January 2024

Perfect conditions at the Poor Knights…

December 2023

DPV dive at Goat Island…

November 2023

Eddie is a 15 week old Australian Cattle Dog who enjoys in-water retrievals

July 2023

Queensland, Oz

Fiji sunset

Fiji sunset

June 2023

Fiji Islands: Vatu-i-Ra seamounts and pinnacles, Namena, Wakaya & Makogai

 Fiji sunset

Fiji sunset

April  2023

Drift diving, Moeraki River, South Westland, South Island, NZ

 

March  2023

Longfin eel, Ongarue River, North Island, NZ.

 

November 2021

For anyone interested in the pursuit of underwater photography: has the time come to ditch that heavy, expensive, dedicated underwater camera rig that consumes large amounts of your time and space in favour of a small rectangular convergent device on which you can post process, print, publish and capture those images while maintaining an acceptable level of quality? Click on the pic to read more...

 

September 2021

Laser engravings on basswood: during lockdown I've been busying myself setting up a 3D printer / CNC / laser engraver. This engraving of the humpback calf image took over 43 hours to complete! Select each image for back story media...

May 2021

Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park, NZ.

Common dolphins working to round up bait balls with Australasian gannets diving in for the feast made for a stunning day out on the Hauraki Gulf.

March  2021

Poor Knights Islands, NZ.

 

 

January / Feb 2021

Poor Knights Islands, NZ.

December 2020

Auckland, NZ.

December 2020

Tutukaka, NZ.

 

November 2020

Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park, NZ.

 

July 2020

Broad Bay, Otago Peninsula, NZ.

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July 2020

Blueskin Bay, Otago, NZ.

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July 2020

Pahia, Bay of Islands, NZ.

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March 2020

My bubble; my hood.

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October 2019

Humpback fest, Moorea, French Polynesia

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May 2019

Fiji: Bligh Water to Gau Island

Fiji sunset

Fiji sunset

    Fiji sunset       Fiji soft coral

Fiji soft coral  lemon coralgoby

Curious greenCurious greenCurious green

Schooling barracuda

Scalloped hammerhead

Scalloped hammerhead

Scalloped hammerhead

August 2018

The Tuamotus atolls, French Polynesia

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That night in Fakarava's Tumakohua pass when we were mobbed by reef sharks. Video credit with thanks: Trish O'Donnell

 

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April  2018

Moorea's lagoon makes for awesome encounters with friendly sharks and other animals.

March  2018

The mystical Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia...

November  2017

The outer Hauraki Gulf, NZ at its best.

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February  2017

The spectacular vista  of Middle and North Gables, Tutukaka Coast, NZ

 

September 2016

Moorea, French Polynesia

 

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March 2016

Southern Fiordland

 

Southern Fiordland

June 2015

Dolphin Dream, Bahamas

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Invasive lionfish; scourge of the Caribbean. Due to the additional baggage volume consumed by my drone, my strobes stayed at home. A compact 2000 lumen video light acts as stand-in providing balance to natural light.

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August 2014

Ngunguru river & estuary, Tutukaka Coast, NZ.

May 2014

The call of Africa: Limpopo / Mapumalanga region, South Africa. Follow the link to see...

 

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March 2014

NZ's Poor Knights Islands: summer synopsis. The starry toado (pufferfish) baitball encounters are rarely captured - these open water visitors don't last long after being blown in by easterly winds as snapper quickly decimate them. Rikoriko cave is the worlds largest sea cave - by volume. Music by: Steve Moase, 'Toots High' (on baritone ukelele). Follow the link to watch...


Starry toados are open ocean visitors who arrive at New Zealand's Poor Knights on the warm blue water current. Their stay however is short-lived as they are consumed by snapper. Follow the link to watch...

January 2014

One of the most enjoyable live-aboard trips I have been on to date! Ten days of very hot weather, glass calm seas, a perfect group dynamic and a great mix of aerial and underwater photo ops.

January 2014

Sensational summer surf at Sandy Bay, Tutukaka Coast, NZ

November 2013

This turned out to be a great trip with new gear on a previously enjoyed route. My first foray into underwater full frame with the Nikon D800 and the first time mixing aerial photography (quadcopter) and diving on a live aboard boat.

July 2013

A brief winter visit to Dunedin yielded some stunning coastal Otago scenery. Featuring Lawyers Head, Tavora (Bobbys Head), Graeme's Prion Fence and Tunnel Beach.

February 2013

Over the past year or so I've spent time photographing the endangered Pateke, or New Zealand Brown teal in NZ's Tutukaka Coast region. This is a duck with some non-duck like qualities which include it's nocturnal terrestrial wanderings. My efforts were rewarded with some pleasing images, two of which appeared in NZ Geographic Magazine. Other results were perhaps not as visually pleasing but have some emotional attachment considering the time and effort spent. The image below gives me an opening to place it on this site as it is, turbidity notwithstanding, an underwater image of a Pateke duckling. For more lucid images click here for more.

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August  2012

The annual whaleshark aggregation off Isla Mujeres, Mexico is a relatively newly discovered phenomenon amongst underwater photographers and offers the opportunity to encounter 200 - 300 whalesharks feeding on krill and bonito eggs in an area the size of a few football fields. A spectacular time was had with these magnificent and gentle giants of the ocean. Click here for more.

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May  2012

Leigh Marine Laboratory at Goat Island Marine Reserve on New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf. A passing visit by sailing catamaran with aerial views flying over water and freediving glimpses of friendly snapper.

 

April  2012

Multirotor chopper at NZ's Poor Knights Islands. Click here for more aerials.

