There's a lot of chatter out there about underwater cameras, people—especially camera people— have very strong opinions on this particular subject and will readily share their opinions with you about which camera is best because of this reason and which one is “totally unusable” for that reason, whether you asked for it or not. These opinions—which are often conveyed as facts—seem to only get more in your face as you move up from compact cameras to larger mirrorless and DSLR cameras. This is very annoying and off-putting, especially if you are new to underwater photography, or just photography in general, and are just looking for an affordable camera that's easy to pack in your reasonably sized suitcase and is going to take a decent underwater photo on your snorkeling adventure. There's a saying—which is absolutely 100% correct and has the peer-reviewed credentials to prove it—that goes a little something like this, “the best camera is the one you have with you.” Basically, there's no one camera that's perfect, all cameras have their strengths and weaknesses, and knowing what they allow us to get the most out of your camera. So, with that in mind, let's just talk about some of the cameras we have with us, and by that I mean three of the most common cameras snorkelers are more likely to use and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each to help you make a better decision on your camera purchase. GoPro The GoPro is a solid camera choice and one we see a lot of on our snorkeling safaris. They are reasonably affordable as far as cameras go, and have some seriously high-end specs, particularly where video is concerned. They are also very durable and is waterproof right out of the box which is a major bonus. That
There’s a lot of chatter out there about underwater cameras, people—especially camera people— have very strong opinions on this particular subject and will readily share their opinions with you about which camera is best because of this reason and which one is “totally unusable” for that reason, whether you asked for it or not. These
After being closed to tourists for two years, Indonesia is finally open to foreigners! If you are at all familiar with our inventory of snorkeling safaris, this is a game-changer as the majority of our snorkeling safaris take place in this stunning island nation. We couldn't be more pleased to finally be able to once again offer you guys access to some of our most popular snorkeling adventures like our Alor-Komodo Safaris, Misool Resort Safaris, North Sulawesi, Wakatobi, and of course both Triton & Cenderawasih Bay, among many others. For those of you wondering what the protocol is for entering Indonesia, here's a quick look at what it's like to enter Indonesia currently. Entering Indonesia When the country first opened its borders to tourists in late March/Early April there were understandably a few hoops to jump through. Over the past few weeks, those hoops have been steadily removed, almost on a daily basis. Currently—and these are likely to ease up over the next few weeks, all you need to enter Indonesia is: Proof of being fully vaccinated Printed results of Negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before departure The PeduliLindnugi app INSTALLED on your phone Proof of medical insurance covering COVID related cases As you can see there are still a few hoops to jump through, but these are pretty big and easy hoops that are essentially standard for all countries across the world, including the United States. These are all expected to be lifted over the next few weeks and months as well. It may sound like a lot of extra things to think of or plan for, but when you actually look at the list, most of you will already have them all completed anyway. As long as you are vaccinated and have health insurance
After being closed to tourists for two years, Indonesia is finally open to foreigners! If you are at all familiar with our inventory of snorkeling safaris, this is a game-changer as the majority of our snorkeling safaris take place in this stunning island nation. We couldn’t be more pleased to finally be able to once
Indonesia opened its borders to tourists just over a month ago, a clear signal to us that it's finally time to start running our full inventory of Indonesian snorkeling safaris after nearly two years of postponements! First tour up, our Misool Snorkel Week which will start on May 11th and take place at Misool Resort, the world-renowned dive and snorkel resort in the very south of Raja Ampat. This will be our first ever snorkeling safari with Misool and we/I couldn't be more excited! I was fortunate to be able to spend nearly two weeks with the resort shooting some promotional content for them as well as for Snorkel Venture during the pandemic and after seeing how they operate and all the amazing amenities the resort has on offer, not to mention the world-class snorkeling sitting just beneath everyone's water villas, I couldn't wait to run a trip here! Here are ten reasons (I have so many more) why I'm so excited to be leading a trip to Misool Resort this May! The Food Even though it's arguably one of the most remote snorkeling resorts in Indonesia, the quality, taste, freshness, and presentation of the food is outstanding. Wandering the Grounds Misool Resort is not the typical resort, it's like no other resort I've ever seen. There are secret beaches, cliffs, jungles, lagoons, and blue holes, all of which are within a five-minute walk from your villa. Around every corner is a new jaw-dropping viewpoint. Exploring via Paddle-board & Kayak If you want to explore a bit further afield, Misool Resort has a healthy inventory of kayaks & paddle-boards so you can access the other nearby islands full of their own hidden treasures! The Night Sky The view of the night sky is exquisite from Misool as there is essentially
