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Malaysia for National Geographic Traveler – Part 3 : Lankayan Island

Jan 092012

A Sunset to die for at Lankayan Island

Underwater scenery with a three banded anenome fish

“You guys should put some seats up there” shouts Kev. 32 years old, Australian, tourist, but personal trainer at home with the appearance of a well-tanned dive instructor from the average tourist brochure. “I could have watched this I for hours, I’ve never seen anything quite like it”. His wife Denise nods and I can only agree, we just made a dive that went straight to our personal top-3′s.

A green dot in blue waters

Even if you’re not a diver, Lankayan is a great place to be

Place of action is a small island off the coast of Malaysian Borneo that is so blatantly beautiful that you could live there. Anyone who has ever Googled “Lankayan” knows what I’m talking about: pictures of a small green postage stamp surrounded by the most beautiful blue waters one can imagine. Upon arrival, it turns out to be much more beautiful than the pictures, how often does that happen? When we walk the wooden pier, it is just clear waters all around us, full of corals with tiny shark fins cutting though the surface. It looks like an aquarium but it is real! The young sharks, not more than fifty centimeters long are a sign that the reef here is healthy, says the leader of the island resort. “Almost nowhere else in the world you see something like that in a touristy place” he explains, “Lankayan has been heavily protected since 2001, it’s all take nothing, leave only bubbles”.

Underwater scenery

Common sight at Lankayan Island: Turtles!

That is why the place is still very popular among turtles, loads of them still come ashore to lay eggs, during certain periods it’s even a daily occurrence. And the hatching can be watched too as the eggs are dug up and placed in a protected area. There is nothing that beats the sight of baby turtles making a run for it during sunset. Truly magic!

Baby turtle portrait (during counting of hatched eggs)

Quick photo-opp before release

Off they go! Shame only less than 1% makes it to adulthood

Weekly Random Shot: Holland under water

Random Shot, Scuba No Responses »

Aug 172011

People regularly ask me if there is anything to see under water in the Netherlands. When scuba-diving comes up in a discussion in my home country it is rarely understood that bad visibility doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see. On the contrary, below the waterline the world is teeming with life and I think this photo shows that perfectly. So, if you’re willing to battle the often poor viz you’ll be in for a surprise!

Gemaal Dreischor (Zeeland, The Netherlands)
August 17th 2011. Canon EOS5D + 15mm f2.8 (UK-Germany housing). 400ISO, f11, 1/40sec. Viz: 1-4 meters.

From my album: diving the Netherlands.

Baby Cuttlefish on Seasquirt (Zeelandbrug).
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Favorite Views of the World View: Roque Nublo

Travel, World Views No Responses »

Aug 112011

View from the Roque Nublo [Gran Canaria, Spain].
Google Earth.

One of my favorite views has got to be the top of the Roque Nublo, or the “Cloudy rock”. One of the highest parts of Gran Canaria, one of the Spanish Canary islands west of the Moroccon coast, can be reached with a pleasant 45 minute hike. Just stepping onto the plain top with the two massive volcanic remnants is amazing. They still look so small but after walking the last bit you just are in awe because of their sheer size.

I hope this photo does it justice.

The start of the route

A place to love, Roque Nublo on Grand Canaria
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Diving El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain)

Events, Scuba, Travel No Responses »

Oct 072010

Photoseries on my October 2009 visit to the El Hierro Fotosub (underwater photography contest). This island, an Unesco Biosphere, is the smallest and most western of the Canary Islands (Spain) and is both spectacular under and above water.

An invitation to attend the Fotosub in El Hierro last year sounded almost too good to be true. But in fact it wasn’t only true, it was alos even better than expected. Great thing about attending as a photographer/journalist is that you don’t have competition stress but do get to dive almost as much as you want with big shots like Alex Mustard or Kurt Amsler. For an inexperienced underwater photographer like me that is certainly a treat!

The lavafields outside our hotel in La Restinga

So one chilly October morning I started out a long day of travel from Amsterdam to Madrid, then off to Tenerife before finally boarding a small prop plane for the 30-minute flight from one Volcano island to the other. For those who have never heard of El Hierro (or Ferro as it’s also called), I can’t blame you. I had never heard from it either but I feel lucky to have changed since last year. It’s the smallest and most western of the Canary Islands, an island group near the coast of Marocco. Back in the days (say, about 2000 years ago), it was thought to be the end of the world and it hosted the meridian for a long time before it was finally noticed there was a bit more to this planet than previously thought.

