Vanuatu: Snorkelling with Sail Away Cruises, Port Vila Vanuatu

Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu

A day with Sailaway Cruises involved two dives and two snorkelling sites. As I’ve mentioned previously, the GoPro camera had been working well in the depths, however the lack of red light in the spectrum left the tones a little muted. Closer to the surface however the results are much more vibrant.

Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu
Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Snorkelling at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu

Above sea level, the Golden Wing Trimaran was our ride for the day, cruising though crystal clear waters bounded by pristine white beaches and dense rainforest coating the sides of imposing hills.

Above Water, Sailing to Hat Island, Vanuatu Above Water, Sailing to Hat Island, Vanuatu Above Water, Sailing to Hat Island, Vanuatu Above Water, Sailing to Hat Island, Vanuatu Above Water, Sailing to Hat Island, Vanuatu Above Water, Sailing to Hat Island, Vanuatu Above Water, Sailing to Hat Island, Vanuatu

Vanuatu: Diving with Sailaway Cruises, Port Vila Vanuatu

Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu

Sailaway Cruises, based in Port Vila, served as the dive guides for the day. Promising two dives, and three snorkelling sites they didn’t disappoint. Word of mouth had suggested the diving was Coral Sea-esque, what was certain was the protected waters off Hat Island and those surrounding Poole’s Rock yielded largely undamaged coral. Infrequent boat traffic, and consequently less fishing, had left the marine life more prevalent, and far more inquisitive.

Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu
Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu Diving at Poole's Rock and Hat Island, Vanuatu

Vanuatu: Diving Bougainvillea Reef

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Bougainvillea Reef proved the GoPro’s mettle in 40 meters of water. With the red light of the spectrum diffusing in the shallower waters, and the available light decreasing I was still able to get some photos of the local marine life, and the amazing bright yellow stag horn coral formations, albeit looking less yellow than when under torch light.

Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef
Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef Diving with Big Blue Vanuatu, Bougaainvillaea Reef

Vanuatu: Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter

Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter

The Konanda was rendered unseaworthy by the 1987 Cyclone Uma. She was sold to the management of Iriki Island and later scuttled dead upright in 26 meters of water as an artificial reef. Descending the mooring line, her mast comes into view at 12 meters, with the rest of the hull coming into view as you descend. I dived the Konanda three times during my time in Port Vila, each time exploring a little deeper, and a little further into the superstructure.

Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter
Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter Diving the Wreck of the Konanda Freighter

Vanuatu: Diving the Wreck of the Semle Ferdesen

photo With the entry to the wreck lying in 42 meters, and the bow in 60 meters there was limited time to explore the Semle. Once again Big Blue served as guides for the day, as I gained experience towards the PADI wreck specialty. The Semle Ferdersen was a freighter that served the archipelago until 1985, when she was purposely sunk in much shallow waters. It was the 1987 Cyclone Uma just two years later that dragged her to her current resting place, bow down with her propeller in 36m of water. Having been sunk in 1985, much of the superstructure’s interior is decaying, and light beams down from above, reaching as far as the engine room. With a limited bottom time, compounded by the tight quarters within some of the superstructure, I decided to shoot video of the penetration portion of the dive. Until that’s edited to remove the parts where my hands were required for manoeuvring and not holding the camera steady, here are the photos from the outside the wreck. 
Shipwreck Diving Photo Shipwreck Diving Photo Shipwreck Diving Photo Shipwreck Diving Photo Shipwreck Diving Photo Shipwreck Diving Photo

Vanuatu: Diving Pink Panther and West Side Story…

Diver hanging in crystal clear blue water. Newly minted GoPro in hand, I was onboard one of Big Blue Vanuatu’s dive boats, heading for the twin sites Pink Panther and West Side Story. There’s no viewfinder and no screen on the GoPro, just the promise of 60m water resistance and 12megapixel jpegs. So it’s a far cry from the careful workflow of meter, compose, check background, think and then shoot… This was photography with spray and pray mentality, hold down the shutter and hope for the best. Needless to say, there are many many photos, but here’s the best of the first bunch.

Diving in Port Vila, Vanuatu Diving in Port Vila, Vanuatu Diving in Port Vila, Vanuatu
Diving in Port Vila, Vanuatu Diving in Port Vila, Vanuatu Diving in Port Vila, Vanuatu
Diving in Port Vila, Vanuatu

Instagram …

I’ve been a little quiet of late on this blog, so to get things moving again I’ve built in an instagram feed. Instagram has become my image sharing platform of choice due to it’s simplicity and speed, it’s the photographic antithesis of shooting with an SLR. Instagram has limited options, including it’s characteristic square frame, along with the required publication to a wide audience. Join the phone photography fun and follow @jamesdoherty85.

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