Slightly off the photography topic, but important nonetheless.  Protect our Coral Sea Ambassador, actress Isabel Lucas, and her musician boyfriend Angus Stone have made a fantastic short video ‘Coral Sea Love’ asking people to show their Love for the Coral Sea by sending off a submission for the draft Coral Sea Marine Reserve this Valentine’s Day. Julia Stone’s beautiful song In the City of Lights features on the video.

The Coral Sea marine park draft plan, put forth by Environmental Minister Tony Burke, will be open for public submissions until February 24th 2012.  I have been working hard on the Protect Our Coral Sea Campaign to create more environmental protection of the area. Currently only 2 of the 25 reefs are protected from fishing pressure under the new plan.  One of the amazing things about this proposal is that with up to 90% of the large fish taken from our oceans (or ‘eaten’ as Dr Sylvia Earle puts it in her famous Ted prize talk – very worth a watch), the proposed marine reserve is large enough to create effective protection for these big ocean wanderers.  However improvements are needed, like the removal of longliners from the southern Coral Sea which has been identified as a global biodiversity hotspot for apex ocean predators.

Isabel Lucas and Angus Stone have created the Coral Sea Love video encouraging people to send their rapid submission via protectourcoralsea.org and ask the government to make these improvements.  Please help us improve protection for the Coral Sea.

Here is what Isabel Lucas has to say:

“I’d like to send a message to our federal environment minister…THANK YOU, Environment Minister Tony Burke for protecting the eastern half of the Coral Sea in your draft plan for this iconic part of our blue Australia. THANK YOU for banning oil and gas exploration, mining and longline fishing in the Coral Sea Marine Park. And also THANK YOU for recently noting that the “Coral Sea was a near-pristine area with abundant marine life that deserves protection”

HOWEVER Mr Burke….in your current proposal for the Coral Sea, only 2 out of the 25 coral reefs are fully protected. All the other reefs are open to some kind of fishing or harvesting.

So fellow lovers of our oceans, on this Valentine’s Day I ask you to show your love for the beautiful Coral Sea and please join with me by asking Mr Burke to better protect the coral reefs in our Coal Sea!

Sending your Coral Sea submission to Tony Burke via www.protectourcoralsea.org.au will take less time than brushing your teeth…”

Isabel Lucas, Protect our Coral Sea Ambassador.

Frederick Reef is just a dot in a very large ocean, the tip of an ancient undersea volcano rising steeply from 2,500m to the surface and on top of which over thousands of years, a coral reef in the shape of a ‘J’ has formed.   The coral changes in form depending on where it is located on the reef, on the exposed side where the swell of the ocean rises up into breaking waves the coral grows like the hardy shrubs on a windswept mountain – low and close to the ground.  It is here that we expect to find evidence of the Royal Charlotte striking the reef.  Travelling from the south, with the ocean swell and strong south-easterly gale behind them, the sound of the roaring breakers in the night was the terrifying sound which alerted the ship’s crew to the presence of a reef – too late.

Millions of years have shaped these reefs.  The story of a shipwreck and the intervening 200 years before we travel out into the Coral Sea to search for it is less than the blink of an eyelid in the timeline of this ocean.   It is believed that Frederick Reef at times of lower sea-levels was an island that has since been submerged by rising sea-levels.  Now, it is only two sand cays (one at the north end and one at the south end) and ‘Ridge Rock’ which remain above sea level.  It would have been a bewildering, frightening and very lonely place to find yourself shipwrecked in 1825.

The remote nature of the Coral Sea reefs means that each of these reefs is unique in terms of its fish and coral populations. As an underwater photographer I find this intriguing, when you head to a Coral Sea reef it is a bit like a ‘mystery box’ or Forest Gump’s ‘box of chocolates’ – you never know quite what you are going to get.  What you do know is you will find beautiful clear waters, and stunning underwater seascapes.  Another exciting aspect is that the Coral Sea has been identified as a global biodiversity hotspot for pelagic predators (sharks, tuna, billfish, etc.) and if you love sharks like I do, that is a wonderful concept in a world where shark populations are in sharp decline.  The federal government is deciding the fate of this hotspot right now – so if you believe in shark and ocean conservation, please make sure you have your say.

