Great story, great name… https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/china-asian-maidstone-kent-b2007108.html
Sandi, such an amazing image! I think I read you have done some diving? do you also do underwater photos? or is it an image you found somewhere ? I tried underwater photos and failed miserably.
@Armando Morales I've seen rays like this during my years of diving but I can't take credit for this photo. It is an amazing image, isn't it?! Like you, I tried underwater photos and failed miserably. Plus I found that having a camera with me actually changed my diving...but NOT for the better. When I'm on land, having a camera makes me see the world differently--and better. But when I had a camera with me underwater I became too focused and consequently missed out on the bigger picture and overall joy of the dive. Does that make sense to you as a diver? Now I just like to keep my gear simple when I'm diving and be focused on what I'm seeing, hearing, and feeling rather than focusing my attention on getting a great shot. It sounds like you're a diver, too, Armando. Where do you like to dive and what kind of diving do you enjoy? Mr. Sandi and I have a dive trip coming up soon. We're going to Cozumel mid-March for a week. It's a trip that we cancelled almost exactly two years ago--initially because of a bicycle crash I had but we'd have had to cancel anyway due to Covid and restrictions. I've not been diving for three years--the longest I've gone since I began diving in 2003. I'm a bit nervous but mostly super excited to be back in the water. I love diving about as much--or at least nearly as much--as riding motorcycles! A photo of Mr. Frogfish and me at Cocos Island about 10 years ago.....
Spectacular underwater photos, @Dawsy! Yes, I love the shark photo (I looove sharks!) and the whale shark photo. I was fortunate enough to experience diving with whale sharks on the same Cocos Island trip that I mentioned in my post with the frogfish photo. They were "small" ones--juveniles about 20 feet long. They sure didn't seem small when we were in the water with them! My other favorite in the bunch is the Dan Bolt photo of the Yarrell's bennies entitled "Best Buddies". I love finding those little guys (which is a challenge!) and these two are so darned cute.
Well, that sorts it then! Thanks for the clarification! I'm actually quite jealous really - I've only ever snorkelled, not got round to learning to dive. Snorkelling in nice places (Tioman islands Malaysia, Thailand, China, Egypt, Tanzania) but never encountred a whale shark. We did look for them in the Andamans, but sadly no luck...
Awesome, @Helmut Visor! Gotta love those turtles. I think the makers of "Finding Nemo" nailed it with the turtle's personality......Duuuuude! It's cool that you got that close to those dolphins. We had one dive like that in Hawaii--a dive I'll never forget. Along with the manta ray night dives off the coast of Hawaii. The Underwater world is a absolutely magical. Where do you like to dive??
If you ever get--or make--the opportunity to learn to dive, @Vulpes, I highly recommend it! I honestly don't really enjoy snorkeling what with having to hold one's breath and getting all that water in your mouth. I also find it less peaceful than diving since you typically have to deal with waves and chop at the surface when snorkeling. Diving is quite a different experience. But I would NOT recommend doing a simple, quick "resort course" or diving with some friend who just wants to take you out. The best and safest way to go is a proper scuba certification course by a NAUI, SSI, PADI, etc. certified scuba instructor. That all said, it sounds like you've been snorkeling in some truly amazing places! Interestingly, typically people see whale sharks snorkeling rather than scuba. And in many places people are only allowed to snorkel or free dive in areas with whale sharks. When we saw whale sharks off Cocos Island, they came to us. We didn't go looking for them and we had been well briefed early on in our trip how to behave should we encounter a whale shark. Here's an interesting article about seeing whale sharks up close and personal and about whale sharks in general. https://www.deeperblue.com/whale-sharks-diving/
