A sea lion comes in for a closer look I was SCUBA diving in the bracing waters off of Anacapa in the Channel Islands, receiving a stern lecture via vigorous pantomime. Words aren’t an option when both parties are submerged 30 feet underwater. It was clear to me, despite our lack of words, that my [...]
If you’ve ever tried tending a garden, you might be able to imagine the complexities of planting and maintaining a nursery located twenty feet under the sea. I got just a taste of what it takes to be an underwater gardener when I joined a trip, organized by Captain Don Voss of Marine Cleanup Initiative, [...]
Finally, Antarctica proper. Time for penguins! Our first landfall in Antarctica was at Half Moon Island, a crescent-shaped, rocky island with chinstrap penguin colonies and a small Argentinian research station. (Technically Half Moon Island is part of the South Shetland Islands, not the Antarctic Peninsula, but there was ice and there were penguins, so I’m [...]
It’s not that I’ve been in a slump, but it’s good to get a little inspirational jolt from time to time. Last night, I attended a screening at Adventure 16 of 180° South, a film about Jeff Johnson’s Patagonian journey, inspired by the 1968 epic adventure of Patagonia and North Face founders, Yvon Choinard and Doug Tompkins. [...]
Looking up a five story kelp bed off of San Clemente Island In July, I took advantage of the warmer surface temperatures to schedule two separate diving trips off the coast of southern California. My objective was to test out my Olympus E-PL1 micro four thirds camera system and my Olympus PT-EP01 underwater housing. This [...]
Earlier this week I received my long-anticipated underwater housing for my Olympus micro four thirds camera (Olympus Pen E-PL1). It was delivered via express mail by Optical Ocean Sales–the first shop that I could find that had the housing in-stock. (Jack Connick at Optical Ocean Sales was very helpful during this process.) I received the [...]
The most thrilling experience of our trip to Tonga was the opportunity to swim in the water with the humpback whales. Surprisingly, in the presence of such large creatures, I didn’t feel scared. The whales were so graceful and in control and aware of our presence, that I never felt like I might get accidentally [...]
So if I’ve convinced you to book your next trip to Tonga, congratulations! It’s surprisingly easy to research and book online, and yes, they will eventually return your emails. Just give them a few days. Here I’ve put together some advice for prospective swimmers: [Click on title for full story]Every day out on the water [...]
Just last week, I returned from a trip to Tonga, an island kingdom located in the Pacific Ocean, about a thousand miles (1,600 km) northeast of New Zealand. Tonga is one of the few places in the world that you are allowed to swim with whales. It was an awe-inspiring experience. These are pictures from [...]