Although we have the help of two survivors accounts, these accounts contradict each other in the location of the wreck compared to the main landmark of the reef – the sand cay.  The other clue we have is the shape of the reef itself.  It is all the small clues – wind and sailing direction of the ship, descriptions in the account, the movement of the current – that are used by the archaeologists to start our search in the area of greatest probability for success.

The research and piecing together of clues pays off, on our first dive of the expedition timber is found.  A piece of wood may not sound exciting, however when it potentially comes from a shipwreck nearly 200 years old the hand signals being used for communication get significantly more animated!  If there is one artefact then possibly there are more nearby and a quick search pattern reveals a large metal bracket (over a metre in length), later identified as a staple knee which is used to hold deck timbers together.  You cannot exchange words underwater but you can certainly communicate; the energy and smiles were lighting up the ocean.

This was a great start, but a piece of timber does not make a shipwreck and this piece was a long way from the reef edge, on the sandy bottom of the lagoon.  What those two artefacts did give us though was a starting point.  Over the next few days teams searched using manta boards, snorkel lines, underwater metal detectors and magnetometers.  Our eyes became trained to find the unnatural: straight lines, the green of copper or the black of iron, even the round shape of Thames River gravel which was used as ballast.  Often excited moments were followed by the solemn shake of an experts head as they kindly informed us our grand find was a piece of dead coral.  The searching was productive though, as each artefact was found and photographed, then mapped and sketched it added to a picture that was beginning to emerge.

We had dives when we were certain this was going to be the moment, this must be where the ship was wrecked, and then we would return with only a few clues: a piece of ceramic half buried, a small amount of anchor chain, a few fragments of glass.  The Charlotte must be close, but it was eluding us, all the clues were suggesting we were in the right area, this was the right age of ship, but where was the anchor?  Where was the canon?  Then one morning I got a call across the radio “Xanthe would you like to do one more dive with us this morning?” one of the dive teams casually asked.  Now generally, there are two reasons I might get a call that: 1) they know that I love diving and any time spent underwater or 2) I am the photographer and if you have found something special then you want it photographed and hence I get a call.  I tried to keep my hopes in check.  Maybe they have just found another amazing dive site??  That would still be quite alright in my books.  When I got to the site on the outer edge of the reef, beyond the surf break, their eyes and huge smiles gave them away.  “It’s the anchor, a 12ft long and 6ft across anchor the right shape and everything”.

On the 4th January 2012 I joined a team from the Australian National Maritime Museum and Silentworld Foundation steaming out towards the Coral Sea.  Overnight we passed the edge of the Great Barrier Reef and entered the deep, beautiful, blue waters of the Coral Sea. We are travelling to the Coral Sea in search of shipwrecks.  The Australian National Maritime Museum and Silentworld Foundation have joined forces to bring an expedition team of archaeologists, volunteer divers and experienced crew to this remote location in search of the Royal Charlotte, a ship wrecked in 1825. This is not an easy place to reach, our journey to Frederick Reef (400km off the Queensland coast) is a 36hr steam in a modern vessel.  Once you pass the Great Barrier Reef you are in open ocean, but the weather was being very kind to us, with blue skies overhead and flying fish skimming across the water.

The reefs of the Coral Sea are different to the large interconnected system of the Great Barrier Reef.  Here the reefs rise up from thousands of metres of water, the tips of oceanic mountains.  The deep-water inbetween the reef holds its own treasures: some of the oceans top predators including sharks, whales, billfish and tuna.  These are the fish and animals at the top of the ocean food chain, playing an important role in keeping the ecosystem in balance.  The Coral Sea is indeed a special place, any visit is a privilege.   To be here joining a team of archaeologists on a search for its history is amazing.  Meanwhile I am also well aware that currently its fate is being decided in the far away halls of Canberra.  Well actually, right now the draft plan for the Coral Sea is open to public feedback and anyone can make a submission, and it is important we all do.  You can protect the Coral Sea by signing the petition on this page.

An afternoon pitstop at Saumarez Reef has been decided on.  Saumarez Reef has two sand cays, one at either end of its long crescent of reef.  We tucked up behind the reef, close to the wreck of the Francis Preston Blair which sits high on the reef. During World War 2 a Japanese submarine was pursuing the ship when its Captain chose to run it aground rather than face being torpedoed and sunk in the deep waters around Saumarez.  Today it is home to a colony of birds including Frigates and Boobies.  Their droppings have allowed grass to grow on the decks and a new coat of whitewash to develop.

Snorkelling on a coral bommie (a small pinnacle of coral rising up from the sand and separate to the main reef) we watch a pair of grey reef or whaler sharks which are patrolling the reef edge, their sleek shape and powerful muscles moving them easily through the water.  The water is clear, very clear and very blue.  The sand in the lagoon is a beautiful white, laid down in ripples that disappear into the distance, but the sun is setting, marking the time to return to the boat.

Arriving at Frederick Reef in the early morning the sun is still low on the water, and the angle makes it hard to define the patches of coral.   Our vessel stays clear of the reef until the sun climbs higher, turning the lagoon a beautiful aqua, with the greens, yellows and blacks of the reef clearly showing the coral patchwork below.  The captain nudges the boat into a safe place to anchor as we watch the landscape transforming with the changing light.  This is my second visit to Frederick Reef, and I am very happy to be back.  The beautiful lagoon and underwater landscapes have stayed fresh in my memory.  Looking at the sand cay now, I send my brain back into my memory banks, I am sure it was much smaller just over a year ago, but that is the dynamic nature of these reefs.

About the Royal Charlotte and the Wrecking:

The Royal Charlotte was an Indian built ship used to carry trade between England, Australia and India. She was also used as a convict transport before being commissioned to carry troops (and their families) from Sydney to India.  It was during this voyage in 1825 that she was wrecked on Frederick Reef,  which had at that time been charted – but in the wrong place.  She left Sydney under a stormy sky and the gales and storms persisted with the Royal Charlotte as she travelled north into the Coral Sea.  One of the officer’s wives had given birth just three days before the voyage.  At the mercy of nature, it must have been a terrifying experience for those unaccustomed to the sea.  Here is a short extract from one of the two survivor’s accounts which survive today, these accounts were used to help the archeologists narrow down the search area on Frederick Reef:

“At eight bells the fore and main-topsails were double-reefed, the mizzen-topsails and main-courses handed and every other necessary preparation made for a stormy night, which we now had every reason to expect… about half past ten o’clock, she broached in a squall and split every sail, fore and aft…the gale soon increased to a perfect hurricane, and blew the canvass out of the bolt-ropes; while the shreds that remained of the sails cracked dreadfully in the wind.”  The gale abated on the 14^th of June but heavy seas, storms and strong winds continued allowing the Royal Charlotte to travel at the fast rate of 9knots.  It was at this speed on the 20^th June that she struck Frederick reef and was driven her full length onto the coral.

“All hands were immediately ordered to the pumps; but the depth of water in the hold increased in spite of every effort.  Vivid flashes of lighting, that at times illuminated the whole horizon was succeeded by loud peals of thunder, while the roaring of the surf, the crashing of the ship on the rocks, and the dismal cries of the women and children who crowded on the deck added to the uncertainty of the fate that awaited us.  “The breakers, as they rolled in unremitting succession over the precipice, broke close to the ship’s forefoot, and covered her as far as the waist, while we expected every moment that the bows would be stove in, and that she would go to pieces.”

Working on the Protect Our Coral Sea campaign I am often asked about our spokefish ‘Barry’.  In Cairns all maori wrasse have become known as ‘Wally’ however there is also a ‘Rocky’ and in Airlie Beach, unfortunately ‘Elvis’ has left the building but Priscilla is slowly turning into a Prince and George and Georgina are still alive and well. There is no doubt these fish have grabbed the hearts of locals and visitors alike.  The humphead or maori wrasse (or sometimes humphead maori wrasse) is the largest member of the wrasse family.  At Osprey Reef, in the Coral Sea Conservation Zone, the maori wrasse are not as friendly and approachable as those at the popular Cairns dive sites.  However, it is the only place I have ever had the good fortune of witnessing a spawning aggregation.

Maori wrasse start off life as females and while some will become males in later life, others spend their entire lives as females.  It is these older females that are the most valuable to the species, as they are able to produce the most eggs, while it is the males that have endeared themselves to people with their bold approaches.  The females are a green grey and the males a deep blue-green (see picture).  Maori wrasse live for around 30 years and can be found down to 100m in depth.  They have been heavily targeted as a highly prized food fish in some countries.

My affection for these animals is strong.  I spent many dives in the company of ‘Elvis’, the most memorable of which was when I discovered him one morning with a fishing hook in his mouth and 15m of line trailing behind him.  A boat had moored in the bay during the night and obviously been fishing the green zone under the cover of darkness.  Elvis had been caught and then broken the line. He approached me that morning in wide circles with his fins down tightly on his body (a stance that reminded me of an unwell puppy’s drooping ears).  As he circled me I realised that it was going to be tough to get him close enough to really help, I spent the next twenty minutes with Elvis, trimming sections of fishing line off until there was only 2m and the hook left.  With the weight of the line removed, Elvis was able to spit the hook out.  Free of his burden, he didn’t hang around to offer his thanks but took off as fast as he could.  We didn’t see him for a few days, and then the news came across the boat radio ‘Elvis is back’.  On other dives Elvis would approach silently behind me, as I swam backwards watching the divers I was guiding, I would see (one by one) their eyes open up incredibly wide, slowly turning around my mask would be filled with the sight of a blue-green mouth.  If he was a human I would swear this was Elvis’ favourite joke to play, to see how close he could get before I realised he was there, and then enjoy seeing me jump.  I never fed Elvis, and so encounters were always on his terms, and it always felt like a privilege to have him choose to join us for while.

Maori wrasse have been listed on the the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 1996, initially as Vulnerable and since 2004 as Endangered. However, these beautiful fish, while protected in Western Australia and Queensland waters (including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park) are still legally caught in Australia’s federal waters and the Northern Territory.

It is Minke Magic time again.  Divers, snorkellers and underwater photographers are all lining up to head out into the Great Barrier Reef to get up close with the Minke Whales.  This special event happens for just two months each year.  At this point it is not fully understood where the dwarf minke whales come from, or where they go to.  What is known is that the travel through the deep waters of the Coral Sea (off the continental shelf) and then move into the shallower waters around the Ribbon Reefs for what appears to be a time of socialising.  Experience a close encounter with Minke Whales is a special experience.  Watch this great video for more information.  If you wish to experience an encounter, make sure you travel with an operator that has a Minke Whale Permit.  These operators all contribute to scientific research and our knowledge of Minke Whales, in addition they have signed up to a strict code of conduct to protect the whales and ensure encounters do not adversely impact their behaviour.

This year the Cairns Underwater Film Festival (CUFF) is back and I am proud to be involved both as a board member and also a photo competition judge.  Although one look at the prize pool is enough to make me wish I was entering!  There are some incredible prizes on offer to top destinations.  The underwater photography competition requires entries to be taken in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.

Previously the festival has been run as a business by Christian Botella, however this year he has handed the running over to a team (the CUFF board) of volunteers, which Christian is still a part of.  The CUFF team then made the unanimous decision to volunteer their time and return all profit from the festival back to the community through donations to local marine conservation groups and other worthwhile causes.  Please visit the CUFF website for more information on this years festival and also the photo competition.

It is hard to create a beautiful image if you don’t first have beautiful thoughts floating through your mind. This includes being able to focus on the nature around you rather than camera issues or frustrations you have brought on your dive with you..

