Dives yesterday were a bit of alright. As usual, the cooler months are the best for diving here.. so why aren't you here diving 🤷♂️
Manta season just keeps getting better.. and a leopard shark to top it off 🥰
#greatbarrierreef #heronisland #lovethereef #manta #turtle #shark #bucketlistexperience #scubadiving
Got a write up in the Australasia Fishes Journal on iNaturalist 😍
Theres also an audio exploration of the piece which is excellent.
Stoked for the opportunity. Thank you to those involved for the invitation 🥰
#greatbarrierreef #lovethereef #inaturalist #diveinstructor #naturalist #heronisland
Welcome to the washing machine!
The locals refer to the currents here as a washing machine.. brutally strong, and they can quickly take you from 10m to 30m and then straight back up to 10m 😬
I've done plenty of gnarly dives across the 2000 odd hours of scuba experience i have as a @paditv instructor. This was up there as a very gnarly one haha.
If you ever get to Fuvahmulah and are invited to dive Farikede.. you best be a VERY experienced diver. Of course it isnt always going to be nuts, but this is not the dive to do if you've never experienced up/down currents, don't know how to use an SMB and havent done a rescue course. Or you dont feel comfortable holding a guides hand haha. Was also very glad to have my @nautiluslifeline GPS emergency beacon for extra peace of mind.
Epic dive though, massive schools of fish, and its one of the best spots to see the Oceanic Mantas and Whale Sharks that frequent the island.. none for us though 🥹
For us though, exhilarating 😁
#sharkdiving #maldives #divetravel
Tiger wall! Absolutely exhilarating!
Would you do it?
Our group earnt the next level of shark diving during the experience with @protectwhatyouloveofficial mid-water with a dozen tiggers 🥰
Of course, they just wanted pats 💁♂️😅
Largest anemone garden i think I've ever seen 😍
Anemones are carnivorous and feed on small fish, plankton, and crustaceans.
They use their tentacles to sting and immobilize prey before pulling it into their mouth.
Anemones can clone themselves by dividing. Which can cause these large anemone "gardens".
Some anemones change sex during their lifetime.
Anemones can also detach and move to escape threats or find better feeding grounds.
Anemones perform a crucial role in the marine ecosystem by providing shelter and protection for lot of critters. And by gelping to maintain biodiversity in coral reefs by preying on small organisms.
#scubadiving #fuvahmulah #maldives #nemo
A first for the Maldives on @inaturalistorg
Uploading screenshots of all the species I see, is such an easy way to give back to what we love 🥰
Sighting submissions help monitor species and ecosystems and discover new species, some of my shots have even been used in publications and research.
I realised this species had never been sighted anywhere in the Maldives, let alone within 1000's of Km's but has been sighted on either aide of the Indian Ocean.
If you're not submitting to iNaturalist, why 🤷♂️
#marineeducation #marineconservation #fishid
Little teaser for ya. The bait was only just about to sink down 😅😬🤭
Arent they just so beautiful 😍😍
Proper reel to come at some point.. but cutting down 39 minutes of epic tigger time is tough 😬
What species do you think?
Drive-by at 42m 🥰
These sharks are often associated with islands, seamounts, and continental shelves. While they rest or school during the day, they become more active at night, hunting for fish, squid, and crustaceans.
They are seasonally migratory and utilise different habitats throughout the day, moving from offshore hunting grounds, down to 1000m, to shallower reef flats.
The species is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Numbers have dropped by approximately 50% in the last 75 year, primarily driven by overfishing, bycatch, and habitat degradation.
Sighting reported to @naturefriendsofmaldives to assist with research. Seen during trip with @protectwhatyouloveofficial onboard with @sharkislanddive
#hammerhead #maldives #fuvahmulah #scubadiving #marineconservation
Hunted to near extinction, the hawksbill sea turtle, remains at critically endangered status globally.
Hawksbills are the only marine consumer whose diet predominantly comprises sponges, and thus they play a major role in coral reef ecosystems.
Tortoiseshell, the beautiful scutes of the carapace and plastron of the Hawksbill turtle, has been prized
since ancient times.
It is readily apparent that some millions of Hawksbills were killed for the tortoiseshell
trade in the last 100 years.
International and
domestic trade remains an ongoing and pervasive threat in the Americas, Asia, and parts of Africa.
Shot on DJI Osmo Action 4. No filter!
#protectwhatyoulove #maldives #marineeducation #scubadiving #saveourplanet
The face after a tasty treat 🥰 and the set of compers on this thing 😍
This adorable lil fishie (Guineafowl Pufferfish) was munching on coral, one of its many preferred prey that also includes sponges, mollusks (shelled animals), tunicates (sea squirts, filter feeding gelatinous animals), algae, bryozoans (tiny filter feeders also known as moss animals), foraminifers (tiny single celled shell dudes), and detritus (dead organic material).
This diet helps it maintain its continuously growing beak, which requires regular wear-down through hard and varied food.
#scubadiving #cuteanimals #happyfish #marineeducation #maldives
Words? Just a snippet of the first day diving here in the Maldives 😍
Fuvahmulah dive trip with @protectwhatyouloveofficial there will be so much more to show you. Something so special i couldn't put into words if I tried 🥰
#djiosmo #maldives #fuvahmulah #coralreef #scubadiving
