Exploring the enchanting world beneath the waves is a captivating experience, and for many, capturing its beauty through underwater photography is an artistic pursuit like no other. Whether you are a seasoned underwater photographer or a budding enthusiast, participating in a Bluewater Travel Underwater Photography Workshop can take your skills to new depths, and maybe even win some prizes. These workshops are designed to offer a unique and enriching experience for photographers of all levels. Let’s dive into five compelling reasons why underwater photographers should consider joining a Bluewater Travel workshop:

1. Expert Guidance from Accomplished Mentors

Bluewater Travel gathers some of the most accomplished and talented underwater photographers as mentors for their workshops. These professionals have years of experience and an in-depth understanding of the marine world and photography techniques. As a workshop participant, you’ll have direct access to their wealth of knowledge, receiving personalized feedback and guidance to enhance your skills. Their insights can significantly accelerate your learning curve, helping you master the art of capturing mesmerizing underwater images.

2. Access to Pristine Dive Destinations

One of the highlights of a Bluewater Travel Underwater Photography Workshop is the opportunity to explore some of the world’s most pristine dive destinations. These workshops are often organized in locations known for their abundant marine life, vibrant coral reefs, and crystal-clear waters. From the turquoise waters of the Caribbean to the biodiversity-rich waters of Southeast Asia, each destination offers a unique photographic playground. Not only will you improve your photography skills, but you’ll also create memories of unforgettable dives in some of the planet’s most breathtaking underwater landscapes.

3. Hands-On Learning and Workshops

The best way to learn underwater photography is through hands-on experience. During a Bluewater Travel workshop, you’ll participate in guided dives with your mentors who will help you apply photography techniques in real-time situations. Additionally, the workshops include informative sessions and workshops that cover various aspects of underwater photography, including composition, lighting, camera settings, and post-processing. These sessions are interactive, allowing you to ask questions and engage in discussions with your mentors and fellow participants.

4. Small Group Environment

Bluewater Travel ensures that their workshops maintain a small group environment. This means more personalized attention from mentors and an intimate setting that fosters a strong sense of camaraderie among participants. The small group size allows for better communication, feedback, and a chance to connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for underwater photography. Lifelong friendships and a supportive network of fellow photographers often result from these workshops, making them an excellent choice for solo dive travelers.

5. Conservation and Ethical Practices

Beyond just taking stunning images, underwater photographers have a responsibility to protect the delicate marine ecosystems they capture. Bluewater Travel emphasizes ethical diving and environmentally-friendly photography practices during their workshops. Participants are educated on how to minimize their impact on marine life and coral reefs, ensuring that they leave behind only bubbles and memories. Some workshops collaborate with local conservation organizations, fostering a deeper understanding of the importance of marine conservation efforts.

Join a Bluewater Travel Underwater Photography Workshop!

In conclusion, a Bluewater Travel Underwater Photography Workshop is a remarkable opportunity for underwater photographers to grow their skills, explore breathtaking dive sites, and contribute to marine conservation efforts. The guidance of accomplished mentors, combined with hands-on learning and an emphasis on ethical practices, make these workshops an enriching and unforgettable experience. So, whether you are an experienced photographer looking to take your craft to new depths or a novice eager to plunge into the world of underwater photography, joining a Bluewater Travel workshop might just be the splash of inspiration you need. Join one of the upcoming workshops today!

Further Reading

To learn what to expect on a Bluewater Travel Underwater Photography Workshop, read about previous trips here.

Looking for new underwater photo gear? Head over to the store to find the latest cameras, lights, and more!

New Review: Read about our experience shooting with the Nikon Z8 here.

Heading on a liveaboard? Learn about how to keep your batteries charged onboard.

Don’t forget to purchase travel insurance before you depart on a trip! Learn more about the importance of travel insurance here.

The post 5 Reasons to Join a Bluewater Travel Underwater Workshop first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Hairy Frogfish (right)

Wise words from Mike Bartick/Wayne Gretzky 

The post “Snoot is life” – A first time snooters experience first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Diving in the Galapagos isn’t for the faint of heart. From the heart pounding surge and currents at Wolf and Darwin, to the chilly waters around the main islands, like Isabela, the Galapagos can really test a diver’s skill. Knowing that I was headed for the adventure of a lifetime, and what could be my most challenging diving to date, I wanted to make sure I had the right tools for the job.