Indonesia opened its borders to tourists just over a month ago, a clear signal to us that it’s finally time to start running our full inventory of Indonesian snorkeling safaris after nearly two years of postponements! First tour up, our Misool Snorkel Week which will start on May 11th and take place at Misool Resort,
One of the great natural wonders of the world has to be the perfectly symmetrical blue hole that sits in the middle of a vast reef off the coast of Belize. From an aerial perspective, this one-thousand-foot in diameter sinkhole fringed by lush reef and iridescent white sand looks like some sort of abstract art. It's absolutely stunning. This fantastic natural wonder iconic to Belize has of course attracted a lot of attention from foreign tourists and diving and snorkeling in Belize. That being said, what's the snorkeling actually like in the Blue Hole? What might be easy to advertise as a tourist attraction because of its unique aerial appearance might not actually equate to a fulfilling snorkeling experience. Luckily, we just ran a whole string of Belize snorkeling safaris in March of 2022 from resort-based tours to liveaboards, to snorkeling photography workshops, all of which spent a day snorkeling in the Blue Hole. Here's what it's like. Upon arrival to the Blue Hole by boat you will barely notice any changes to the topside scenery, it's just varying shades of blue water for as far as the eye can see. However, once you jump in the water it's a very different scenario. With the exception of the two gaps in the coral-fringed ring, one of which is natural while the other one was deliberately blown open by Jacques Cousteau so he could march his giant boat into the center of the Blue Hole, the entire inner ring of the hole is a dense forest of sea fans, hard corals, and sponges that reach right up to the surface. With regards to fish, there might be a bit more fish life in the outer reefs, as is typical when comparing inner reefs with outer reefs, there was still plenty of
One of the great natural wonders of the world has to be the perfectly symmetrical blue hole that sits in the middle of a vast reef off the coast of Belize. From an aerial perspective, this one-thousand-foot in diameter sinkhole fringed by lush reef and iridescent white sand looks like some sort of abstract art.
With the first two groups of snorkelers happily on their way back to their respective homes after each enjoyed a full week of a quintessential Caribbean snorkeling holiday full of dolphin encounters, lush tropical reefs, and a magical private island resort Paul 'Duxy' Duxfield—the other Snorkel Venture tour leader running the trips with me—and I set off to meet our new group of guests aboard the Belize Aggressor III and the Belize Aggressor IV. These two upscale liveaboard boats are iconic in Belize as they have been running snorkel and dive safaris around the Belize Barrier Reef for years now and are the only liveaboards in all of Belize! Duxy would be leading his merry band of snorkelers on the Belize Aggressor III while I would be running a Snorkeling Photography Workshop from the Aggressor IV. The two vessels would have similar itineraries but would remain on separate reefs so as not to overcrowd the area and give both groups plenty of space to snorkel in peace. Turneffe Atoll Our first stop was at the southern tip of the Turneffe Atoll, just around the corner from the Turneffe Island Resort. Even though Duxy and I had just been here, we were excited to be back as there was so much we wanted to show our new group of guests. In talking with Duxy later on that week it sounded like we both had very similar encounters in the Turneffe areas with nurse sharks, eagle rays, porcupine fish, schools of tangs and larger stingrays, and the very beautiful yellow stingray which has an intricate ornate pattern tattooed on it's back. Both boats spent that day exploring the outer reefs, which would be a much different snorkeling experience from what we had planned for the following day around Lighthouse reef. Lighthouse Reef
With the first two groups of snorkelers happily on their way back to their respective homes after each enjoyed a full week of a quintessential Caribbean snorkeling holiday full of dolphin encounters, lush tropical reefs, and a magical private island resort Paul ‘Duxy’ Duxfield—the other Snorkel Venture tour leader running the trips with me—and I
