February was a fantastic month for the full Oceans Below Team on Koh Tao! With so much going on, I've hardly gotten a free moment to write of the new events.

At the beginning of the month, new trainee David Trescot started his BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course with us.  David didn't need much help with learning the Adobe Premiere Pro software as he was once the Sr. Director of Digital Video at Adobe Systems! More recently, he was on the Board of Directors at Total Training, Inc. So, as you can imagine, he already knew something about the program... and then some! But underwater video is a very different animal to surface shooting and editing, so we were able to point him in the right direction in lots of other areas.

Then as David was starting his Documentary Internship, an old friend of his, Erik Lundblade, arrived to start his pro video course. Erik used to work at Adobe as OEM Product Manager for Premiere and After Effects! He was joined by Kristian, a dive instructor from Norway. These two guys really got stuck into their course as we jetted around the island on the Good Time Adventures speed boat. They've both taken to the course well and have been a lot of fun to have around.
Kristian and Erik, pre-dive...

We've had a great time hosting the guys from Adobe with us at Oceans Below. Special thanks to Darius and his amazing Texas barbecue from the Oceans Below crew! We were even lucky enough to have Bill Hensler, VP of Dynamic Media at Adobe Systems, hanging out in the office when he wasn't on his PADI Open Water course. Bill was nice enough to bring us a few new copies of the Premiere Pro software in anticipation of the new desktops we have on order. It's good to know some of the guys behind the scenes of the software we love so much. Without the Adobe CS package this job would be a lot harder. But don't just take our word for it, to see all of the possibilities of the program, just go and see the new hit movie Avatar!

Oceans Below video trainee Colby has finally completed his BSAC Professional HD Underwater Vidoegrapher course and begun his paid internship. As Colby will be around for a bit, we've customised his program so that he can continue to work on his documentary film-making techniques while also spending some time getting paid to film souvenir videos for the various dive shops on Koh Tao.

Colby... a pro videographer in the making...

Once we've been able to get Colby on track, he's surprised us with the quality of his shot-making and his creativity. For the next month or so, we'll be looking forward to having him working with us and becoming part of the team while he simultaneously prepares for his Instructor Development Course (IDC) at Buddha View Dive Resort.

Colby at work with the HD camera...

After the last few days of diving at Chumphon Pinnacle in the afternoons with the Good Time Adventures speed-boat and getting some really good shots of the Bull Sharks, we're now able to focus on getting Colby up to speed with what the staff videographers on the Oceans Below team do to make a living in Thailand. Soon enough he'll be going out on his own to produce customer movies. We all look forward to what's gonna happen then!

As a special thanks to all of our loyal Koh Tao dive centers and customers, Oceans Below organized a massive barbecue at Vibe  Bar on Sairee Beach on the 17th. Attending were most of the staff and Divemaster trainees from Koh Tao Easy Divers, Simple Life Divers, Seashell Dive Resort and our newest dive partner- Scuba Junction.

Massive Dave- always good value for money...

Dave and Therese cooked up burgers and sausages for 160 of Oceans Below's closest friends and business partners and we all enjoyed a few cold drinks on a beautiful, warm February night on the beach. Also attending were the crews from Thailand Gap Internships, Good Time Adventures, BSAC Thailand and All for Diving who've been hugely supportive of Oceans Below over the years. The professional underwater videographers and HD video interns of our own shop rounded out the guest list.

Therese- Everyone's favorite barkeeper!

The Crew from Good Time Adventures

A lot of individuals and companies have contributed to the amazing success of Oceans Below and we wanted to show our appreciation! The business of underwater video production in Thailand is never easy, always exciting, but without our network of dive schools, videographers and friends, we'd have a much harder time of it. Thanks again, Koh Tao, for your continued support!

At Oceans Below, we're always on the look out for ways to improve our service and facilities. We have long been associated with first class dive resorts on Koh Tao such as Koh Tao Easy Divers, Sea Shell Divers, Siam Scuba, and Simple Life Dive Resort.