Aquatica housings, engineered and designed in Canada, are well known for standing up to harsh ocean conditions. This trip was the perfect chance to test out the new Aquatica A7R II underwater housing.

Right from the start, the Galapagos provided wondrous marine and terrestrial life. As we waited for the panga to take us to the boat, the group watched pelicans diving for small fish off nearby rocks while sea lions and marine iguanas soaked in the sunlight. Aboard the Galapagos Master Deep Blue, we were briefed on the many regulations of this national park, as well as given a glimpse of the excitement to come. After a quick checkout dive and dinner, it was time to start prepping gear, and the Aquatica housing proved easy to assemble after having been fully dismantled for traveling.

In order to pack as much as possible in a small carryon, I had removed the sturdy molded handles, which came off easily by removing one large bolt. Reassembly was a cinch, and setting up the ports took no time at all. The housing uses a standard bayonet mount, so a little muscle was needed to lock the ports in place, however, they include a textured section on all extension rings making it easier to grip the otherwise smooth aluminum finish. If you need a bit more leverage, make sure to throw a strap wrench in your bag.

Male Frigate bird in mating display.

Land Iguana chomps down on a cactus for lunch.

The first full day on the trip we explored a small island called North Seymour, watching Boobies, Frigate Birds and Marine Iguanas wander around the desert landscape. Afterwards we dove off the a small sand bar called Mosquera in chilly waters with light current. From there it was a long overnight motor to the prime destinations of the trip: Darwin’s Arch and Wolf Island. These sights promised hammerheads and other large sightings, including the hope of a whale shark or two now that it was the end of June. Prior to the trip I had been warned about the conditions. Often beset by strong currents with the possibility of rough surface conditions, diving here was not expected to be easy. As it turned out, rough was an understatement, and if not prepared, the dives at Darwin could easily have been disastrous.

We hopped into the pangas as quickly as possible for what felt like a long, slow ride over to the arch. Choppy seas tossed the little boat around, with waves breaking over the bow a few times until we pulled up as close to the arch as we could get. A negative entry was key, back rolling off the panga and continuing straight down to grab onto the rocks below. Once again I wa glad to have the Aquatica housing. These housings are designed and tested with rough, cold water in mind and have been known to endure challenging ocean conditions. This sturdy construction paired with the Surveyor Vacuum Sensor System assured me that my housing had and would maintain a proper o-ring seal, even when rolling off the panga with me versus being gently handed down after I hit the water. I had no issues with the seal on the trip, and the housing continued to perform well with each dive. The security of using a vacuum check system, especially when plunging off a panga to catch dolphins swimming by, or constantly opening and closing the housing to change the ever dying Sony battery is priceless.

Another great benefit to having the Aquatica housing on this trip was the ability to customize and use the control dial on the back of the camera. Aquatica is the only manufacturer who included the dial control on their housing. There are many options you can choose to assign to this button, but I chose ISO control. What this meant is that I now had immediate control of my ISO through the rear control dial, just like changing aperture or shutter speed from the other two dials. Any other method of changing ISO involves clicking a button, scrolling over to the desired ISO and then hitting OK. While not too involved it does add time. When you’re swimming as fast as you can after a whale shark, being able to adjust all key settings on the fly, including ISO, can make or break getting the shot. This feature is also extremely useful when shooting video.

Upcoming Galapagos Trips with Scott Gietler

• Join our April 2017 Galapagos Trip
• Join our Jan or May 2018 Galapagos Trip

Huge, pregnant female whale sharks come to Darwin in June

Hammerheads cruise by the rocky reef.

After the rough seas of Darwin, the calmer water around Wolf was a blessing. There was still plenty of surge, and chance of current, so I continued to back roll with the camera, confident in the housing’s construction. We found sanctuary at the site Shark Bay, where hundreds of hammerheads swam in front of our waiting cameras. Like watching a movie, they just kept swimming back and forth in the depths that stretched before us. In addition we did one dive with the macro lens, looking for the odd little Red Lipped Batfish. Having pre-programed my Sony to split out the autofocus, the Aquatica housing made it easy to focus using the Custom 1 button. This allowed me to keep focus locked and shoot several shots quickly and accurately.

If you stay still and find the right spot, the hammerheads will even swim right over you!

Curious Fur Seals frolic in the shallows of Shark Bay.