February 2012

Pleased to see my Kingfish image used for such a noteworthy cause:

 

September  2011

Fiji  Islands. Click here for more.

 

July 2011

Niue Island revisited: low level aerials plus stunning underwater opportunities and friendly humpbacks made for a memorable  visit. Click here for more.

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June 2011

Long Bay regional park, New Zealand: a winter's day

June 2011

Palau, Western Micronesia is renowned for spectacular drop-offs, pristine reefs and unique marine lakes. Click here for more...

 

January 2011

Low level aerial panorama of Lake Wanaka, Central Otago, New Zealand

Low level aerial image of the Tutukaka Coast: Ngunguru looking south (Canon 550D SLR).

August 2010

While not strictly underwater, low level aerial photography offers a top down point of view on seascapes and is  providing me with a new set of challenges and opportunities. You may be wondering why so quiet for the past few months? The answer has a lot to do with my total immersion in this technically fascinating approach of hanging a camera in the sky using small remote controlled multi-rotor aircraft. I am looking forward to combining underwater water imaging with aerial perspectives...

31st December 2009

Underwater Photography magazine features my Tumakohua Pass article; available online here...

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15th December 2009

Bula Me magazine features my article on Fiji diving online here...

16th October 2009

Medical Assurance Society's 'HiSociety' magazine features my 'Underwater World' article including cover shot and other images in the October 2009 edition (circulation 20K).

15th October 2009

The BBC Book accompanying the life series currently running in the UK: 'Life: Extraordinary Animals, Extreme Behaviour'; Martha Holmes & Michael Gunton features my Katuali images on pages 153 through 155.

    

24th September 2009

The 'Critters' section of this website has been revamped and updated. Check out the reworked galleries on Sharks, Mammals, Reptiles, Seascapes, Fish Portraits, People, Anemonefish, Rays, Scorpionfish, Eels, Nudibranchs and Jellies.

10th September 2009

Fakarava in the Tuamotus, French Polynesia is one of the few places on our planet where it is still possible to see schools of 200+ grey reef sharks gathered in the underwater pass of the atoll as tidal flows turn over water in a lagoon, 60km long by 25km wide. Click here for more images...

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18th July 2009

SEAFANZ Underwater Photographic Workshop, Ha'apai, Tonga presented by Glenn Edney, Tobi Bernhard and myself: trip report available here...

28th June 2009

My strobe primer article:  'Strobilicious; making a meal of underwater lighting', published here...

Photo: courtesy Les Martin

29th March 2009

New Zealand summer typically offers great diving. Conditions have been spectacular with blue water and peak surface temperatures on the Tutukaka Coast allowing for some great photo opportunities over January, February and March. Click here for more images...

Sandagger wrasse poaching two-spot demoiselle eggs

Red Pigfish, Tie Dye Arch

Matapouri Estuary

Stingray, Tie Dye Arch

Curious red pigfish examining bubble fountain near northern arch

Saturday, 6th December 2008, 7:30pm

Bruce Paine's Lateral Lines CD launch. A one hour concert with thematic slideshow includes section featuring my images. Large canvas underwater image prints on display. Bookings essential. Click here for flyer.

6th October 2008

Shark dives at Beqa, Fiji are an adrenaline rush but there's more to this venture than giving punters a thrill; and hopefully more to these images than sensationalizing the encounter. Shark populations worldwide are in serious decline. With sharks dying at a rate much faster than they can reproduce, the loss of apex predators threatens the health of our oceans and our very existence in the longer term.

Shark feeds are sometimes criticized for apparently influencing the behavior of wild animals and placing humans in danger. Yet what I took away from these encounters in my own mind eclipses these ideas and dispels the myths of sharks as hell bent on attacking humans. It gave me a greater appreciation for the apex predators which occupy water, a media which takes up ninety nine percent of the living space on our planet. Sharks are themselves under serious threat. Click here for images...
Feeding Tiger

Bull shark with tuna head

5th September 2008

The Komodo region of  Indonesia in addition to being home to the Komodo dragon is renowned for its marine biodiversity. Strong currents and upwelling from the Indian ocean supply nutrient rich waters to marine life forms. Click here for images...KOMTS08081114.JPG 

9th August 2008

Niue this time provided a great interaction with adolescent humpback whales. Click here for more...

26th June 2008

Classical guitarist and friend Bruce Paine has released an album of his own work titled 'Lateral Lines'. I feel fortunate in having been able to provide Bruce with underwater images as inspiration for part this project. Click here for Bruce's site...

6th June 2008

North Borneo (Layang Layang and Kapalai / Sipadan) images now posted. Click here for Layang Layang and here for Kapalai / Sipadan...LAY0805245843.JPG

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27th April 2008

Published: a review of the Sealux CD300 underwater housing for Nikon D300 DSLR camera. Click here...

26th April 2008

Niue again provided its magic with unlimited visibility and an incredible encounter with the resident pod of spinner dolphin. A good opportunity to sea test the D300 which exceeded expectations. Click here...

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26th March 2008

Images from Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand now posted. Conditions recently have been excellent with very good visibility. Click here...PK0803073035.JPG

 

18th January 2008

Images from Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand now posted. Click here...PK080114143.JPG

14th October 2007

Latest images from Niue Island now posted. Click here...Niue Oct 07

24th September 2007

After setting a new World Record less than 48 hours earlier, on a single breath, Dave Mullins extended his record distance in a freediving event with an amazing underwater swim of 244 metres. For images of the event, click here...

AIDA NZ Invitional 2007, Wellington; 21 - 23 September 2007     AIDA NZ Invitional 2007, Wellington; 21 - 23 September 2007

17th September 2007

Latest images from Niue Island now posted. Click here...

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