I had some family-related time in Florida and shot these on the beach near where I grew up. During the day it was all hustle-a-bustle, but at sunset everyone but the Ospreys go home and suddenly it’s the empty beach of my teen years, suffused with memories.
I’ve been in love with the Planet Earth and Blue Planet series for what seems like forever, and I’m not kidding when I say I’ve watched all the episodes about a hundred and eleventy times. The stunning images combined with David Attenborough’s sly narration – “He’s had an enjoyable lunch, but now it’s time to find a MATE!” will rivet me to the couch for hours. Really, David Attenborough could do the narration for someone breaking down the transmission on a 1997 Honda Element, and I would sit through the whole thing, completely enrapt.
So in celebration of Blue Planet II being finally released in the U.S. – you lucky Brits got it months ago – I thought I’d revisit some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken of our watery world.
One of my goals this year is to improve my underwater photography, so hopefully by Blue Planet III I’ll have some images taken from beneath the surface.
Until then, I’ll just continue to peer into ocean from the surface.
Catching the last set of the day at Morro Rock, off the Pacific Coast Highway
Just back from a two-week road trip up the coast of California, starting in Los Angeles and driving up to Muir Woods, then over to Yosemite, and back to the coast for the Channel Islands. Here’s a first installment of photos, more to come:
Also, you may have noticed my blog format keeps changing; I tried tinkering with it and couldn’t get the old layout back, so I’m trying some new things. Please bear with my ineptitude.
As always you can see some more photos over on my Instagram, which is mercifully blocked from my monkeywrenching.
Sunset, Christmas Eve 2016
Wishing everyone the happiest, most exciting 2017.
From the ferry departing Utila for the mainland at the end of my trip.
Screen grab from shallow-water snorkel. The water shifting above and the gopro distortion makes it seem very Monet, yeah?
Just back from a bucket-list trip to Utila, Honduras, where I desperately wanted to see the Whale Sharks that famously migrate past the island.
Despite going out with the dive boats every day of my week-long stay, this mural was as close to a whale shark as I got. I was reduced to drinking my own weight in pineapple juice and admiring the view.
As you can see, I suffered horribly.
But seriously, if you are a diver (or even a snorkeler, like I am) you should check Utila out. It’s an exquisite island and the dive culture there is amazing. There are reefs right off shore – I snorkeled several that were 100-150 feet off the beaches that had elkhorn corals the size of a table within two feet of the surface, but then a few yards away had 40-50 foot wall dropoffs. I’m not the world’s most experienced snorkeler but it was like nothing I’ve ever seen.
Will share more photos in the next few days…
More photos from my recent trip to the Florida Keys… be sure to check the other installment here.
Sunset at Geiger Key, at the campground where we stayed the last night of the kayaking portion
And morning over the grass flats somewhere north of the Saddle Keys.
