Sunday Night Fish n Pics #25

I love that some of the best stuff underwater is tucked up underneath ledges. It's another great reason to slow down and enjoy every inch of the reef!

Sunday Night Fish n Pics #23

Another Not Fish Sunday :)

It's turtle mating season here on the Ningaloo Reef and they are out in force this year.

I've been seeing them up on the reef at low tide, in the shallows,

on the dives, resting on the beach and during all of my snorkels.

A few days we've had 100s in a small area - it's amazing!
A small area - all those black spots are turtles, sometimes two turtles stacked!

The males can be quite pesky as they aren't terribly fussy about who or what they mate with. This guy was dogged in his pursuit of me and ended up right on top of my legs despite me trying to push him off with my fins (and a little head slap!)

All of the beaches are covered in turtle tracks and it won't be long before we have lots of little baby turtles hatching and running the gauntlet to the sea.


apologies for some of the less than fabulous shots - I had to use my baby Olympus 720SW and it's just not great.

Sunday Night Fish n Pics #22

Visited one of my favourite sites today out at the Muiron Islands and was rewarded with a trio of grey reef sharks cruising through the cleaning stations. Unfortunately, one of them was being a bit of a pain and looked like he was bullying the others so none spent any time getting scrubbed.

Two of them did circle around the area a few times and I was able to grab a couple of frames.

I love these guys!

Sunday Night Fish n Pics #21

I just adore nudibranchs in all their myriad shapes, colours, patterns and even personality. These brightly coloured clownish looking guys (Gymnodoris rubropapillosa) are quite common on certain dive sites at various times of the year - think I saw nine on this dive! - but I can rarely swim past one without stopping.

I just love their bright orange markings and the way they often seem to sit up all perky-like if you're patient and watch them motor over stuff long enough!

Sunday Night Fish n Pics #20

Not a fish tonight, but still an ocean goer! I've been out a couple of times in the last few weeks to hang with the migrating humpback whales and each time we've had excellent breaches and playful calves. I'm awed every time I see them.


Oh, and I just happened to also be snorkeling today when a mom & bub swam by! I was so totally engrossed in watching them that I only popped off one frame with the baby Canon camera I take snorkeling.

Sunday Night Fish n Pics #18

I love a challenge when photographing underwater and can spend hours squinting into tiny crevices and deep into the arms of corals, contorting myself into all sorts of shapes and orientations just to get a shot of a cool crab.

But every once in a while it's nice to come across a big red funky looking crab perched out in the open on a yellow sponge!

Sunday Night Fish n Pics #17

I love when a bright orange-red fish sits quietly under a pink soft coral with a gorgeous blue water background. I can assure you it doesn't happen all the time - those pesky fish really don't do the whole sitting still thing very well most dives!

Sunday Night Fish n Pics - #16

Turtles are irresistible!

This guy was peeking around a corner as I swam along the reef and though he looks a little grumpy with me, he really wasn't. Once I got closer, he just shut his eyes and went back to sleep :)

Sunday Night Fish n Pics - #15

Anglerfish (called frogfish in the US) have to rank in my top three underwater creatures. You can bet if I find one on a dive that I'll be a) using a ton of air giggling & yelling squeeee! through my regulator and b) spending most of my remaining bottom time watching it move its cutie feet & waggling its lure around!

We don't see these nearly often enough here on the Ningaloo Reef and I can remember each and every one I've ever seen over the past 15 years. No, I'm not crazy or (too) obsessive - they're just such special surprises every time!

Sunday Night Fish n Pics - #14

I feel kinda bad for the squirrelfish. They are a nice red colour and there are usually quasi-cooperative groups hanging out along the reef, but somehow I seem to overlook them when it comes to taking photos. They just aren't as fancy or wow-factor as some of the other fishies & critters I come across.

I shouldn't take them for granted because they do take a pretty picture.

Sunday Night Fish n Pics - #13

Smile & show your pretty (sharp) teeth, Little Eel!