We have recently teamed up with Good Time Adventures who have a fantastic long-hulled speed boat that allows us to access any of Koh Tao's dive sites in a matter of minutes, and to run trips at 'off-hours' when we're sure to have the sites to ourselves. We've also joined ranks with 'The Film Company' operating out of Bans Dive Resort, and are now supplying them with videographers to film their resort videos. This is a great opportunity for our trainees to get paid work after our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video Internship!

Now, we're happy to announce our newest partnership on Koh Tao... Scuba Junction, who are one of  Koh Tao's oldest, most professional, and most recognized dive centres, teaching both PADI & SSI courses, will now be working together with Oceans Below! We're looking forward to employing their staff and facilities in the training of our video students to get the prerequisite skills to join our courses. We'll also be sending our staff out to film their students with an eye towards promoting the dive shop and allowing their students to leave with souvenir DVD's of their dive experience on Koh Tao.

The shop is conveniently located just a few minutes walk from the Oceans Below studio, and situated right in the middle of Sairee Beach.

So now, our videography staff and BSAC Underwater Video students can walk from Oceans Below to the beach, hop on the Scuba Junction long tail boat and get taken to their dive boat- The Manta Ray- in no time at all. Underwater Video training in Thailand couldn't be easier!

We REALLY look forward to working with Scuba Junction!

As a way of welcoming Scuba Junction into the fold, we'll invite them and all of the staff from our existing dive centres for a big barbecue at Vibe Bar on Sairee Beach on the 17th! Welcome aboard!!!

At Oceans Below we've long been specializing in teaching Professional Underwater Video training in Thailand, focusing on the use of full manual controls on HD video cameras and underwater housings. Our trainees normally then progress on to an internship program. But we also teach underwater photography from time-to-time.

A few days ago, one of our trainees found out he had to postpone his BSAC Pro HD Video course at short notice which allowed us an opportunity to fit in a 2 day underwater photography course. I ended up teaching to a lovely couple who had just finished their PADI Advanced Open Water course at Koh Tao Easy Divers. It was a pleasure to teach two people who were so interested in what they were doing. They listened and learned and got more and more hooked on underwater cameras and photography as the days passed. I find it really rewarding to see complete beginners develop so fast! Their results were fantastic- I think the results speak for themselves...

Hard to believe- all thse photos were taken by relatively new divers after only 2 days of training with Oceans Below!

One of the first questions we tend to get asked when a new student starts their BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video course is, "If I decide to do the customer filming internship as opposed to the documentary-style internship, will I be able to find work on the island afterwards?"

How about this for a job...?

Up until now, Oceans Below has been doing well with finding work for our trainees. We do the best that we can to keep them busy at the many shops that we represent, but there's oftentimes more applicants than jobs. We've been able to find fulltime positions for our trainees in dive centers such as Buddha View Dive Resort, Davy Jones Locker, Asia Divers, and Island Dive Club as well as the positions that we have with Scuba Junction, Easy Divers, Simple Life Divers and Seashell.

This look like work to you?

But as of now, things should be even easier. Anyone who comes to do their underwater video training in Thailand with us and then chooses to do the paid vdo internship, will be welcome to film resort videos for The Film Company at one of Asia's most successful dive centers.

How do you reckon he deals with so much stress?

This is an amazing opportunity for our new interns to start making their investment back from the pro video course as soon as they have completed an internship with us, and to join the ranks of professional divers who have, quite possibly, one of the best jobs in the world!

We look forward to working closely with the crew from The Film Company in the future and we're sure to see our new underwater videographers thrive...

Oceans Below welcomed our newest BSAC Pro HD Video trainee, Eike recently. With an extended background in the German film industry including his latest award-winning project Hans Im Gluck, his experience with shot-making, sequencing and the editing programs is invaluable.

He came to us to seek further training in making the move to underwater filming and we've had a fantastic time with him so far. It seems that a Professional Underwater Video course in Thailand is also the perfect escape from a brutal European winter!