The famous Juniperus phoenicea trees at El Sabinar

Small part of the rain forests

The island hosts several volcanic outcrops and is exceptionally spectacular in nature: huge volcanic fields compete with Pine forests, rain forest or dry stretches of land depending on what square kilometer you happen to be at. I don’t think I have ever seen such huge variety in landscapes in such a small place, no wonder it’s now protected as a Unesco Biosphere.

El Hierro is not only a fascinating place, it completely lacks any form of mass tourism. As it doesn’t host a single stretch of decent beach (at least all year round) 99% of people don’t even bother to come here. Which is perfectly fine to everyone that lives there or to anyone who does happen to visit.

Photographer at work!

Grouper & Trumpetfish combo, standard for El Hierro diving

Sea Breams at the El Bajon dive site

Basically, one could write endlessly about the beauty of the place but we did go there to go diving. The Photosub is big event for the Island group and is a quite popular contest for photographers from abroad. Very well organized with a lot of attention to safety and the well being of attending journalist/photographers I might say. Add a very easy-going atmosphere and some superb diving and you kind of get the idea: there are worse places to be. Everywhere.

Kurt Amsler at work photographing Black Corals at 45 meters (145 feet)

Arrow Crab (La Restinga harbour night dive)

Diving hotspot and HQ for the contest week is the southern village of La Restinga, a quiet place with a good harbor and plenty of excellent diving opportunities. With a RIB it’s usually not more than ten to fifteen minutes to any great divespot in the clear waters. From huge stone pillars that take ages to swim around with nice big schools of fish to deserted place where large Groupers loom. Any of the divesites host fantastic underwater views and scenery. No, one doesn’t come here for coral formations but the rest of the wildlife more than makes up for it. So if you ever have the opportunity to visit: have no doubts about it, the place will blow you away. Under, as well as above water!

Safety stop with a view at Punta Miradero

You can see the full image gallery (including larger sizes) here.
And click here to see the article that was made for Duikmagazine (Dutch diving magazine).

Client: Duikmagazine
© Fotograferen.net

El Hierro for Duikmagazine

Publications, Scuba, Travel No Responses »

Jul 012010

Report on scuba-diving El Hierro, the smallest and most western of the Canary Islands. Until the 15th century people thought this place was the end of the world so the meridian even went through it.

Nowadays it’s an amazing and peaceful island untouched by the claws of mass-tourism. A perfect place for diving and an incredible place to view topside nature. It holds rainforests, pine forests, endless lava fields, rocky cliffs and some nice and small harbours. A perfect place to be honest, no wonder it’s a Unesco Biosphere Reserve!

Click here for PDF.

Publication: Duikmagazine
© 2010 Fotograferen net

Diving the Blue Hole in Korzula (Croatia)

Scuba, Travel No Responses »

Sep 152009

Because of doing a two and a half week diving report on Croatia for Duikmagazine it has been a little quiet on the updating of this website. And as there is a lot of travel coming in the next few months I will probably have this problem for a while.

For a change a small photo series on just one particular dive: the famous Blue Hole. No, not the one in Dahab (Egypt) which is literally a killerdive (dozens of people have died there while trying to outsmart common sense while scuba-diving) but a actually much nicer one located on the island Korčula. Located roughly three hours by ferry from Split this very nice island hosts some of the best diving of the region. With over twenty dive-sites to choose from we just barely scratched the surface with our three days of diving but one site really stood out: the hole…

It’s actually not just the hole itself with it’s cathedral-like lighting but also the massive and highly untouched soft gorgonians that are to be found around the hole at 35+ meters of depth. Massive pink giants that are most photographers favorites!

Well, just enjoy the photo’s and make sure to get in contact with Croatia Divers when doing some bubble-blowing over there!

By the way, the Dahab Blue Hole is amazing in this incredible William Trubridge freediving video. And thanks Eric for the modelling!