Sunday Night Fish n Pics - #12

Blizzard Ridge, one of my favourite dive sites here in Exmouth on the Ningaloo Reef, always has schools of sea perch and I usually hang out with them for a while on each dive.

If I'm patient enough they will surround me and just let me hang out in the middle - very cool!

Sometimes I can maneuver around and get a photo of the school swimming towards & around me which is way more fun than the usual more side on shots, I think.

Sunday Night Fish n Pics - #11

This synchronized pair of Philippine Butterflyfish tagged along with me for a few minutes before deciding I was too boring and picking up their game of leap-frogging each other along the reef.

Sunday Night Fish n Pics - #10

Manta rays are simply amazing - beautiful, graceful, curious. Any dive with a manta is an awesome dive.

Sunday Night Fish n Pics- #9

Nudibranchs are some of my favourite underwater creatures. They come in a staggering variety of shapes, sizes, colours & patterns and even after living here on the Ningaloo Reef for over 15 years I regularly see new species, behaviours or variations.

This little guy (well less than 2cms) is always a treat - he's not very common and is often in a hole or some other inaccessible nook so when I find one out and about I always stop for just one more frame.

Noumea varians

Sunday Night Fish n Pics- #8

Coral trout - pretty!

Yummy, too!!

Exmouth beach wedding - Bride & 'Zilla

I have the neatest brides!

Monday Lisa & Bill tied the knot at Oyster Stacks in the Cape Range National Park here in Exmouth and had a very welcome, but unexpected wedding guest! Lisa immediately got down to eye level without a thought to her dress or to delaying the start of the ceremony - lizards are just too cool to ignore!

Where did July go?

Hello and welcome to August! I'm not sure how all of July disappeared with no posts from me, but the time just flew past. It was a very busy month with family sessions, a last minute wedding and lots of time helping my 2011 brides with their wedding planning! I'm sure August will be just as busy but I'm making a promise to make sure I am a better blogger so please keep checking in.

No post is complete without a photo so here's a roo from my beach walk to get this month started right. Enjoy!

Exmouth - rain, sunshine, horses

I popped out to take some photographs the Exmouth Horse & Pony Club's Gymkhana last weekend (remember the sneak peek) and we had it all, weather-wise: dark foreboding clouds, blind you painfully sunshine, dull flat grey skies, brilliant blue skies with bright white floaty clouds, happy fat raindrops, torrential downpours. Luckily the rain held off on day one until all the competitions were done but then it bucketed down all night and part of the next morning. There was doubt about the upcoming jumping events due to the havoc caused by the heavy rain, but the sun came out strong late in the morning and they were able to move the jumping area to more suitable ground.

This was definitely a family event and the kids watched the action intently.

The barrel racing was great fun to watch and there was only one rider who went flying off his mount at barrel three. I loved watching the concentration and joy on each rider's face - these guys were having a great time!





Cowboy

Day two had lots of fun team games followed by jumping events after the lunch break. I never would have thought balancing a tennis ball on a traffic cone from the back of a horse would be so difficult, but it did appear to be a challenge for some! This little girl made it look easy though.

I do so love to watch horses & riders jumping!



This guy patiently waited his turn but kept creeping a little closer and a little closer to us, the spectators! He had a bit of a mischievous grin, but was very well behaved.



And the same rider also rode a gorgeous dark horse


It was an excellent weekend and everyone who was there got involved in one way or another - even the little ones

I liked some of the more rustic bits I found about the place and of course, what would a horse & pony club be without the appropriate loo signs?


If you were there or if you'd just like to see more the whole gallery is up at Kristin Anderson Photography. Images are available for purchase and I am donating 20% of every sale to the Exmouth Horse & Pony Club plus offering a great deal for those who book a new portrait session, so check it out!

Exmouth's Horse & Pony Club Gymkhana

A girl and her horse at the Exmouth Horse & Pony Club's Annual 2 Day Gymkhana.