Eike's a relatively inexperienced diver and is finding it a challenge to get himself in the right place at the right time, but his shot selection is fantastic and, as we'd expect, his camera work is faultless. His only complaint is that this work is difficult as it's not possible to "direct fish"!  

Professional Cinematographer, Eike Zuleeg, learning to film underwater...

Yesterday our video internship trainee, Jenny, wrapped up her BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer Course with one dive at Japanese Gardens and another at Twins. We had two fantastic dives and Jenny got some great footage of the seahorses to add to her her demo reel.

Newly completed BSAC Pro HD Videographer, Jenny

Having completed her Divemaster course at Crystal Divers on Koh Tao, she already came to us as a great diver with a passion for the marine world, and now she's developed an outstanding enthusiasm for underwater film-making!

Today she will begin her internship by filming a group of divers with Koh Tao Easy Divers. She'll be on an extended internship whereby she will focus on documentary style marine filming part-time, while also on a paid internship and  taking care of students.

Seahorse at Twins

We're excited to have Jenny join us as full time staff upon completion of her training. She's planning on sticking around Oceans Below to get some experience working as an underwater videographer in Thailand and we anticipate that she'll be a great addition to the team!

Oceans Below Koh Tao starts the new year with lots of new projects! The BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video manual goes to print this month. We can't wait to see the final product of all our efforts. Aidy did the graphics, I wrote all the text and Darius edited the whole manual! The photos for the BSAC photo shoot that Aidy and I took will soon be featured on big banners across the country to help promote their services. And the official launch of the new BSAC video course will be in March (though we've been conducting these programs for some time now).
 
On the 31st I took Alvin and Simon out for the last dives of their Pro Video Internship. We went to film the Bull Sharks at Chumphon Pinnacle. Away from the site, we found no less than 15 massive Bull Sharks swimming around us! Chris 'The Boy' from Koh Tao Easy Divers joined us with a still camera and we all got great underwater footage and photos!

Alvin finished his showreel in the afternoon and left on the 1st to return to Sipadan where he works as a Divemaster. He's planning on investing in an Aquatica HD Wave underwater video housing and a camera soon so that he can film the magnificent marine life off of Borneo. Simon will stick around for a few more days to complete his DM course with Crystal Divers. We'll be sure to upload their work on youtube in the coming days for all to see!

Big Bull Shark at Chumpon Pinnacle


Hermit Crab at White Rock...

On New Years Eve most of the Oceans Below staff and trainees gathered together at Vibe for drinks until midnight before spreading out on the beach. Everyone had a great night and made resolutions to never drink again!

Simon and Alvin, our pro video trainees, have just returned from filming the last of the HD underwater footage for their Koh Tao show reel. They spent the day focusing on the Bull Sharks at Chumphon Pinnacle and on the macro life at Twins and White Rock. They both chose to pursue the option of furthering their training by completing our documentary style film-making internship rather than choosing the paid internship while filming students. Over the past month, they've collected a vast amount of fantastic HD footage for their movie and we've all been having a hard time determining which are the best shots to include!


Simon and Alvin filming nudes... er, nudis, rather...

Aidy and I have both had an absolute pleasure with Simon and Alvin (our Chipmunks!). Both of them are extremely passionate about diving and filming and they have proven to be excellent videographers. Alvin is going back to his job as a Divemaster in Sipadan, Malaysia and he hopes to return to Koh Tao next year to complete his Instructor Development Course (IDC) with Darius at Buddha View. Simon will return to Crystal Divers to complete his DM course before moving on to Australia where he will work as a Pro Underwater Videographer.


Broadhead Flathead...

Guys, we both hope that you had as much fun as we did, and we wish you all the best in the future!


Our December heroes, Simon and Alvin...

Today Lo (from Wales) and Terence (from England) started their course at Oceans Below. Lo has experience on the island having done her Divemaster course at Planet Scuba and has since become a PADI Instructor. She teaches in Abu Dhabi and is just over for 2 weeks to learn how to film underwater. Terence also knows Koh Tao as he finished his Divemaster course at Crystal Divers and is joining us from Singapore. They'll both complete the 2 week BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video course and Terence will then get stuck into the professional videographer internship.

