PNG / Thailand '99
In January and February 1999 I took a full month and traveled to Papua New Guinea and dived Milne Bay with the Mike Ball Paradise Sport. Following that, I went to Thailand and boarded the M/V Fantasea for a ten-day excursion to the Andaman Sea and Burma Banks. Milne Bay is one of the most biodiverse regions I have ever seen. Although we did not see many large pelagic creatures, the health of the reefs and variety of marine life there is absolutely stunning. In Thailand the scenes were very different. Structurally, the reefs are built on granite substrate, unlike the volcanic base of most coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The Fantasea, following on an agreement with the government of Burma (now named Myanmar), took us to the Burma Banks, where we had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Silvertip Reef Sharks. One of my photos from that encounter is shown below. At the other extreme were scenes of abuse of the reefs by local fishermen, from large fish nets draped over the corals to experiences with dynamite detonations some ten miles away.
Before we embarked on the Paradise Sport, we did a side-trip to Singapore. I was enthralled with the city, its history, its people and the sights. One evening we went to a laser lights/fountain show that was utterly spectacular. The two photos below are of that show. The word "Sentosa" in the photo on the left refers to the island within the city where the show took place. |
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The
Mike Ball Paradise Sport cruises Milne Bay from Alotau, Papua New
Guinea. I was on board with the group from Dolphin Scuba
Center in Sacramento, California.
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Divers relaxing in the lounge of the Paradise Sport after a tough day of diving in Milne Bay.
Nikon N8008s, 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens, Fuji Provia |
| This is a typical reef scene in Milne Bay. This was shot almost directly beneath the Mike Ball Paradise Sport at a depth of about 30 feet. |
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Here is one of my favorites from this trip: a speckled Moray Eel.
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Nikon
N8008s, 60mm Micro lens, Fuji Velvia |
Nikon N8008s, 60mm Micro lens, Fuji Velvia |
One
of the most photogenic, yet elusive fish in tropical waters is the
Clownfish, sometimes referred to as "Anemonefish"
because of their preferred habitat. There are many varieties
of this fish, some dependent upon geographic location. Some
photographers say that everyone has clownfish shots, but very few
have good Clownfish shots. Quite true. I have taken
literally hundreds of Clownfish shots and not liked most of
them. But I think the one at left is one of my better
efforts. Which do YOU like best?
Email me with your vote. |
More Clownfish |
And ... MORE Clownfish. |
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Nikon F5, 35-105mm Zoom lens, Fuji Provia |
We were continually impressed with the congeniality of the locals in Papua New Guinea. I met this young man on a shore excursion at one of the small islands, just about at sunset. We discovered that they are anything but camera-shy, and it seemed, the younger they were the more they liked to be photographed. |
| Standard mode of getting around in PNG is the dugout canoe. |  |
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After photographing the youngster (above) I turned to my right and shot one of the best sunsets I've seen. I got at least a half-dozen shots before it got too dark to shoot any more. |
Nikon F5, 35-105mm Zoom lens, Fuji Provia |
Nikon N8008s, 60mm Micro-Nikkor, Fuji Velvia |
Reef fish are usually quite difficult to photograph because they are so shy. The mere sound of divers' bubbles usually sends them into hiding in the coral, so to capture them on film, one needs to be quick and have the proper equipment. For this photo I used my 60mm Nikkor Micro lens, which enabled me to get a decent close-up without approaching this Moorish Idol too closely. |
| There are many variations on the theme of "Lionfish", but this is one of the most unique. I shot this in Thailand in 1999. Although it is apparently part of the Lionfish family, this specimen is called a Turkeyfish. | 
Nikon N8008s, 60mm Micro lens, Fuji Velvia |
Nikon N8008s, 105mm Micro lens, Fuji Velvia |
Nudibranchs are found in nearly all the waters of the world. What makes this shot unique is the threesome. (Menage a trois???) Burma Banks, 1999. |
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One of the biggest thrills in all my dive travel was the opportunity to dive at Silvertip Reef on the Burma Banks in Burma. We did two dives there and I shot a roll of 36 exposure Fuji Provia and a 36 roll of Kodachrome 64. Of all the shots, I think this silhouette is one of the best. |
Nikon N8008s, 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens, Fuji Provia |
Nikon N8008s, 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens, Fuji Provia |
The divemasters on the Fantasea are very knowledgeable about the marine life in their part of the world. They took us directly to these sleeping Nurse Sharks at Burma Banks. |
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One evening while cruising to the next morning's dive site on the M/V Fantasea we passed one of the many small islands that abound in the Andaman Sea. I had my F5 loaded with Fuji Provia and, as we approached the island on our starboard beam, I brought it on deck for this shot. |
Nikon F5, 35-105mm Zoom lens, Fuji Provia |
Nikon N8008s, 60mm Micro lens, Fuji Velvia film |
One of the coral reef's greatest enemies is the Crown of Thorns Starfish. Large numbers of these can devour large sections of coral reef in a very short time. I photographed this one in Burma (Myanmar) during the trip aboard M/V Fantasea. |
| Another of the reef's great enemies is Man. I saw this abandoned fish net in Burma Banks, not far from the Crown of Thorns Starfish (above). On that same day we were treated to the Thud of dynamite explosions some ten miles away. One of the most serious threats to the reef ecosystems in many areas of Southeast Asia is dynamite fishing. Though technically illegal, governments lack the resources and sometimes the will to enforce the laws. The explosions sounded like they were ten YARDS away. | 
Nikon N8008s, 16mm f/2.8 Fisheye lens, Fuji Provia film |
All Photos copyright © Richard G. Hunter