutter speeds will "freeze" the sun's rays in the water providing an excellent background effect that I find pleasing both in digital form but even more so in print. Wide angle should be the lens of choice. I used both a 10-17 fisheye and 10-22 WA. Considerations need to be made for the bait in the water. Shooting directly into the bait will almost guarantee a delete so I recommend positioning yourself in a way that favors compositions into the blue water and waiting for the shark to cruise past. I kept a mental checklist of the compositions I wanted but all shots were dictated by the path of the shark. With the overhead sun, even slight changes in camera angle can produce drastic differences in exposure so I made a rare choice of leaving the ISO on Auto allowing me to concentrate on composition rather than split second changes depending on which way the shark or I traveled. The only shot I had in mind that I missed was a sunburst. Considering the time of day I did not even try for it. Sunbursts (in general) work best either early morning or late afternoon and I didn't want to miss any opportunities trying for a shot that I was fairly certain I would delete. Once the shark lost lost interest, we returned to the boat hoping for some more 'dorsals on the horizon'. Unfortunately, no more sharks came in to visit but that was not an end to the action. About an hour after the Hammerhead, Bryce noticed iridescent blue/yellow streaks though the water around the boat. Mahi Mahi (Dophinfish) were here! They schooled in see if there were any bait fish under our drifting boat that would make for an easy meal. I have not had the opportunity to photograph Mahi before, so I was pleasantly surprised upon entering the water that the Dolphin remained in the area for almost as long as the shark. They are spectacular to witness and Bryce feels that the nature of drifting and shark attraction will consistently bring in other sportfish as well. The Mahi rounded out the day nicely. All in all, I highly recommend Keys Shark Diving ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/KEYS-SHARK-DIVING/317241398387716 ) for anyone interested in seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural environment.

Scalloped Hammerhead and Mahi Mahi

I took a trip down to Marathon, FL to check out www.keyssharkdiving.co ...

Updated: May 27, 2013 11:43am PST

6-14/15-2013 West Palm Beach : Conditions this weekend were in a word: dismal. Vis averaged 30' with so much particulate in the water it looked like it was snowing. I experimented a bit with lighting for lack of anything better to do. Most open water shots were deletes no matter what strobe position was used, video was out of the question as the particulate drowned out the ambient light. But, on a positive note, the water was warm (78+).

6-14/15-2013 West Palm Beach

Conditions this weekend were in a word: dismal. Vis averaged 30' wit ...

Updated: Jun 15, 2013 7:59pm PST

2-17-2013 Rare Moray Eel and a curious Hammerhead : I joined Randy Jordan once again aboard Emerald Dive Charters (http://www.emeraldcharters.com/) and once again it was a spectacular diving day. A rare Stout moray eel, in this case a pair of them, posed for some photos and all the divers were able to spend some time with a Great Hammerhead that joined the group for a short time.

2-17-2013 Rare Moray Eel and a curious Hammerhead

I joined Randy Jordan once again aboard Emerald Dive Charters (http:// ...

Updated: May 27, 2013 11:48am PST

Turtle numbers beginning to increase : Here are some shots from the last few weekends in Palm Beach County. Turtle action is steadily increasing and life on the reefs is plentiful. In another month Loggerheads will be stacked up throughout the shallow reefs and hopefully a Leatherback will be seen in blue water.

Turtle numbers beginning to increase

Here are some shots from the last few weekends in Palm Beach County. ...

Updated: May 27, 2013 11:44am PST

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Many people plan their year around a vacation to the beach, love to play in the waves, walk in the soft sand, and perhaps dream of one day having a home with a view of the sea. As ideal as these visions can be, there is a world beneath the sea that overshadows anything the aforementioned scenes can provide. A spectacular world that can be seen in small doses we call ‘Underwater Moments’. Not everyone is able to see these amazing experiences and it is our goal to share the beauty the ocean provides for those not fortunate enough to see the underwater world firsthand.

Our mission is to show people what they are missing beneath the waves of the sea. In doing so, we hope people will take more responsibility for their actions and choices and make the proper changes to help our environment. Every little bit helps. The beauty of our underwater world is more than worth the minimal effort.

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Dive Log : 71 galleries with 695 photos

Dive Log

71 galleries with 695 photos

Updated: Jun 16, 2013 5:12am PST

Underwater Moments : 5 galleries with 120 photos

Underwater Moments

5 galleries with 120 photos

Updated: Jun 16, 2013 5:45am PST

Underwater Moments Videos : 7 galleries with 27 photos

Underwater Moments Videos

7 galleries with 27 photos

Updated: Apr 07, 2013 3:34pm PST

About Us : 1 gallery with 2 photos

About Us

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Updated: Aug 19, 2012 8:37am PST

Other : 2 galleries with 48 photos

Other

2 galleries with 48 photos

Updated: Jun 16, 2013 5:34am PST

Scuba Diving : 1 gallery with 20 photos

Scuba Diving

1 gallery with 20 photos

Updated: Aug 25, 2012 8:06pm PST