Yellow Boxfish at Japanese Gardens

We did some dry training on land this morning so they could get familiar with the Aquatica HD Wave Housings, and in the afternoon we set sail on the Koh Tao Easy Divers boat. Simon started his Pro Video Internship today and joined us in spite of the fact that his fellow trainee, Alvin (the other Chipmunk!), is taking a short break.

New Trainee, Lo

The first dive was at Japanese Gardens and I spotted a very cute, young, male hawksbill turtle. Simon was able to get some great shots and even the first-timers did pretty well! We practiced camera movements, positioning and manual white-balance on this dive.

Simon and the turtle

Shrimp (Scampi, maybe?)

For the second dive we went to Twins. The visibility was fantastic. Lo and Terence focused on sequencing, camera movement and positioning. We found a yellow boxfish that was posing nicely for the camera. Simon spotted some shrimps and practised the macro settings and manual focus. And, while on the safety stop with the new HD video trainees, Simon spotted yet another Hawksbill turtle- what a great start to the new course!

Oceans Below has just been commissioned by BSAC Thailand to do a photo shoot for their new advertising campaign. On Tuesday we got started using our own Elisabeth and BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video trainee 'Rudey' to model some typical predive and postdive shots. We were asked to provide a handful of photos depicting scuba dive students and BSAC Instructors learning and teaching.

Postdive shot from the BSAC shoot

Elisabeth has a bit of experience in modeling, but controlling Rudey was a bit more of a challenge! That said, the results were great and Kieron, head of BSAC Thailand was more than happy. We used the opportunity to take a few shots for our website, as well. If you have a look around the site you'll see some of them. The following day we headed out to sea on the Simple Life Divers boat to shoot some underwater stuff. We started strong, but after a short time, the clouds rolled in and we had to call off the shoot. Now all that remains is to get out a few more times with some typical Koh Tao sunny weather and we'll be able to finish the project.

Shiny new equipment!

We'll definitely find the time over the next few weeks though it will be hard as we have many new people coming for the Pro Video Internship. They may be surprised to find that they'll be starring in our latest version of Koh Tao's Next Top Model!

Predive...

A few days ago Oceans Below organized a celebration at Dragon Bar in Mae Haad for our staff, underwater video trainees and Koh Tao Easy Divers. As our regular venue for screening movies is undergoing remodeling, we wanted to introduce our people to the new place and to show our appreciation to our loyal partners at Easy Divers.   We started early, took care of some snacks and  Craig started us all off with his famous Dragonfly cocktails as a welcome drink.

Underwater Video Staff Just warming up...

Though it's been here for sometime, for some reason we haven't been at Dragon Bar much lately and it was nice to be back. It's easily the nicest, most cosmopolitan place on the island and we're enjoying our new arrangement.

Pro HD Video Interns Alvin and Simon (aka the Chipmunks)

Even Hiroshi showed up after some convincing. He's just finishing up his Dive Instructor course and is studying hard for the PADI Instructor Exam. Longtime HD Underwater Videographer, Cecile, is also back on the island and we've gotten her filming open water movies straight away.

The team...

All in all it was a great night thanks to Craig and all the great staff at Dragon Bar!

Oceans Below, turning Japanese? (I really think so...)

Back in September Aidy and I had a chance to meet with the head of BSAC Japan as they made their way to Koh Tao to strengthen ties with BSAC Thailand which is based on the island. They paid a special visit to our studio to discuss expanding our BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer course to The Land of the Rising Sun!

They'll be looking at not only translating our new training manual into Japanese, but also sending out some people from their office to train with us up to Pro Videographer Trainer level. We've just been sent a copy of the quarterly BSAC Japan magazine which describes their trip and announces their hopes of working together with BSAC Thailand and Oceans Below. The staff is really excited at the opportunity to be taking our show on the road!

