I know it’s a bit late but I post this wallpaper nevertheless. As I only got back from Egypt on Monday evening I was overwhelmed with work 🙂
Back to reality
get the big size by clicking on the image (1024 x 768)
This shot was taken in Selayar on a spot called Netz – Net as a big old fishing net is hanging loosely along the wall at one point. The wall is full of life. Great dive!
Hi everybody
The countdown is running. I leave this week-end to Düsseldorf , Germany to one of the world’s biggest dive shows. I’m happy to meet Jochen and Jeannette from the Selayar Dive Resort in South Sulawesi. They really have become friends . I usually don’t want to use the term”a home far away from home”, but here I can’t really find better words. I have a lot of people to meet but I try not to walk too much as I deal with a sprain in the right foot. SHOULD i TELL YOU THAT THIS HAPPENED DURING AN EFR COURSE!?!
After the show I will directly leave to Frankfurt, spend the night with great friends close to the airport and leave early on Monday morning to Marsa Alam. By then I hope that my ankle would be good enough to get into my booties and go diving.
We’ll stay in the southern most dive resort in Egypt. Hamata is a small village down south far away from all the hustle bustle in Hurghada or elsewhere. The reefs are known to be pristine.
The Zabargad Dive Resort is a 3 star resort , no TV nor special themed evenings (sigh).
I read quite different comments about it from people being sick all week due to sanitary problems to people who loved it. This was the challenge!!! I had to find out by myself. So if you don’t hear anything from me before February 4 there are only 3 options
You can call me crazy, I know I am.
In addition to all this I’m really excited to try out my new photo gear such as my new wide angle (7-14mm) or the x2 teleconverter with the 50mm macro lens. Right now I’m eager to get everything packed well which is some kind of hassle as my hand luggage is slightly over-weighted. That’s why I’m happy Olga is joining us on the trip. She’s diving but isn’t into photography (yet). She has a nice heavy hand-luggage to carry 🙂
Chris will use the E-900Â while I will venture deeper to the dark side with the Oly E-410
More about the results after February 5
Go and get wet!
Why are you diving? How is it?
These may be the questions most of the people ask after having watched one of my slide-shows. How do you explain this feeling? Are we looking for something? It’s not easy to put words on this special sensation.
In some way we are like gold seekers in the old times. They travelled the whole country to the unknown lands and felt like adventurers. They scanned every single river, they dreamt all night to find the precious metal. They looked below every stone, examining every sand-corn until their eyes got blurred. Even on their way back home in the evenings, their minds were filled with golden sparks. And finally when they held a tiny precious piece in their hands, the world around them stopped. Nothing had any importance anymore. Their eyes were fixed by a magic glimpse of gold.
I often travel through unknown lands before I get to a dive spot. My eyes and mind are filled with sparks. I open up to all these new sounds, lights and smells. But the underwater world is the largest unknown place on earth. And it depends on us.
“La bibliothèque de la vie brûle et nous ne connaissons même pas les titres des livres” (Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norwegian politician)
Life’s library is burning and we don’t even know the titles of the books .
Most people don’t care about things they don’t know. That’s why I always take my time to answer questions. We as divers are very privileged people. Everyday new species are discovered. We get face to face to some of the most awesome creatures. We also see the damages done to the reef, the shrinking number of some species like sharks. And sometimes we even see fellow divers damaging the reef. Is an underwater picture worth damaging the reef or harassing the wildlife? Never! As underwater photographers we are examples for the people close to us or even on a wider board. We should use this to protect our seas. To raise awareness.
“Il ne sert à rien à l’homme de gagner la lune, s’il venait de perdre la terre.” (Francois Mauriac)
It doesn’t help to gain the moon if we would loose earth
Mona & Chris 