Curaçao scuba-diving wallpapers

Scuba, Travel, Wallpaper 2 Responses »

Jun 122009

Finally some fresh wallpapers, I’ve been lacking the past few months but there’s just so much to do! Please enjoy these colorful underwater images from this amazing tropical Caribbean island.

Click here full the full set of scuba wallpapers or click one of these (widescreen) images below. Just remember, they are also available in a normal (non-widescreen) XL hi-res size!

Sharks & Hotels

Interior, Publications, Travel No Responses »

Jun 082009

A weird combinatio took me all along the South African Coast and inland: sharks & hotels. A nice report on some of the nicest hotels in South Africa along the Route of the African Sun. Published in 2007 for Tulp Magazine.

Heli-diving the wreck of the Superior Producer in Curaçao!

Extreme, Scuba, Travel No Responses »

Jun 012009

Some guys have all the luck I guess, quite often I feel like I’m one of them but last week there was no doubt about it whatsoever. After doing a small press-release for the Telegraaf (the largest Dutch newspaper) on heli-diving in Curaçao, which is exclusively organized by a good friend of mine he suddenly asked me if I’d like to do it myself tomorrow?
After less than a nanosecond, a huge smile on my face and a big “Are you kidding me?” things were taken care of and a day later we were setting our gear up on a small industrial platform near the huge oil-harbor of Willemstad. With me were Belgium adventurer Marc Sluszny, underwater photographer Peter Verhoog and Walther Bruckschen, a German Journalist, the lucky bunch so to speak!

As a heli-dive is not completely without danger we had to do a full-gear practice inside the hangar which had a very good airco. Just imagine practicing this sort of thing with full wetsuit and heavy scuba gear in the soaring 35 degree weather of this tropical paradise! Most importantly is the jumping out of the heli: if this isn’t done in perfect sync the heli can easily tilt and that’s something you don’t want 2 meters above the surface of a sea!
The trick is a third person inside the heli that holds both divers hands while they climb outside and hang backward fully. Literally your faith is in this guys hands as he controls the moment to drop, it’s simply out of your hands.

George from Blue Skies Helicopters.

The Amazing view over Willemstad from the chopper.

And what a drop it is! After an intensely beautiful flight under the impressive Julianabrug, along Willemstad and all its bright colors, the low pass over the Pontjesbrug with many people waving and taking photographs (the helicopter is open so they see you in full scuba-gear) it’s time for a sharp right turn over the stunning blue seawater and the approach to the wreck site. Niels Jorissen, the owner of DivecharterCuracao and the organizer of these heli-dives, is already waiting with his 25 feet Tornado RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) so all we have to do is climb out and wait for the right hovering height of the helicopter.

Now that’s a heli-drop!!!

So there we are, hanging outside, arm and legs stretched out fully, one hand over mask and breathing equipment, waiting for the plunge…. Then suddenly we’re falling, we pretty high so we have time to soak it up! above us the heli shoots upwards as it suddenly lost about 200 kilo’s in weight. Then the splash comes, water all around us and the tail of the chopper quickly vanishes from our viewpoint. We’re done, floating about while the heli goes for the next bunch of drop-outs! What an insane feeling and what a way to go diving, knowing one of the nicest wrecks of the Caribbean(the Superior Producer) is waiting for us below…. we ARE truly lucky!

The front deck of the Superior Producer.

Belgium adventurer Marc Sluszny enters the hold of the ship.

German travel writer/photogrpaher collegue Walther Bruckschen.

Underwater photographer collegue Peter Verhoog.

With many, many thanks to:
Niels from DiveCharterCuracao who organizes these heli-drops, unique in the world.
George from Blue Skies for making his heli available to us.
Chilo from Chilo.tv for editing the movieclip.

Full gallery on the heli-dive here.
More images from the Dive Festival Curaçao 2009 here.

10 Pages Vancouver Island in Duikmagazine

Publications, Scuba, Travel No Responses »

Oct 152008

This months Duikmagazine opens with a 10-page article on my favorite diving destination, the Barkley Sound [open in Google Earth] in Vancouver Island. The place where you can finde the Dutch/Canadian operator Rendezvous Diving, one of the best places ever!

- In loving memory of John -

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