White balance is one of the principal camera settings or functions we need to understand in order to bring out the natural colors of the reef and our fishy friends. What is the white balance you ask? Well, in the most simple terms, white balance is a setting included on all digital cameras, usually indicated with a “WB”, which changes the overall color of the picture to accommodate different lighting environments. For example, a land photographer would change the white balance settings when they move from shooting in a sunny outdoor environment to an indoor environment lit entirely with fluorescent light. For us underwater shooters, we adjust the white balance to account for a loss in the red wavelength as we go deeper underwater. If you do not adjust your white balance your images will come back in shades of blue and green when they should be coming back with a full spectrum of colors. How do we correctly set our white balance? Let me explain. Underwater Auto Shooting Modes As I said, as we dive deeper underwater we start to lose certain colors, most importantly red. With this in mind, we need to try to account for this loss of red by utilizing our camera's built-in digital red filter, which is controlled through the white balance function. Many cameras like newer models of GoPro or the Olympus TG series—some of the most user-friendly cameras for snorkelers and divers—will have pretty fantastic auto-white balance settings for underwater shooters. For GoPro users, you'll just need to switch the white balance setting into Auto and just let the camera do its thing. In my experience, and from what I've seen from our guests using GoPros, the colors come back very accurate. For the Olympus TG folks, simply turn the little dial on
White balance is one of the principal camera settings or functions we need to understand in order to bring out the natural colors of the reef and our fishy friends. What is the white balance you ask? Well, in the most simple terms, white balance is a setting included on all digital cameras, usually indicated
What are you going to see on one of our snorkeling safaris? Short answer, a ton! Long answer, the specific things you can expect to see can be region and location-dependent. Here's a quick breakdown of what you can expect to see in some of our most popular snorkeling safari destinations. Please note that this is a very small list featuring some of the most popular species, there is so much more to see for each location! Coral Triangle Staples *This list of creatures can be expected for just about all of our snorkeling safaris taking place in the Coral Triangle (Indonesia, Philippines, Palau). Many different types of anemones and anemonefish Pristine hard and soft coral reefs Many species of lionfish and scorpionfish Many different species of angelfish Tons of different species of colorful reef fish Porcupinefish and many different species of pufferfish Blue-spotted stingrays Nudibranchs Many different types of sea stars Moray eels Raja Ampat and Komodo- Indonesia Manta rays Big schools of big fish Mangroves Green and hawksbill sea turtles Cuttlefish, octopus, squid Reef sharks Napoleon wrasse Bumphead parrotfish Alor- Indonesia Some larger schools of big fish Mandarine fish Hawksbill sea turtles Cuttlefish, octopus, squid Mola mola (depends on tide, current, and moon phase) Friendly local fishermen freediving with homemade wood goggles as they spearfish with handmade spears North Sulawesi and Wakatobi- Indonesia Hawksbill and green sea turtles Sea snakes Crocodile fish Some schooling fish Cuttlefish, octopus, squid Philippines Some smaller schools of big fish Sea snakes Hawksbill and green sea turtles Whale shark (not to be expected but it's possible) Mandarine fish Cuttlefish, octopus, squid Frogfish Palau Manta rays Reef sharks Napoleon wrasse Bumphead parrotfish Some bigger schools of fish Cuttlefish, octopus, squid Hawksbill and green sea turtles Caribbean Some smaller schools of big fish Tons of
What are you going to see on one of our snorkeling safaris? Short answer, a ton! Long answer, the specific things you can expect to see can be region and location-dependent. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect to see in some of our most popular snorkeling safari destinations. Please note that this
Deciding to just rent snorkeling gear versus bringing your own gear on a snorkeling safari can have its benefits, such as keeping your luggage weight/cost down. However, it can also have its disadvantages as not all snorkel and dive centers will have the exact sizes you may need. Packing your own snorkeling gear can add to your overall luggage weight, but it can also make life easier and more comfortable when you arrive as you have the added assurance that every piece of equipment fits here. Here's a little pros and cons list—as well as our opinion—for those of you having a difficult time deciding on whether you should pack your own snorkeling gear or rent. Renting Gear Pro: Traveling light Con: No guarantee the rental equipment will fit perfectly. Pro: No need to wash or maintain equipment on tour. Con: Rental equipment may be quite used and not in the best shape. Pro: No need for pre-trip shopping. Con: Who used this wetsuit last and why does it smell a bit funky? Bringing Your Own Gear Pro: No need to need to worry about trying on gear at each location. Con: Your luggage might be a bit heavier or bulkier. Pro: If you've spent time sizing your equipment correctly, you know it will fit. Con: You'll have to spend the time researching equipment and sizing it correctly. Pro: You know who had that snorkel in their mouth last...you! Con: You'll have to pack and maintain/wash/dry your equipment at each location. As you can see there are a lot of valid arguments to be made for each case, however, after years of running snorkeling safaris with guests both bringing their own gear and guests renting, we can honestly say that bringing your own is the preferred choice of our guests.
