Fiji Shark Video Now Online

Last month, while on a project in Fiji, I had the pleasure of doing 10 truly amazing shark dives out of Pacific Harbour (you can see my prior blog post on my website, www.FishTalesFilms.com, for more details). I was diving with Beqa Adventure Divers. They bill themselves as a conservation organization that runs a dive operation. I can say that they live up to that credo because they are all about protecting the area's shark population. They were instrumental in setting up the Shark Reef Marine Reserve where the dive takes place and securing full protection from fishing in the area. They set up the reserve in 2004 and have been actively protecting the area since then.

This short film is made with some of the footage from those 10 dives. Shot on RED. Hope you enjoy. I will definitely go back.
In addition to being available for viewing on www.FishTalesFilms.com in the "Shot on RED" section, you can also see it on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/78733380

This part of the description is an optional bit of shark evangelism which you may also want to read:
I know that some divers object to shark feeding because they think that it's "not natural", but here are a few reasons why it's a good idea when done correctly:
1. It increases awareness. Some people don't know how much they love sharks until they see one up close and personal. Remember, we only protect what we love, and we only love what we understand.
2. It gives the sharks some subtle incentive to remain in a protected region. These sharks are not dependent on the feeding. It's just a tasty little snack to them and they aren't getting it every day. An 8 ft Bull Shark can (and does) go anywhere it wants to. But the feeding is an encouragement to hang around in the general vicinity, which also happens to be the safest place for them.
3. Sharks REALLY need some advocates. The shark fin fleets are pillaging the world's shark populations. It is estimated that they are slaughtering over 100 million sharks a year, just for their fins, just to add some texture to a soup that has become a status symbol in Asia. If this doesn't stop really soon, the populations will crash to the point that they cannot recover. I'd hate to see these magnificent creatures that achieved evolutionary perfection 65 million years ago disappear from the seas in my lifetime.

Kudos to Beqa Adventure Divers for putting a dent in a really big problem. You guys ROCK!

Fiji Video

In late September and early October of this year, I went on the maiden voyage of the Fiji Siren. This short video is a sampling of scenes from that trip. It includes footage from the Blight Waters, Namena Nature Reserve and Somo Somo Strait. All shot on RED.

You can view the video on my website: www.FishTalesFilms.com in the “Shot on RED” section or directly on Vimeo at this link: https://vimeo.com/77949782

You can see other projects on my Vimeo channel: Vimeo.com/fishtales

Rouge On RED

I've been shooting UW video with the RED in my Amphibico Rouge housing for almost 9 months now. Recently, Amphibico asked for a sample piece to show at this year's DEMA Dive Show in Orlando this coming November. So I put this piece together using RED footage that I shot in the Rouge in Indonesia (Lembeh Strait, Raja Ampat and Triton Bay), in Fiji (aboard Fiji Siren in the North and with Beqa Adventure Divers out of Pacific Harbor) and in Sydney, Australia with Dive Centre Manly. Since DEMA is an industry only show and not open to the general public, I though I should also share it on my Website and Vimeo Channel. You can view this video in the "Shot on RED" section of FishTalesFilms.com or directly on my Vimeo Channel at this link: http://vimeo.com/77507265Hope you enjoy it.

G'Day Mate!

I'm in Australia for a few days on my way back home to Bali. I had a fantastic day of diving in Sydney today. The mission was to find Grey Nurse Sharks and Weedy Sea Dragons. The pros at Dive Centre Manly had no trouble at all accomplishing that mission. I saw Grey Nurse Sharks on both dives and two Weedy Sea Dragons, one female and a male with eggs, on the second dive. My guide on both dives was the world famous "Sharky" who knows the site like t he back of his hand. When we went off looking for the Weedy Sea Dragons, it only took him about 5 minutes to find the first one (the male with eggs), and then while I was occupied shooting it, he arranged for me to "discover" the female on my own:<) Sharky also entertains on the dive boat with his stand-up comedy routine of puns and groaners.

Tonight I will be presenting a seminar on UW Video Lighting at Dive Centre Manly for their loyal following of videographers.

A Grey Nurse Shark



There were at least a half dozen sharks at one of their favorite caves.


A male Weedy Sea with eggs (carried on the bottom side of it's tail)


A female Weedy Sea Dragon


Lucky shot, a Weedy Sea Dragon with a Wobegong Shark in the background.

Fiji Sharks!

I'm in Pacific Harbor, Fiji. Today is an off day for me. Yesterday and the day before were my first two dive days with Beqa Adventure Divers, operators of Fiji's famous "The Shark Dive". They, and quite a few of their prominent guests call it the world's best shark dive. I'm beginning to think they might be right. I've done four of my ten scheduled dives with them in the Shark Reef Marine Sanctuary, and I'm pretty sure they are my four best shark dives ever!  And that's considering that the weather sort of sucks and less than half the sharks are here now because it's nearing birthing season for the Bulls.  We "only" had about 30 VW bus sized Bull Sharks at the site yesterday. They tell me that after the birthing season, they can have 80 to 100 Bulls at a time. That would be mind boggling (and something I surely need to come back to experience). As it is, 30 huge Bull Sharks buzzing back and forth gives you the feeling of being in the middle of an epic dogfight. Despite the intense action, the dives have an almost serene feel. The sharks know the program, Beqa Adventure Divers know the program, I have the feeling that if you go where they tell you to go and do what they tell you to do, all is cool. I'm posting a few stills from one of my dives, but to be honest, it's difficult for a still photo to do justice to the choreography of the experience. It's like grabbing stills out of a ballet. The moments in time are cool, but they don't capture the fluid grace of these beautiful creatures. You'll just have to wait until I get back to Bali and post a video to get the feel of it.

Fiji Teaser

We're about halfway through the maiden voyage of Fiji Siren. The weather hasn't been 100% cooperative, some wind and waves to contend with, but the conditions have been better UW than above. Tomorrow we should arrive at Taveuni, one of my favorite Fiji locations, for some classic Soma Soma Strait diving.

Fiji is known for its soft corals and the sides and tops of the Bommies are very colorful.


The Coral Trout in Fiji are quite docile compared to other regions, and easier to shoot. This one was shot with a 10mm lens and is just inches from the dome.


I love Tomato Clowns (Amphiprion frenatus) and have been finding lots of them on the tops of the Bommies.