General

rolex scholar melanie brown working on the Tongan fluke collective

A Mel O Drama

So, I had the privilege of hosting the 2017 Rolex scholar Melinda Brown for a Month in Tonga. as part of her year long program she joined us for a month to work with me on the Tongan Fluke Collective, some coral gardening projects and plastic pollution education, oh and of course she came to swim with the whales. the time went fast but we did so much and I am glad she had the opportunity to join us on location.

Check out her blog on the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society, here’s a short snippet from the introduction:
“A column of mist pierces the horizon, followed by a deep unearthly ‘fwisssssh’, as if the ocean itself has come up for air. A large dark shape slides through the ocean. Its body slicing through the waves. It lifts its tail out of the water. This creature that we call whale has incredible origins. It has an incredible evolutionary path it has taken. The journey to become a whale was long and complex. To understand why cetaceans fascinate me so much, I need to tell you their evolutionary tale first.”

 

Rolex scholar Melanie Brown editing photos for the Tongan Fluke Collective

Rolex scholar Melanie Brown editing photos for the Tongan Fluke Collective

 

 

Sydney Underwater Marine life

Diving Sydney – Underwater Photography In My Backyard

Many people don’t realise how much diversity there is in the underwater world around Sydney beaches. I spent a lot of time in the water in 2011 photographing the various creatures we can find in our own back yard. Cuttlefish, Octopus, Sea Horses, Weedy Sea Dragons, Nudibranchs, Shrimp, Moray Eels, Port Jackson sharks and Wobbygong sharks to name just a few. I seriously recommend any underwater photographer taking the time to try diving Sydney and explore what it has to offer.

Diving Sydney Underwater Marine life

Humpback Whale Cartoon totem

Humpback Inspired Artwork

I recently was approached by an artist, Patrick LaMontagne, who creates unique cartoon characters of various wildlife and has put together a collection of these wildlife cartoon totems. He asked permission to use a particular Humpback calf photo I took in Tonga last year and explained what he was trying to achieve. I didn’t know what the end result would be but the final humpback inspired artwork piece is very engaging.  It is always flattering when someone is inspired by your work and as you can see below the results are truly amazing. Patrick is a very talented artist and I look forward to seeing more of his work. For anyone interested in his collection you can visit his site at http://www.cartoonink.com/

Humpback Whale Cartoon totem - humpback inspired artwork

Sea Shepherd

Meeting Paul Watson, Captain of Sea Shepherd

As many of you know I am a keen advocate for the preservation of whales and spend half my life in the water photographing these amazing creatures. It was privilege to meet the Captain and Founder of Sea Shepherd, Paul Watson, last night as the conservation group try and raise enough money to fuel their campaign to Antarctica to stop the Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean in Australian and New Zealand Antarctic territory. Hope this is the year they end whaling.

Sea Shepherd are an ocean conservation organisation:
“Established in 1977, our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. We use innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.”

Meeting Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd