We went out at Rutaki Passage on the southern edge of Rarotonga. The passage is one of three that drains the lagoon on the southern edge of the island. Though it is called a passage, underwater it is more akin to a canyon. It has steep walls and drops a good 20-metres or so. For spear fishing it is a great spot as the fish tend to congregate along the walls. And because the passage opens to the ocean, larger fish often cruise into the passage looking for some fishy snacks.

One of those larger fish just happened to turn up while we were out there – a beautiful Giant Trevally or GT, as they are commonly known. Having spoken to people that dive at the mouth of the passage, this guy is a bit of a regular in the passage. Either way, it was really amazing to turn around and suddenly be faced with this monster fish. This GT is about 5-feet long.

At first I was really excited to see the GT and to have the chance to take some photos. About 5-minutes into the encounter though, the GT swam right up to me, clearly checking me out. It was at about this time, I realised that this was actually a really big fish. For a brief moment I even asked myself “do GT’s bite humans?”.

A Giant Trevally (Caranx ignoblis), Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

The GT turned up as Bobo had speared a number of fish and they were on a rope, attached to a plastic bottle. This keeps the fish fresh and allows Bobo to keep hunting. Needless to say, the GT was after a free lunch. So much so, that not long after he first turned up, we ended up swimming back to shore and the GT followed us all the way into the shallows, eventually attacking the dead fish Bobo had on his rope. The only casualty was a dead Black Snapper, which had its tail bitten clean off.

In terms of photography, these two photos were taken with a wide angle lens and neither image was cropped. That right there should give you an indication of how close the GT was to me. In the photo below, I could easily reach out and touch the big guy as he followed Bobo and his dead fish back to shore.

A Giant Trevally or GT (Caranx ignoblis), Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

—–

Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, South Male' (Kaafu) Atoll, Maldives, on the 8 July 2006. © www.thomaspickard.com

What to say?

The Maldives at its absolute best.

View and license more Maldives imagery from the following photo galleries:

MALDIVES | Scenic Photography

MALDIVES | Resort Photography

—

Facebook or Google+

—–

Photographing kids is a totally different experience to photographing adults. Kids, especially younger kids, definitely have their own idea of what they want to do and when. As a result, I have just one rule when photographing kids on a shoot: keep it fun and interactive.

Get that bit right and the rest will follow.

A couple of favourites from yesterday’s shoot.

Young Tongan boy at the beach, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

Young Tongan boy at the beach, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

Young Tongan boy at the beach, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

—

Young Tongan boy at the beach, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

—

Connect on Facebook.

—–

Socials is a great surf break with beautifully back lit waves in the afternoon. Getting out to it can be a bit dicey as you have to negotiate the barrier reef, which is home to plenty of sea urchins (see the last photo) and is also what the waves break onto (see the second last photo).

There is nothing quite like standing on the barrier reef with thousands of dollars of camera gear in your hand, trying to time the last waddle across the reef (I’ve got flippers on) before taking the plunge into the deeper ocean. Getting back in is just as dicey, as you have to come in on the back of a breaking wave to get up onto the barrier reef proper. Had some minor bumps and scratches from the reef, but nothing too serious (touch wood).

Psyched for more water based shooting in the coming weeks.

Underwater view of a bodyboarder sitting on a bodyboard waiting for waves, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Bodyboarder pulling into a barrelling wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Underwater view of a bodyboarder surfacing after duck diving through a wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011

Underwater view of a breaking wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Breaking wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Underwater view of a bodyboarder deep in a barrelling wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Bodyboarder waiting for waves, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011. (Silhouette).

Bodyboarder pulling into a barrelling wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Underwater view of a bodyboarder surfacing after duck diving through a wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

A bodyboarder puts his arms in the air as a plane lifts off from Rarotonga International Airport, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Ocean foam and setting sun, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 12 July 2011.

Breaking wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 14 July 2011.

Rainbow above a breaking wave, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 14 July 2011.

Breaking wave and shallow reef, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 14 July 2011.

Sea urchins and reef, Socials surf break, Blackrock, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 14 July 2011.

Related Posts:

Just Add Water

—

Thomas Pickard Photography on Facebook

—–

There is a 10% discount for any purchases made between now and the 22nd of June 2011. Use this coupon code during check out: TEAITOTEN

I photographed the Te Aito 2011 open ocean paddling event on Saturday in Rarotonga. Split into two races, I photographed the women’s 14-kilometre race in the morning and then the men’s 28-kilometre race in the afternoon. The morning race featured beautiful light, while the afternoon race had a larger swell, which resulted in some more dynamic photos.

All up, it was a great experience being on the media boat and having a first row seat to the action. Big thanks to the organisers for putting together such a great event.

Congratulations to all competitor’s for a great effort!

Start of the women's 14 km Te Aito 2011 open ocean paddling event, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 11 June 2011.

Te Aito 2011 open ocean paddling event, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 11 June 2011.

Eventual winner of the women's race, Mereani Marakai from Tahiti, taking a moment to cool off during the Te Aito 2011 open ocean paddling event, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 11 June 2011.

The essence of paddling: a boat, blade and ocean. A lone competitor during the Te Aito 2011 open ocean paddling event, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 11 June 2011.

Danielle Cochrane crossing the finish line, Te Aito 2011 open ocean paddling event, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 11 June 2011.

—

Connect on Facebook

—–

That man turned out to be Sonny.

At 57 years old, Sonny is the oldest ocean paddler in Rarotonga. Having missed the start of the Vaka single paddling race, Sonny decided to swim out to the Boiler, climb it and jump off it. Something he does each time he swims to the Boiler.

If that isn’t living, then I don’t know what is.

Sonny jumping off the Boiler, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

—

Like Facebook? Then stay in touch.

—–

There are the odd exceptions though, like the brand spanking new SPL water housing I picked up from the post office yesterday.

Hot dog! I haven’t felt that excited about a piece of photographic equipment…ever.

Today I took it out twice. First to test it without a camera in it. I’ve drowned a camera before sea kayaking and I didn’t want to replicate that experience with my new housing. It passed with flying colours, so I loaded it with my SLR and lens and went to a place I call ‘Weekend Beach’, about 15-minutes by moped from my place.

Using a water housing is quite a different experience to using just a camera. Though I’m still a toddler splashing in the shallow end of the swimming pool when it comes to underwater photography, I did learn a few things today. In no particular order:

1. A camera inside a water housing is a bit like picking up your camera with thick woollen mitts for the first time. Everything feels a bit awkward. It was because of this, I didn’t swim straight out into the bone crunching waves coming in on the reef edge. Instead I got used to the weight, feel and controls of the housing. Baby steps…

2. You have to protect the lens port. Colleague and friend – Dave Collyer – gave me a great piece of advice in this regard. Always flip the port up towards the surface, when not shooting and swimming over rocks and reefs. I can see how in the blink of an eye you could bang the front port and damage it.

3. Though you can look through the viewfinder, it is a bit of a clunky experience (and definitely not something you will be doing while photographing waves while in the ocean). This means I need to learn how to frame my photo without looking through the viewfinder. Today I learnt that I point the lens a little too high.

4. Good light underwater is like good light above water. Wait for the clouds to clear from over the sun, to get the best looking light and colours beneath the surface.

5. I’m using a 12-24mm lens set at 12mm, so it is pretty wide. Like shooting on land, this means you have to get close to whatever it is you are photographing.

This one sort of goes without saying, but shooting in warm crystal clear waters (yeah I know, rub it in), with a water housing IS a lot of fun. I think I walked around all afternoon with a huge smile after that session.

Can’t wait to photograph some water based ideas I’ve had since arriving in Rarotonga. Having a water housing has definitely opened up an ocean world of creative opportunities. (I just couldn’t say it).

A couple of photos from today’s test shoot.

Self portrait. Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

Water surface, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

Fish, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. © www.thomaspickard.com

—

Stay in touch: become a fan on Facebook.

—–

“Why not have surf breaks, famous, great breaks like Jeffery’s Bay, Rincon and Malibu as [UNESCO] World Heritage Sites so that the whole world sees their value and wants to protect them?”

Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia founder and Save the Waves supporter, via Save the Wave Coalition.

I have been involved with the ocean through surfing since I was a teenager. I can still remember epic surf sessions I had twenty years ago on empty beaches on the North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Those sessions are as clear to me as more recent surfing sessions in the Maldives. For some, surfing may be seen as someone merely riding a wave. For me, surfing goes far beyond that.

Surfing is about watching the first rays of light hit the ocean surface as I’m paddling out for my first wave of the day; it is about sitting on my board chatting with fellow surfers between waves; it is about watching a pod of dolphins ride an empty wave and at times, it is about getting dragged across a coral reef and being reminded about the sheer power of the ocean.

Surfing and the ocean rejuvenates me. The simple act of surfing connects me to a part of the natural world that I love – ocean’s and coastlines.

Like many things of value, famous and not so famous surf breaks are often threatened by our development and an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to the environment.

As individuals’ our voices are often lost in the crowd. As a united group we can influence and affect change.

If you are a surfer, an ocean swimmer or even a person that regularly visits your local beach, then I encourage you to become a member of Save the Wave Coalition, a body that is helping fight the good fight for threatened surf breaks around the world. Check out their Campaign page to find out how you can get involved in your local area.

Patagonia, a supporter of Save The Waves, has just released their 2010 Surfing Catalogue online. While the catalogue has some of the best surfing photos you can imagine, it also has a focus on Save the Waves. Well worth a look.

Patagonia Surfing Catalogue

—–

—–

Commercial fishermen about to dive for bait, Addu Atoll, Maldives.

Feydhoo Island reflection, Addu Atoll, Maldives.

—–