Does that say what I think it says...?

In other news, we've also been commissioned to do a photo shoot for Kieron and the guys at BSAC Thailand. They need some promotional shots and we'll just be able to fit it into our schedule. We've also decided to do a fashion photography workshop as an added bonus for the guys on the current pro video course and internship and we'll be using them as models for the shoot! We'll give you a sneak peek of the results soon...

Yesterday, I was out with two of our new BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video trainees, Alvin and Simon, for Day #5 of their course. We took advantage of some spectacular weather and dive conditions to join the crew from Koh Tao Easy Divers on the morning dives at Twins and White Rock. The visiblility seems to have cleared up with great conditions especially at White Rock. We focused mainly on manual white balance, manual focus and sequencing.

Simon and Alvin post-dive...

The guys' skills are really coming along and they are both showing themselves to be naturals with the Aquatica HD underwater housings in their hands. Alvin is a PADI Divemaster who has spent a long time working in Sipadan, off the island of Borneo, with thousands of dives under his belt. This shows in his camerawork. Simon, who is passionate about his filming, is currently completing his Divemaster course with Crystal Divers and already thinks like a pro- he'll do anything for a good shot! Simon's come over to Oceans Below to do a Professional HD Underwater Video internship and paired with Alvin, they are keeping Aidy and me on our toes.

...at work in the studio...

The afternoon was spent in the office editing the footage from earlier in the day. The end result is pretty impressive from both Alvin and Simon (sadly, no Theodore- the third Chipmunk!).

Today, Aidy will take Simon and Alvin on 2 afternoon dives with Simple Life Divers to practice transition shots and macro shooting. We are looking forward to their edited movie tomorrow.

In other news, our professional underwater videographer Cecile is back after being away for 7 months! We welcomed her return by getting her in the water immediately where she filmed 6 Open Water students at Koh Tao Easy Divers with IDC Staff Instructor Chris 'The Boy'.

With such beautiful weather and great conditions for Koh Tao's "monsoon season", Aidy and I have decided to take the opportunity to get out diving as much as possible before the high season kicks in next month. We're really enjoying filming underwater with the new Aquatica HD Wave housings and are lucky to be encountering some great subjects underwater.

Spotless Lionfish...

Yesterday, we were out on the New Way Divers boat at Chumphon Pinnacle- one of Koh Tao's favorite deep dive sites. The east side of the pinnacle was super-clear all the way to the bottom (34m). I spotted 1 big Bull Shark cruising the area, a Giant Trevally on the prowl, 2 feisty Malabar Groupers and the Spotless Firefish (or Lionfish) we were looking for! We definitely came back with some nice HD footage.

 
If I call this Pleurobranchus forskalii, does that make me sound smart?

For the second dive we went to Twins for some more muck diving. While I was trying to get a good close up shot of the seahorses, Aidy came back to find me and showed me a Pleurobranchus forskalii. It seems that new marine life is showing up in these waters almost daily. Speaking on behalf of the Pro Video team at Oceans Below, I'd like to give a big "Welcome to Koh Tao!" to all our new immigrants...

Today Aidy and I went out on the Koh Tao Easy Divers boat to test our new Aquatica HD Wave housing. Last month we sold one of them to underwater video trainee Andrea, who was really impressed with this video system during her BSAC Professional Underwater Video Course. She's now using it and working in Mozambique where she recently did a dive filming Whalesharks and Manta Rays together!

A couple of days ago the new one arrived and after a thorough pressure test, I took it out to Twins and White Rock today and came back with some amazing High Definition macro shots of the
seahorses at Twins.

Although it is November and supposed to be the monsoon season, we have had some beautiful
weather on Koh Tao- with flat seas and quite nice visibilty. Tomorrow we'll be diving at Chumphon Pinnacle to shoot some HD footage of Bull Sharks and we heard there are 2 Lionfish hiding somewhere. As these are rare on Koh Tao, it will be fun to try find them. If we do we'll be sure to post some photos!