The rest of the trip continued smoothly as we explored the calmer, yet colder waters off the main group of Islands. I had the housing set up with Electronic Sync Cables, which worked fine, however I would highly recommend opting for the internal flash trigger and fiber optic cables with this housing. It means one less o-ring to manage, and makes for much easier changes if you want to remove the strobes and add video lights, or take just the housing down for ambient light shots while snorkeling.

The frigid waters off Isabela brought us up close and personal with large mola mola, and offered us beautiful sea fans akin to the temperate waters of Southern California. We spent an afternoon frolicking with hungry marine iguanas as they dived in the shallows to munch on green and red algae. Evenings on this trip were spent marveling over the sights from earlier in the day, sharing images with each other and giving photo workshops to help improve for the next day. Each night we collapsed into bed exhausted from adventure and dreamt of the next day’s excitement. The trip included two land tours, the birds and iguanas at the start, and an afternoon with giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island to cap it off. As long as ten days on a boat may seem, suddenly it was over. Time to bid farewell to this magical land full of incredible creatures.

Mola Mola (or Mola Ramses) comes up from the deep to get cleaned by these little wrasse.

Marine Iguanas dive deep and hold their breath while chowing down on the algae growing on the rocks.

Found no where else, the Giant Tortoises are a must see when visiting the Galapagos.

The Galapagos is definitely a must dive location, but it pays to be prepared. Get the right gear, know how to use it and be prepared for some adventurous diving!

Check out these links for useful information on the Sony A7R II and the Aquatica Housing:

• Aquatica Housing for Sony A7R II Camera
• Sony A7R II Review
• Aquatica A7R II Review
• Best Underwater Settings for Sony A7R II

The post 10 Days in the Galapagos with the Aquatica A7RII first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The sense of being out in the middle of nowhere is strong during the crossing to the Archipelago Revillagigedos, also known as the Socorro Island. It takes 24-30 hours of motoring to reach this small island chain, but the wait is well worth it. Consisting of four islands, three of which are close enough to each other that you can dive them in one expedition, this area is well known for its big animal encounters. The islands and small sea mounts attract a variety of small life, which in turn brings in the big guys. Sharks abound, mantas gracefully fly through the water and dolphins twirl and dance in front of you under these waters.

This was my first experience diving Socorro, and it was nothing short of incredible. The water was around 76-78°, perfect for a 5mm suit. We had excellent visibility most of the time, with views stretching past 100 ft on many dives. While nothing is guaranteed, this trip everyone on our group got plenty of time watching the manta rays glide through the water, brushing over our bubbles. We saw a large school of hammerhead sharks cruise by in the distance, watched white tips pile upon each other at Roca Partida and we danced with dolphins, who playfully cruised past the group, diving down into the depths and back up, daring divers to follow along.

A haven for the big guys, it also is home to an incredible amount of varied fish life. Large trevally and jacks school around the sea mounts, and small baitfish dart in and out of rocky crevasses. Yellowfin tuna can be spotted quickly darting through the school in the distance, though rarely coming close. We watched rainbow runners clean themselves on the side of a silky shark, and eyed wahoo as they swam near the surface during our safety stops.

Of course, not every dive was big animal heaven… these creatures move around often, and we had several dives of vast empty blue ocean stretching out in front of us. Luckily during those dives you can enjoy watching the small fish, eels, and more, but remember, if you focus too much on the little guys, you won’t know when the big ones show up!

The trip on the Rocio del Mar is very comfortable, with an incredible staff, excellent food and great accommodations. Knowledgeable dive masters lead the way underwater, while topside your gear is looked after, and delicious meals keep you energized throughout the day.

Here is just a selection of some of the fantastic sights we experienced through our adventure in Socorro.

Equipment Used

Nauticam Sony A7r II Underwater Housing

Sony 16-35mm F4 Lens

The post Diving Socorro with the Sony A7R II first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

The cenotes of the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, are famous world-wide for their unique cavern (and cave) diving. I had the opportunity to lead a small group photo trip for Bluewater Photo in late February for three days of cenote diving and underwater photography. I showed up eager to finally get back in the water with a camera, and each dive lived up to every expectation, daydream and photo visualized over the previous months. The beautiful ambient light, sense of exploration, fantastic group and great dive guides of Scuba Playa (in Playa Del Carmen) made it a fantastic trip.

