Me … on National Geographic

Posted Aug.11, 2011 under News

Zeb Hogan, right, from National Geographic's "Monster Fish" TV series recently filmed an episode of his show at Mermet Springs! My home dive site. The show will air Friday, Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Central Time. Tune in (look for me in the background. That's not me in the picture getting ready to dive, that is actually Randy.)

Well…not ‘me’ but Mermet Springs!

One of Mermet's many Spoonbills.

National Geographic recently visited us at Mermet Springs to film an episode of “Monster Fish” and it is going to air on NatGeo at 9 p.m. Central (double check that time!)

Zeb Hogan and his crew were on hand at the quarry for a few days to film the elusive Spoonbill and document the fish’s history in America.

During the television production we also released a ton of baby Spoonbills into the water, you will get to see them too! If you haven’t been able to see one of them underwater because you are not a scuba diver (or you haven’t found where they swim in the quarry yet) tune in on Friday to watch this special episode.

(Keep an eye out for me in the background  ;-) )

 

Here is a link to the National Geographic’s web page with a little more information about the upcoming show:

National Geographic Monster Fish web page

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Shark Week! (with me!)

Posted Jun.02, 2011 under Narcosis, Photography, Scuba, Travel

Wanna swim with the sharks?

We are heading to Baja, Mexico to dive with the Great White Sharks in September!
We are heading out on the new Baja Aggressor.
I’ve been watching them collect these sharks and tagging them off Baja. These sharks are BIG.
Are these cages STRONG enough!?
What is the best way to photograph these sharks from inside a cage?
Wide angle?

Just what IS a jellyfish?

Posted May.31, 2011 under Advice, Scuba

Learn more about these jellies…


The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute made a video about “jellyfish.” It’s a summary of the extreme diversity encompassed under one, catch-all name, and does a really nice job of explaining relationships between different species and families of jelly-like creatures.

So next time you go diving, you will know a little more about these neat guys!

 

Easter Scuba!

Posted Apr.24, 2011 under Narcosis, Scuba

Easter bunny makes his rounds underwater!

Many folks are scared of the Easter bunny, but look at this guy in the video! The Easter bunny scuba dives, he can’t be that bad!

Apparently E. Bunny showed up at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to hide a few eggs for a charity auction event.

It even says, that non-toxic colors were used to ensure the reef wasn’t damaged.

 

The first color underwater photo…ever

Posted Apr.18, 2011 under artwork, News, Scuba

Underwater color photography was born with this shot of a hogfish, photographed off the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico by Dr. William Longley and National Geographic staff photographer Charles Martin in 1926. This image and more are featured on the National Geographic's website.

National Geographic features milestones in underwater photography

National Geographic is featuring some historic underwater photographs on their webpage.

They start with the hogfish photograph taken in 1926 on color film.

Legendary French oceanographer Jacques In 1956 Jacques Cousteau examines a school of fish swimming past coral in the Indian Ocean.

This is a great primer for the new underwater photographer. You can really see what it used to take to actually get unerwater and take a single photograph! Today, we have it so easy, a small portable camera with an attached strobe and nearly unlimited photography, as long as the batteries and memory card hold up.

Follow the link over to National Geographic and check out the historic images and also download wallpapers of all of the images in their presentation.

Link:

National Geographic Milestones in Underwater Photography

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A note to all the spam emailers

Posted Jan.03, 2011 under Narcosis

Seriously, get a life.

Go diving, or something!

You have no idea how many pure garbage comments the website gets EVERY day. I kill them all off so no one else has to read the garbage. We are interested in diving here, not cialis, auto insurance or other crap.

If you are a spam emailer, get off your ass and go learn to dive, or atleast something!

For the rest of the divers, keep up the diving!

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Cozumel Photos added …

Posted Dec.29, 2010 under artwork, Photography, Travel

Take a look at the new gallery

I just uploaded a bunch of photos to the photo gallery from the recent Cozumel trip.

There are some photographs from the dives and there are some dives from the Dos Ojos cenote expedition. There are also some photographs from the Mayan temple at Chitzen Itza.

Take a sec, and go look at the photographs!

Follow this link: Cozumel Photo Gallery

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Deep into a cenote

Posted Dec.15, 2010 under Scuba, Travel

Exploring Dos Ojos in Akumal, Mexico

Missouri cave diving is good; Florida cave diving is great … diving the cenotes in Akumal is absolutely amazing.

The cenotes have stalactites and stalagmites in the cave and there are a few straws on the ceiling. It is an absolutely amazing thing to see. And from time to time there are opening back to the surface and light comes streaming into the water creating beams of light. Absolutely stupendous.

When you look up there are also the occasional snorkeler or swimmer on surface.  A bizarre thing to see in a cave.

The entrance to Dos Ojos in located in the jungle, a short drive from Aquatech, or Villa de Rossa. There is an entry gate and then you are in the park. There are latrines, but they are very primitive: A toilet seat and a pit below. I was told it did not run into the cave system!

There are several concrete benches to set gear up on and then walk down the stairs to the entrance to the cenote. They have built a wood platform to do giant strides or steps leading down to the water.

Once in the water, there are three lines you can follow, the Barbie line and the Bat Cave are the two that we followed.

The views were amazing with several twists and turns and what looked like tons of side passages that may or may not go some place else. The rock formations were just amazing, there is nothing like them in Florida or Missouri.

(Read More »)

Cozumel dive report

Posted Dec.13, 2010 under Scuba, Travel

The view from the ocean front at Scuba Club Cozumel

A great place to dive!

I have returned from an exciting dive trip to Cozumel with a total of 21 divers where we stayed at Scuba Club Cozumel. This was the first time we have stayed as a group at this resort and it is definitely a repeat location.

Scuba Club Cozumel is located just south of downtown and right on the ocean front. The dive shop and boats were right on the property and took us out diving nearly every morning at 8:30 a.m. sharp.

And the diving in Cozumel is absolutely amazing. Great reefs with a good diversity of animal life. And BIG animal life too. All of the Angel Fish, Barracudas, and Splendid Toadfish seemed to be much larger then we have seen anywhere else.

One of the many Cozumel Splendid Toadfish we got to see.

This is one of the only places that you will get to see the Cozumel Splendid Toadfish. And our divemaster, Geiser, found one on nearly every dive for us.

(Read More »)

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Christmas holiday sale!

Posted Dec.01, 2010 under Photography, Scuba

Everything is on sale!

Just in time for the holidays, I put everything on sale in my gallery/store!

Get 15 percent off on everything. Just use the code “Xmas Coupon“ at check out.

Not only are prints are on sale, I have added several new items for the holidays, including photo-ornaments, mousepads, cutting boards, coffee mugs and more!
Wander over to the gallery and browse through the photographs to find the perfect gift for a scuba diver in your life.

All of my scuba photgraphy and travel photographs are included in this sale. Also, all sports photographs are included in the sale.

Stop by the gallery now! The sale only will last through Christmas, Dec. 25.

Visit the gallery here:

Dave Trinka photography gallery

 
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