I'm just back on Koh Tao after a nice break on the other side of Thailand. My girlfriend, Delphine, and I took a short holiday over to Ao Nang on Thailand's west coast. We decided to get a break before the start of the coming season which kicks off in December, and we also got a chance to visit our underwater videographer friends at Pirate Videos, Hilton and Anja.


Mantis Peacock Shrimp...

We took one of the Aquatica HD Wave underwater video housings with us to get some shots. It was nice to get a change of scenery and dive in a different area. Unfortunately, the visibility wasn't at its best on the one day we went out. But it was still great to see some of the interesting little critters which we don't get to see on Koh Tao. I managed to bag some lovely macro shots of some porcelain crabs, and a mantis shrimp was kind enough to make an appearance before my lens. There was plenty more to be seen on the dives we did. But these were my favourite shots of the day. I do love diving in different places, but it's always nice to get back to Koh Tao and the  Oceans Below office. Now it's time to update the computers and get them running their best, get the office ready, service the housings and prepare for the next batch of HD underwater video internship trainees that are arriving soon!

This morning Andrea, who has now long finished her BSAC Professional Underwater Video course as well as the full paid internship, went out diving with my girlfriend Delphine and me to Chumphon Pinnacle in search of the Bull Sharks.

Everything went to plan. We were diving off the the Koh Tao Easy Divers boat and reached the site bright and early. As we jumped in and dropped down over the main pinnacle, we slowly made our way along the west side of the site, swimming on to Barracuda Rock. Just as we came around the west end of the rock, straight in front of us were three big, female Bulls just circling. The biggest was close enough to 3 meters long! Beautiful!


Bull Sharks are back at Chumpon Pinnacle

Andrea has just bought an Aquatica Wave underwater housing for her camera and was lucky enough to have it pointing in the right direction as we moved closer. It was a great dive. I'm so happy to see these majestic creatures back in our waters. On the way back to Koh Tao, we stopped in at White Rock for the second dive. I was lucky enough to find a Jenkins Whip-ray that seemed to like nothing more than swimming around and performing for the camera. It was a perfect end to a great morning's filming!


Jenkins Whip-ray on White Rock

The Pro Video team at Oceans Below is happy to announce the return of the Bull Sharks to the waters of Koh Tao. Darius, who's been here for 11 years can remember a time when it was unheard of to see Bull Sharks around Thailand, but about 8 years ago, they suddenly showed up and have been around off-and-on periodically, since then. They move to deeper waters to breed, but the last time they were spotted was about a year and a half ago, leading some to think they may have been caught by fisherman to support the barbaric shark fin soup industry.


Photo by Jenny O'Flanagan

Some of us were here when they initially came and we were involved in a big debate about whether they were, in fact, Bull Sharks. That debate was settled a few years back when pictures were submitted to a few different shark experts from around the world and it was confirmed.

Now they're back and Open Water students, Divemasters, Instructors and of course the Videographers on Koh Tao are excited to get in the water at Chumpon Pinnacle. Filming these sleek bad boys underwater is a thrilling experience and we hope they stick around! They offer so much to our movies and the general mood around the video studio is lifted whenever we get some footage of these amazing creatures.

Hopefully, they'll be here for awhile as we'll be welcoming 4 new BSAC Professional Underwater Video Trainees in the month of December. So if you're reading guys, get ready for some of the coolest, most heart-thumping dives ever during your internship!

Aidy and I want to thank the many that replied to our post asking for help identifying the odd little fish that has turned up in the waters around Koh Tao! Yesterday, while out diving with Pro Underwater Video Trainee Andrea, we again stumbled upon the little guy- a juvenile Painted  (a.k.a Silver) Sweetlips. This time he was spotted in Mango Bay, one of the most idyllic bays in the Gulf of Thailand, where recently we've found lots of Estuarian Seahorses, some very active Devil Scorpionfish and many other little creatures roaming the sand.

A better photo of Koh Tao's newest resident...