For more info on diving the cenotes, check out Bluewater Travel’s Yucatan Scuba Travel page and Best of the Yucatan Travel Package.  I also published a trip writeup ‘Diving the Mexico Cenotes‘ on the Underwater Photography Guide.

The photos below were shot with Bluewater Photo’s rental Sony a7R II, 28mm lens + fisheye converter, Nauticam a7R II housing, I-Torch V10 light, and dual Sea&Sea YS-D1 strobes.  Check out all of the Bluewater Photo Rental housings and cameras.

– Brent Durand

Cenotes Underwater Photos

Our dive guide pauses under a shaft of light in cenote Tajma Ha. Sony a7R II, Super 35 mode, ISO 5000, f/5, 1/30.

Our second dive guide models near fallen trees just above a hydrogen sulfide layer in cenote Angelita. Sony a7R II, Super 35 mode, ISO 6400, f/5.6, 1/40.

On a photo mission at the entrance to cenote Car Wash. Sony a7R II, Super 35 mode, ISO 6400, f/5.6, 1/30.

A diver swims by a fallen tree in cenote Angelita. Sony a7R II, Super 35 mode, ISO 4000, f/5.6, 1/40.

Shooting the famous lillies of cenote Car Wash. Sony a7R II, Super 35 mode, ISO 100, f/8, 1/125.

The post Diving the Mexico Cenotes first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Welcome to the Sea of Cortez. Dubbed by Jacques Cousteau as the “World’s Aquarium” this living sea definitely lives up to the name. Abundant life swimming through warm waters provides a unique diving experience where temperate and tropical worlds collide. From the tiniest skeleton shrimp to the giant whale shark, the Sea of Cortez provides a variety of marine encounters and incredible diving. For one week, I lead a great group of people on a photo workshop organized by Bluewater Travel.

After an easy flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix followed by a comfortable shuttle ride through the Head Out to Rocky Point service we arrived at the Rocio del Mar liveaboard.
The 110ft vessel stood waiting at the end of the dock as the crew made final preparations for our voyage. Once on board we were shown our cabins for the week and set up our dive gear on the dive deck. This is a large deck offering a spacious camera table in the middle where there was plenty of space for our group with many large cameras. Shortly we were on our way. Due to a storm that had just rolled in we had a bit of a rough crossing the first night, but after a fitful night’s sleep and a few folks with sea sickness we woke up to a beautiful morning with bright sunshine and calm seas.

Our first two days were spent at Isla Angel de Guardia where we explored various dive sites including Piedra del Angel, Los Nidos, and La Vela. Water temperatures were a little cooler, around 79º on average. With the macro lens on I hunted for the many unique and colorful critters. Spread out with my fin tips resting on the sand I spent minutes watching the little blue spotted jawfish dart in and out of holes and the orange throated pike blennies dance for mates by pushing out of their tubes and showing of their large dorsal fin and brightly colored throats. Within seconds they were back to being just a small black head poking out of the sand. Tiny gobies, wrasse, sea stars, arrow crabs, small stingrays and more were everywhere. Divers also found sea horses, vibrantly colored nudibranchs, octopus and small blennies hiding out among the rocky reef.

Between dives there was time for relaxation, photo talks and food. Quickly we fell into a fantastic schedule of dive, eat, dive, eat, etc. The chef on board, Joshua is definitely talented in the kitchen and provided our group with delicious meals prepared with a creative flare. Consistently happy to help, the crew took requests and did their best to accommodate all dietary restrictions. They were even happy to let us order “half portions” for those of us who just could not finish the full plate provided. Meals varied from traditional american style to delicious Mexican fare. From breakfasts of sausage, eggs and waffles, to chilaquiles and beans, or lunches of fresh fish filets bought from local merchants to cheeseburgers. Pork tenderloin and incredibly flavored lasagna for dinner. Everyone agreed that the food was top notch, and of course, each dinner was followed by a delicious dessert! Twice they provided dinner up on the top Sun Deck as a fantastic BBQ with steak topped with a basil sauce one evening and carne asada tacos another. On these evenings they spread out the sides and toppings along a built in bar and everyone served themselves buffet style then sat along tables and enjoyed the colorful sunsets. Beer and wine are included with the trip and they offered Tecate (light or regular) and a variety of good white or red wines.

