Fabrice Dudenhofer, Malpelo Island, Colombia
Scalloped hammerheads are widespread and seen in massive numbers in Malpelo
The Tropical Japanese Pacific is dwelling to a number of the world’s most well-known dive locations, together with the Galápagos Islands, Cocos Island in Costa Rica, and the Revillagigedos Archipelago in Mexico, however one different much less well-known however equally interesting vacation spot also needs to be included on this checklist: Malpelo Island in Colombia. Positioned 300 miles from the mainland and solely accessible by liveaboard, Malpelo is a difficult place to go to and to dive, however adventurous vacationers keen to make the journey to this barren seamount can be rewarded with wide-angle photograph alternatives to rival anyplace else on the planet. These conversant in this a part of the world will know that nutrient-rich upwellings deflected into shallower water by underwater mountain ranges present gas for an abundance of marine lifetime of all sizes and styles.
No tender coral lined reefs or their regular inhabitants right here. As an alternative, you will see that massive rock formations and cliff faces that descend quickly into the deep water trench surrounding the island. The main target in Malpelo is all the time on what might seem out of the blue, so underwater photographers diving listed here are suggested to overlook in regards to the macro lens and focus on the large stuff. Big colleges of hammerhead and silky sharks patrol the water surrounding the island, and whale shark sightings are widespread. You may also anticipate to come across eagle rays and big colleges of jacks, barracuda and tuna. Nearer to the rocks, you may concentrate on arduous coral lined outcrops and a few shut focus large angle photographs of moray eels and scorpionfish. Both means, large angle is the way in which ahead!
Count on robust currents and deep dives to expertise the most effective encounters, and to make issues extra sophisticated you typically need to take care of chilly water and restricted visibility, too. Underwater photographers are sometimes shocked to find how tough it may be to seize good photographs in these circumstances, so it’s testomony to 1’s capturing expertise in case you return from journeys within the Japanese Tropical Pacific with nice photographs or video.
Giant colleges of fish are discovered throughout the island and make for excellent photographs
An enormous whale shark drifts by effortlessly towards the robust present
Even across the rock formations fish faculty in massive numbers
Colourful coral scenes to enrich the large animal photographs are additionally doable in some places
A pair of noticed eagle rays utterly surrounded by fish
A twister of jacks block out the daylight above
A shiny pink scorpionfish offers the closet factor to macro capturing yow will discover in Malpelo
Giant teams of barracuda swim on formation like birds above the floor
Nose to nose with the biggest fish within the ocean, the whale shark
An in depth-up shot of a leather-based bass in deep water
Moray eels could be seen in teams in every single place in Malpelo
A diver explores a darkish crevice near the islands shoreline
An enormous ball of snapper heading into deeper water to keep away from predators and some photographers!
A silky shark approaches the group within the blue
A flounder glides over the rocks trying to find a spot to cover
Even the birds above need to see what is occurring under the water in Malpelo
A silky shark follows an enormous faculty of tuna, a typical Malpelo wide-angle picture
To see extra of Fabrice’s Galápagos photographs or his equally superior work from different locations, take a look at his web site, www.fabricedudenhofer.com, and his Instagram web page.