Deciding to just rent snorkeling gear versus bringing your own gear on a snorkeling safari can have its benefits, such as keeping your luggage weight/cost down. However, it can also have its disadvantages as not all snorkel and dive centers will have the exact sizes you may need. Packing your own snorkeling gear can add
So, you're thinking about joining a snorkeling safari but not quite sure you want to spend your hard end holiday time traveling around with a group of people you've never met before. What's the group dynamic going to be like? I'm traveling alone so will I have to share a room with a stranger? Will we have to eat together at every meal? will we have to wear matching group outfits and travel behind someone carrying a big sign above their head!? These are all very valid questions, particularly the last one, and let me just quickly say that we would never put you into matching outfits and make you march through the domestic terminal in single file. To ease some of your very valid group traveling concerns here's a little info on what it's like to be apart of one of our group snorkeling safaris. The Group Dynamic As someone who's been leading snorkeling safaris for Snorkel Venture since they first started, I can honestly say that every tour I've been on the general group dynamic is one of fun and excitement. I believe the reason we consistently receive such lively and easy-going groups of people is that our tours cater to a specific type of people, those that love to snorkel. If you jump on a group tour to Italy for example, you'll have a very different dynamic as everyone within the group has a different idea of how they want to see Rome or Venice. One person might want to rush and see every site imaginable while another might want to casually take in the sites as they sit in front of a cafe with an espresso. These contradictions in personal choice are likely to upset the general group dynamic. This is not the case with our
So, you’re thinking about joining a snorkeling safari but not quite sure you want to spend your hard end holiday time traveling around with a group of people you’ve never met before. What’s the group dynamic going to be like? I’m traveling alone so will I have to share a room with a stranger? Will
With a name like Snorkel Venture, it should come as no surprise that our specialty is putting together snorkeling adventures. While our main priority is to get our guests as much time in the water as possible, we also put a lot of thought and effort into activities that take place on terra firma as we know that some guests may wish to take a more leisurely approach to their snorkeling holiday. Here's a little breakdown of some of the land-based actives we incorporate into our snorkeling safaris. Unique Land Excursions On just about all of our snorkeling safaris, regardless of whether or not it's a resort or a liveaboard based tour, we always try to do at least one land excursion. In Komodo, for example, we spend a morning hiking one of the nearby islands in search of the Komodo Dragons, in Belize we spend an afternoon walking through the ancient Mayan ruins, and in Alor we visit a local village. Each of our locations offers outstanding snorkeling, but no tour would be complete without a taste of the local culture, sites, and wildlife. Kayaking and Paddle Boards Nearly all the resorts we stay with will be on the water and as a result, many of the resorts and some of the liveaboards will have a fleet of kayaks and or stand-up paddle boards on hand for you to use whenever you want. This is an excellent way to spend an afternoon between snorkel sessions as you can explore the little bays and islets of the surrounding area. Read-Relax-Massage There are always a few guests who come on our snorkel safari's who are keen to snorkel but also want to just spend ample time just relaxing in a tropical environment. We fully encourage you to enjoy your snorkeling holiday
With a name like Snorkel Venture, it should come as no surprise that our specialty is putting together snorkeling adventures. While our main priority is to get our guests as much time in the water as possible, we also put a lot of thought and effort into activities that take place on terra firma as