With the exception of the first day of diving, we completed four dives per day including two night dives. Krill was very abundant around the islands, so the nights dives were an interesting dance of krill in front of your lights which made photographing critters difficult. Many of the animals found in the Sea of Cortez are more active at night, and these two dives gave us a chance to find octopus moving around, anemone’s fully stretched out and other fish that often hide during the day swimming around.

After two days of fantastic macro diving around Isla Angel de Guadia we woke up at the tiny speck of an island called San Pedro Martir. This little rock is well known as a home to thousands of sea lions. With clearer water and the chance for larger animal encounters, I switched to the wide angle lens and off into the water we dove.

Diving from the Rocio del Mar is easy. Don your gear aboard the boat and walk down to the large dive deck. This deck sits right at water level making it easy for the “panga” (rubber inflatable dinghy) to pull up alongside so you can step from the large vessel to the small one. Sitting on the inflatable tubes we donned fins and zipped off to the dive site. Our longest ride was possibly ten minutes. The crew was always very helpful assisting you into and out of the pangas, getting fins and camera gear aboard. Once back from the dive they would bring up your gear and start filling tanks.

Speaking of the crew, they were excellent. All extremely helpful, pleasant and ready to assist. Not only were they helpful and friendly, you really felt as if they truly cared that your experience was exceptional, not that they were only doing their job. They made conversation and were happy to answer all questions, and most spoke English extremely well. Several of the other divers remarked on how great the crew was throughout the trip. One thing that I loved were the intricate dive site drawings the two divemasters, Gilberto “Gil” and Esteban “Pato” would create before each dive briefing. These really helped you know what to expect and plan the dives.

Diving in the very warm waters around San Pedro Martir, with temperatures varying between 82-86º, we explored large walls with sweeping fields of black coral (named so because once dead after harvesting the dried shell of this coral is black, however alive and well underwater is is bright yellow). Some sites had currents running, so we would drift along taking in the sites. While we did not get to experience the big groups of sea lions all playing in the water with us thanks to several large and dominating males who trumpeted along the perimeter of their territory, keeping the inquisitive adolescents and females inside, we did have a variety of sea lions join us in the shallows, dancing and swimming circles around our group. In addition to the sea lions we saw sea turtles swimming through, large moray eels and even mobula rays swimming in the blue.

We spent two days at San Pedro Martir before moving for a day at Sal Si Puedes Island. Further north again, this brought us back to the cooler waters, around 76-79º around this island, and back to the macro lens. We had excellent dives at El Lavadero and Los Cuervos, both teeming with life. On these dives our divemasters instructed us to gently settle on the bottom once they spotted a giant jawfish poking his head out of a hole. These fish, with heads about the size of a grapefruit live in a network of holes in the sand, swimming out to grab food before sliding back inside. Armed with pieces of fish and shrimp the divemasters would entice the jawfish out of their homes so we could watch them in action. It was great to watch them lunge for the fish and then slide back into their burrow. Once finished we carefully added a bit of air to our BCD’s so we could float up and away from their homes without destroying the sensitive burrows with a misplaced fin kick. The rest of these dives was spent exploring along the rocky reefs hunting for more critters to capture through my lens.

The final two dives, El Caballo and La Corona were not as great as previous dives. With stronger current and cloudy visibility we wrapped up the diving for the trip. Once more the captain and crew jigged for humbolt squid, our third attempt after the first night was cancelled by the wind and we were skunked the second. Unfortunately we had no luck luring one of these giants up to our boat.

One more move during the night and we woke up on Friday morning just outside the Bahia de Los Angeles, home to many graceful whale sharks. With an early breakfast we headed out for a day on the water following these giants around the waters of the bay while they cruised and fed on the abundant krill and plantkton. Encountering these creatures in the water is mind blowing, they hang vertically while sucking in large amounts of water and food, then swim with long slow movements deceptively moving faster than we could keep up. The Bahia de Los Angeles is a Mexican National Park, and the locals are working to turn the fishing town into a port of touism, with the local whale sharks as the main draw. The Rocio is required to rent local boats to take us into the bay and snorkel with the sharks, and our guide, Marco Blanco, was excellent. My group braved the beating sun and capitalized on our time, staying out the full 6 hours.

Friday night as the boat prepared for the long haul back to Puerto Peñasco our group enjoyed our last dinner, then gathered upstairs in the lounge for a slideshow review of everyone’s favorite images and video clips from the trip. We reminisced on the fantastic week of diving and commiserated about having to return to reality. The crossing back was calm, and Saturday morning we woke up in Puerto Peñasco, our trip at an end.

