ScottPortelli

November 7, 2015 by admin

Weedy Seadragon Tours and Private Guiding

Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)

Want to see one of the rarest most elusive creatures in the underwater world? Then Sydney is the place to dive. The east coast of Australia has some of the best underwater habitats in which the Weedy Seadragon thrives.

But they are not always easy to find as they camouflage themselves in the kelp that resembles their colour and features. I have been diving in Sydney for over 20 years and know the underwater terrain of many of the dive sites across Sydney north and south.

I have been photographing the various stages of the Weedy Seadragon’s life cycle in order to gain valuable data and learn more about their behaviour and population along our coastline.

If you would like to join a private guided tour to get up close and personal with these amazing creatures, I can organise dives around Sydney to some of the best hotspots for seeing Weedys.

These beautiful coloured dragons are closely related to the seahorse, being a member of the Syngnathidae family.

Join Our Weedy Seadragon tours

May 19, 2015 by admin

Awarded 3 x Silver awards at the AIPP NSW state awards 2015

Privileged to be awarded 3 x silvers at the AIPP NSW state awards with some shots from places visited last year. The awarded photographs include a humpback whale, a whale shark and a monitor lizard.

The AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) is the largest member organisation for professional photographers, who must pass a rigorous AIPP accreditation process in order to be a part of this exclusive club. The purpose of the awards is to promote creativity and innovation in image making. It is judged across several categories, including Impact, Creativity & Style, Composition, Image or Print Presentation, Centre of Interest, Lighting, Colour Balance, Technical excellence, Photographic Technique and Story Telling & Subject Matter. I am privileged to receive these awards in the NSW category.

You can see some of my other awards here.

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December 30, 2014 by admin

Tonga – Still Paradise

I have been visiting Tonga for 13 years and spent many hours on the water photographing Humpback whales and I can tell you, every time I get in the water with these magnificent creatures, I am just as excited as the first time. Tonga has so much to offer, picturesque landscapes and underwater environments makes this place paradise for Photographers, and don’t forget the added bonus that you can swim with whales. It really is still paradise. Every year I see something different or have one of those unforgettable encounters. This year I had a baby whale shoot up from the depths and breach half a meter in front of me, exhilarating to say the least. This year Travel & Fashion Blogger, Laura McWhinnie from This Island life did an interview piece about her time in Tonga with us, check out the article here:

http://www.thisislandlife.com/travel/swimming-with-humpback-whales-an-interview-with-scott-portelli

http://www.thisislandlife.com/travel/swimming-with-humpback-whales-in-vavau-tonga

This year we started the Tongan Fluke Collective, which encourages visiting photographers to donate Fluke shots to help ID the different individual whales that come to Tonga each year. You can find out more about the program here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tonganflukecollective/ – Anyway we will be running a number of Photographic tours in the next year or so to various destinations, so stay tuned.

If you want to see some of the Video footage you can see this season’s wrap up here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcreHs7qcq0

in Blog / Destinations / Photography / Whales 0 comments

October 21, 2013 by admin

Tonga Whale Swim 2013 Season: Amazing Surprise Wildlife Encounters

We had an amazing 2013 Season in Tonga this year filled with a multitude of mothers and calves and encounters with a number of creatures that were an unexpected surprise. We were swimming with and photographing Whales, Manta Rays, Blue Marlin, Leopard sharks and even a 15 metre long creature from the deep.

You can see all the photos from the 2013 season at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottyportelli

We are already looking forward to next season!

in Blog / Destinations / Tours 1 comments