Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Maldives Scuba Dive 2008: Part 1


Must resist the urge.

On the MV Eagle Ray - a dive cruise boat (otherwise known as a Live-on-board. 9 full days of diving. Nine!!! Over 29 dives - including one open sea crazy snokel swim with a whale shark. The sea was quite not calm - 1/2 metre high waves - and we jumped into the open sea to swim with the whale shark. Unfortunately, I was the doofus who jumped on top of the whale shark and scared it away. I don't think the rest of the dive team forgave me for that :(

We did encounter a number of Rays - Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, a giant Marble Ray. They are the birds of the Ocean - flying gracefully through the open sea with their wings. Two large Manta Rays came and played with us on the last day of diving. I got up soooo close to them and by swimming very carefully, may have convinced them that I was also another type of friendly fish.

I feel so at peace when I'm next to these marvelous sea creatures. It touches the soul. This might sound strange but I feel a deep sense of belonging when they are right next to me, totally unafraid. You feel at one with nature.

I love the sea and I love scuba diving because it gives me the freedom of swimming so freely like a fish in the deep blue. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in outer space - this comes close. I fly, I soar. Gravity holds no constraints on me. Its such a beautiful experience.

My photography skills seem to have improved. I learnt how to use a torch to help illuminate some of the shots. Camera used is my small compact point and shoot Fuji F31D with the original underwater housing. Very good little camera.

The photos of the Porcelain Shrimp, Planketon and coral were all taken during the day. I must have been using the manual setting as the backgrounds are totally blacked out by the fast shot take.

19 comments:

adelyn kwan said...

wow! never took planktons before but this shot is really cool!

adelyn kwan said...

love the black background! very nice!

Yauming YMC said...

thanks Addy, it was a just simple trial and error and pointing and shooting. Most of the shots came out blurred - or the plankton switched off its light just a micro second to the shoot. I was as amazed as you are that the picture came out so nicely.

Kelvin Ow said...

Great shot! Looks like a blue diamond... Will try shooting if there's a chance... Cheers!

Yauming YMC said...

Thanks!

Yauming YMC said...

I can't believe I actual got this shot. I could hardly see the shrimp - I just pointed at the dark patch - which is that long orange bit - focused using macro of course up close - and took the shot. This was taken during the day.

Rini Raharjanti said...

WOW!!!!

Yauming YMC said...

Took that one - dangerously pointblank. haha.

Shaghayegh Mazloomi said...

Wowww. so lovely

D G said...

I'm finding it hard to describe what it is, love your pics!

Yauming YMC said...

Thanks for your kind words- its a plankton. I can't believe the photo turned out so well.

carlo castro said...

This is great! Wish I could see something like this someday!

Yauming YMC said...

If you liked that. Wait til you see the Barracuda Tornado video I took whilst swimming inside!

薛 瑾 said...

stunning pictures!

Yauming YMC said...

Thanks. It was a great diving trip. The longest I ever went on - and I got the most amazing photos ever.

cy tan said...

We saw this at Kapalai Resort house reef!

cy tan said...

We saw this at Sipadan.............during our first dive in the early morning. Maybe the water was still dark.............I saw them glittering under my feet when I flipped..............Cool!

cy tan said...

This is beautiful!

Yauming YMC said...

Thanks. The photo was taken on a night dive. The camera captured an amazing level of details. Very satisfying!!!