There are dives underwater when, your shots aren’t working and you realise things just aren’t going your way. Sometimes this is a result of equipment issues, bad weather or simply putting too much importance on getting good shots. It is times like these I like to put the camera down and get back to the point of being underwater in the first place: enjoying the serenity, beautiful surroundings and spectacular life. One of the great things about scuba diving is of course weightlessness; and it is amazing how quickly you can relax when suspended in blue water with just the sound of your breathing.

I am not a student of Buddhism. When I refer to ‘Zen’ I talk about getting to the mental state where you find yourself humming “let’s go fly a kite” while gliding around underwater without a care in the world. When you are in this mental state underwater it is amazing how easy it becomes to pick out beautiful photographic opportunities. Your dive once again becomes an activity which is enriched by your photography rather than taken over it.

Of course not everyone can become an underwater Zen master, and “let’s go fly a kite” wouldn’t be everyone’s choice of underwater song (in fact some people may wonder about my mental state by suggesting it). My point however, is that diving is a joy and photography is there to enhance it, rather than take over it. If you would like to become an underwater Zen master to help your photography, get in touch…

Philippines, PNG (again), Truk Lagoon, Coral Bay / Ningaloo (in Western Australia), Wolf Rock (near Fraser Island on Australia’s east coast), the Yongala Wreck (again), Coral Sea, Fiji, Tonga, Raja Ampat in Indonesia.  There are so many spectacular dive sites, both locally and internationally that I would love to dive and photograph.  What is you dream list?  Are you doing any this year?

Or perhpas diving and underwater photography for you is all about keeping it local?  While I love heading out to explore new areas and see the differences in coral reefs and critters all over the world, the bulk of my portfolio will always be the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.   We are lucky in Cairns to have such a great marine backyard and with my underwater photography workshops getting more popular I am looking forward to sharing it with lots of people this year, along with working towards the protection of the Coral Sea.  If you would like to know more about either the workshops or how you can help establish a marine park in the Coral Sea, please get in touch.

Dwarf Minke Whales are curious and friendly whales that inhabit the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. They also make a great underwater photography subject. The species was identified in the late 1990′s as separate from its northern hemisphere counterpart and has been closely studied ever since. A task that has been made much easier by the whale’s own behaviour as it commonly approaches divers and snorkellers to ‘check them out’

The Dwarf Minke Whale’s inquisitive nature have made it very popular. Dwarf Minke Whales seek out interactions with snorkelers and divers – one of most special experiences you can have in the ocean. The Minke Whales are sighted (most commonly) between June and July each year, and the hotspot for interactions is the Ribbon Reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. The whales arrive here from the deep waters of the Coral Sea, but where they migrate to or from remains a mystery.

To understand more about the minke whales, especially the great research being done by JCU scientists, please download the minke whale project newsletter or join the Minke Whale Project Facebook group Friends of Minke Whales.

Creating great images of minke whales can be challenging due to the fact that minke whales turn up during the ‘trade winds’ when seas are often rough and the sky grey. Their close approaches can mean that you cannot frame and compose the entire animal as it is simply TOO CLOSE! Plus with both dark areas and bright white on the fins exposure needs to be just right. The results however make the challenge very worthwhile.  A wide angle lens and the sun behind you, shoot with natural light and adjust the exposure down a stop to avoid overexposing the fins.   When you are in the water with a minke whale, do not swim toward it, let it approach you and this makes the whale more bold, often resulting in spectacularly close encounters.

In 2010 a small group of Cairns Underwater Photographer’s began to meet for coffees and gatherings in various venues around Cairns.  The group was made up of established underwater photographers, amateur/ hobby underwater photographers, underwater photography business owners and dive-tourism operators.  In 2011 plans are coming together for the Cairns Underwater Photographic Society to establish a list of events such as equipment try-out days, workshops, dive days and of course more casual coffees and Salthouse gatherings.  If you are interested in joining the Cairns Underwater Photographic Society (affectionately known as CUPS) then please join the facebook page at:

CUPS Facebook Page