Since this time we knew what we were filming we tried to get good close up shots of the juvenile Silver Sweetlips.


A longer term resident...

We were out with the new Sony AVCHD cameras and Aquatica underwater housings and worked especially on adjusting white balance, close up shots and manual focus. Pro Video Trainee, Andrea, has finished her BSAC Professional Underwater Videographer Course and started her Internship, but still enjoys the fun dives we do in between jobs to practise more filming in HD and getting the perfect shot. The divers on the island are looking forward to some better weather now that the effects of typhoon Ketsana seem to have dissipated and we're back to blue skies and flat seas!

As Andrea reaches the end of her BSAC Professional Underwater Video course and prepares herself for the Oceans Below video internship, I thought it would be nice for us to go out with the new HD underwater cameras a few more times so she can get some more practice with the close-up, macro shots. So we headed out on the Koh Tao Easy Divers boat, the Sea Hawk. Our destination for the day was Mango Bay and Twins, which are two of my favorite dive sites around Koh Tao for getting up close and personal with some of the little critters out in the sand.

We found three seahorses at Mango Bay, all different sizes, from about 2.5 cm up to 17 cm. Very cool! This was a great chance for Andrea to hone her skills with the manual focus, as it can be a bit tricky to master on such small animals.


Checking out the quality of the new HD cameras at Koh Tao's Mango Bay


Shooting the shooter...

Then over at Twins we found another seahorse but went hunting for something else to film, as we’d filmed enough of them for one day. Settling down next to an anemone with a large family of saddleback clownfish living in it, I started to search in the sand around it.


Aidy and his pipefish...

Unexpectedly, I spotted a devil scorpionfish, a young double-ended pipefish, two different kinds of shrimp, and a flounder. It was great to see so much life in such a small area. Andrea got on with filming the pipefish while I got some lovely close up shots of the flounders eyes, and some great footage of the shrimps.


Flounder...checking me out!

We spent the whole dive lying in the sand with these little guys without another diver in sight. Another great day in "Amazing Thailand"!

Oceans Below's latest Pro Video trainee, Andrea, writes of her experiences only a week into her 2-week program. Afterwards, she'll remain on Koh Tao to complete her internship where she'll be filming in the various dive shops along with our full time staff...

Halfway, But More Than Half Full!

"Well, here I am less than half way through my Underwater Videography course and already yesterday I was able to film and edit an entire piece in one day! I can't believe the arc of this learning curve! Fantastic!

I owe it all to the amazingly efficient tutelage of Aidy, who has whizzed me through the many different tried and true shots and shown me all the speediest ways to handle a professional edit. How great is it to be learning so many years of knowledge in such a short time? I'll be up and running as a professional in no time! It is so inspiring to be learning from individuals who are so passionate about their craft. When I am out diving with Aidy, I can see how interested and excited he is about filming, he can barely wait to get back to the office to see what we managed to capture.

Videographer filming a Videographer on the wreck at Tanote Bay!

This type of attitude is contagious, you can't help but be excited about the whole process. It's the coolest feeling to see a finished project and know that you did it. Wow!"

trainee page

Yesterday, I took Pro Underwater Video Trainee, Andrea, out diving for her third day of camera training.

She's coming along superbly and will turn out to be a great Videographer. We joined the team from Koh Tao Easy Divers as we headed around the east side of Koh Tao to some of the less frequented dive sites- Hin Wong Pinnacle and Laem Thian. The marine life on this side of the island is a bit different and oftentimes we find that our film subjects are more of a challenge to capture until a videographer gets the the hang of it. But Andrea did great!


Hin Wong's shrimpfish filmed by Oceans Below Pro Video Intern, Andrea

We managed to find the shrimpfish that live at Hin Wong, which was nice as these bizarre little bottom feeders can be difficult to spot.For those who don’t know, shrimpfish are strange little fish that don’t swim in the conventional fashion. Instead, they choose to swim head down, tail up, always foraging. This allows them to hide very well among the whips corals that cover the area in which they live.


