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More Cool Pictures from the Florida Keys – Underwater

Hello again friends,

So as promised, I am now posting the underwater photographs I took while I was in the Florida Keys last month.

While the weather and visibility conditions were not favorable (in fact, 50% of our dives were canceled because of high winds and extremely rough seas), I still managed to get off a few shots and got some cool shots of a variety of fish, coral, sponges, and even a photography of my buddy/cousin Walter who was OW certified on this trip.

I ran across a HUGE nurse shark on one of my first dives there but wasn’t able to get a shot off before the individual I was diving with at the time took off on me and I had to give up on the picture to follow her (she obviously didn’t listen to my brief on the boat deck before we got in the water and didn’t understand what an underwater camera is for). Just a reminder to all to all my diver friends….always stay with your buddy. ALWAYS! But I digress. That shark was one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever run across and her image will forever remain etched in my mind.

We dove with two operations while we were there. One was based in Marathon and the other in Islamorada. While both were exceptional, the one operating out of Marathon was severely overpriced and I will not dive with them again when I return. Not only were they severely overpriced, but they had the gall to automatically include a 20% gratuity when they charged me. Now I am an exceptional tipper, but I want a tip to be my choice and an expression of the exceptional service I may have received. If it’s automatic, it kind of defeats the purpose of a tip-right? So, 1) what motivation do those that are working have to do a good job if the risk of being stiffed is removed and 2) how do I even know that the tip is going to those that its supposed to? Ok, now I’ve digressed again. Sorry.

So the operation that I highly recommend is Islamorada Dive Center out of Islamorada, Florida (link embedded in the name). They were awesome and did everything to make our experience memorable and wanting to go back. I am sorry that we didn’t get more of a chance to dive with them.

I hope that you enjoy these photographs as much as I do taking them and sharing. As always, please feel free to provide a comment or two and share the blog with your friends. And if you want to see some of my other pictures from this trip, click the link below.

https://chrismckennaphotography.com/2021/06/my-cool-pics-of-the-florida-keys-2021/

Blessings,

Chris

Chris.

Posted in Landscape and Nature Photography, Travel Photography, Underwater Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , |

Kona, Hawaii Part I

Hi Friends,

Earlier this year, we took a trip to Kona, Hawaii for a round of diving and underwater photography. The images below are just a sampling of those that I took

I was particularly taken with the Manta Rays. Those were taken during a night dive we had with a local company (Kona Honu Divers) and specializes in the Manta Ray dives. What a fantastic opportunity to get so close to these magnificent creatures.

And of course the turtles and I share a special bond. For whatever reason, I find myself drawn to these animals too. Since my first encounter with a turtle in 2016 to these latest ones, I love them.

With great humility, I am proud to say that two of these pictures are now award winners. Albeit small awards, they are winners nonetheless. They are the first photo in this gallery, the one with the two divers that I call “Divers and Hoover’s Pinnacle” and the sunset photograph with the two boats entitled “Waiting for the Mantas”. Thank you to Tacoma Scuba and the Sea Horse Diving Club for the recognition of these two.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these photos. I look forward to getting many more on my future trips to our 50th, and most beautiful state.

Blessings, Chris.

Posted in Travel Photography, Underwater Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Bahamas – May 2018

Hello again Friends.

Here we are now half-way through the year. Wow-where has time gone?

In May, I joined a group of local divers for the trip of a lifetime in the Bahamas. We headed out on a chartered Blackbeards 65′ Sea Explorer sailboat for a week of sailing, playing pirates, and of course scuba diving. And what would a scuba trip be without me taking along my camera to see what I could get–photo wise that is.

We headed out of Nassau and sailed south into the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park and hit 16 dives in 5 days. It was a lot of diving, but certainly a lot of fun. While there were a ton of fish and coral life to gaze upon in awe and photograph, diving with the sharks was probably the highlight for me. Nothing that I can think of topped that experience.

Kudos and many happy thank you’s to my dive buddies for making this a wonderful trip and especially to those that spent time with me underwater: Michelle, Glenn, & Kyle.

I hope you enjoy these photographs.

Blessings.

Posted in Landscape and Nature Photography, Sports Photography, Travel Photography, Underwater Also tagged , , , , , , , , , |