 Interested? Join us in 2016!

July 30th – August 6th, $2395

August 6th – August 13th, $2395

Click the dates above for more information on our two group photo workshops for 2016.

The post Trip Report: Sea of Cortez first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Aloha! I will be running an informal low-cost underwater photo workshop in Kona this month, September 19th – 28th.

It is designed for people who live in Kona,  or for people who can make a quick trip over for some classes and/or fun diving.

• Amazing dives & snorkels
• Group lectures
• One-on-one underwater photo help
• Ultra-low cost

Two ways to participate:

• Join us on some dives – Turtles, Manta Rays, Dolphins, Tiger Sharks, Black-water night dives, Pilot Whale/Oceanic white-tip dives, Akule bait-ball. Dive costs will not be marked up, and locals can get “local rates” on dives. Of course shore dives are free.
• Attend classes/workshops – I’ll be planning some evening lectures based on interest, there will be a small nominal cost. Potential speakers are myself, Jeff Milisen, Bo Pardau, Joshua Lambus, and Doug Perrine. Exact dates and topics will be determined later this week. Potential topics are underwater lighting, composition, getting great video, Hawaiian monk seals, finding and photographing mantas, focusing on pelagic inverts, and selling your underwater photos.

How to Participate

Please email me at kona@bluewaterphotostore.com if you are interested, along with the dates you are available, and if you are interested in dives, lectures or both. I can also assist in accommodation if needed.

I hope to see you in Kona later this month!

Scott Gietler

Owner, Bluewater Photo & Bluewater Travel

The post Kona Photo workshop Sep 18th – 29th first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Our July 16th Anacapa trip was a big success. We have 4 great dives, and saw bat rays, giant black sea bass, harbor seals, huge schools of blacksmiths and senoritas, and more.

Here is a video from the trip that our guest Walter Marti made for us:

Along with some underwater photos:

The post Anacapa trip photos and videos first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

I just returned from the Philippines after being invited to join hosts Scott Gietler and Mike Bartick in running Bluewater Photo’s annual underwater photo workshops in Anilao.

We had two fantastic groups of underwater photographers in each of the 10 or 7-day workshops. A busy schedule ensured 4 long critter-packed dives per day (between 60-90 minutes each), a detailed morning image review, lunchtime workshop presentation and personal help on gear, strobe positioning, composition, post processing and camera settings.

Crystal Blue Resort provided great accommodation and food, with a genuinely friendly and helpful staff. The guides are top-notch, ensuring safe dives while pointing out critter after critter. The boatmen took care of gear and loading/unloading cameras, making the short boat rides hassle-free and fun. Most of us constantly had to choose to photograph something we really really wanted to shoot or something we really really really wanted to shoot.

It was amazing to watch as most photographers’ photos got increasingly better during the trip – the product of applying concepts learned during the presentations and many hours underwater.

If you haven’t yet, check out Bluewater Photo’s International Workshop Schedule.

– Brent Durand

Hairy Shrimp. Photo: Scott Gietler

Whip Coral Shrimp. Photo: Brent Durand

The post Anilao Photo Workshops – Trip Report first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

A great group of divers was treated to epic conditions during the Bluewater Photo local trip to dive the Oil Rigs and Olympic wreck yesterday.

The day started with blue water above the Olympic wreck and great visibility on the wreck itself. The photographers stayed busy shooting the wreck and schools of rubberlip surfperch, blacksmith and some fun macro subjects.

Dive two was on the Eureka rig, where the group found no current and 90ft visibility!  As many of us know, this doesn’t happen every day.  The sun was out, the sea lions were friendly and everyone had a great dive. The next surface interval was action-packed as well, with a school of mola molas swimming by and then a gray whale.

Dive three was on the double rig, Ellen-Elly.  Our excited group of divers hit the water, exploring the rigs amidst large schools of baitfish.

Thanks to everyone who joined.

– The Bluewater Photo Team

A cabezon guards its eggs on the Ellen-Elly rig. Photo: Brook Peterson

Great visibility on the Eureka oil rig.

Tommy from Bluewater Photo cruises between oil rig pilings.

A creative shot of the Ellen-Elly oil rig. Photo: Tommy Stylski

The post Epic Conditions on Bluewater Oil Rigs Trip first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.