Andrea in the cavern at Laem Thian...

For our second dive we set off for Laem Thian. Andrea and I were first in the waters to allow us to get to the swim throughs and caves before any other divers. Our plan worked and we had the caves to ourselves for most of the dive.


...about to explore the swimthroughs

Andrea managed to get some great footage while swimming through the canyon and I got a few nice shots of her as she did so! All in all, a productive day of training and a beautiful morning of diving...   

The Marine Conservation Branch of the local environmental action group, Save Koh Tao, recently held a photo competition open to all Koh Tao residents. The team from Oceans Below did exceptionally well with our Pro Video team winning the top 3 spots!

The photos will be printed in the upcoming issue of Sabai Jai magazine and the 2010 edition of the Save Koh Tao Calendar...


Pro Video Trainer Aidy Kaye's 3rd Place photo


Pro Video Staff Angie Kerridge's 2nd place entry


And Aidy's winning shot...

Yesterday I took Andrea, our newest Pro Video Intern, out diving with Simple Life Divers to Japanese Gardens for her first two training dives with a camera. She took to it straight away. Andrea arrived on the island as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, and her diving experience really shows. She looked relaxed and in control of the camera right from the start.

Andrea was using one of our Gates housings, while I took one of our new Aquatica HD rigs to get some HD footage of her video course training. I was also able to pop off a couple of photos of Andrea filming over the corals.


Video Intern Andrea at Japanese Gardens

The visibility was pretty good, and the sun was out. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon in Thailand!


Pro Videographer in the making...

Today, Elisabeth went out for some fun dives with the rest of our trainees and interns to Sail Rock with another dive shop we film- New Way Diving. Sail Rock is a great site between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan and is considered by many as one of the best sites in the Gulf. They'll be out all day, so Andrea can really get her teeth stuck into her first editing session. We just looked at her footage from yesterday, and it is really good for her first time out!

 Lets hope Elisabeth and the others see something nice and get some great footage!

Last week I went out diving with Koh Tao Easy Divers to film on the final day of the PADI Open Water course. We went to Hin Pee Wee which is a fantastic dive site near to White Rock, just to the west of the island. It was in fact my first time diving at Hin Pee Wee. And what a great dive it was!


Gill's Big Green Turtle...

Towards the end of the dive, one of the open water students noticed a big turtle lying on the sand below us. It was a large Green Turtle who let me get in close to film him. I may have disturbed him from his mid-morning nap, but  he was very relaxed and not in the slightest bit concerned with me.  I got some lovely footage of the turtle, and just when we decided it was time to start heading back towards the buoyline, there was much commotion as the students pointed out a second turtle cruising through the water towards us. This one was a Hawksbill Turtle, which gets its name from the fact that its face is beaked. The green turtle in comparison has a rounder face, and is much deeper in the body, growing to a bigger size than the Hawksbill. The Hawksbill swam right past us and I followed it for a while and I managed to get some nice footage of him too. Just another wonderful morning in the Gulf of Thailand!


...and the Hawksbill Turtle...

A few days ago I was out filming a new promotional video for Koh Tao Easy Divers. I took Stuart- who's finishing up his professional underwater videographer internship- along with me to try out Oceans Below's newest toys, the Aquatica HD Wave video housings and Sony HDR-XR500 cameras. We had a nice dive at Japanese Gardens and then moved round to Twins.

After shooting a bunch of underwater shots for the video, we headed off into the sand just north of the dive site itself. We were in search of the sea horses that live out there, as they would be great subjects for a bit of close up HD macro work.

We found the sea horses and spent about 15 minutes filming them. We then swam off north to see what else we could find. After about 10 min of swimming over sand I spotted something moving quite strangely. On closer inspection it turned out to be a fish that I have never seen before. It was moving like a juv sweetlip- dancing around aimlessly- but the long fin on top of its head rules that out. It also did not stay in one spot like a sweetlips would instead flickering all about the place.


Have you seen this fish?

I always love to see something new out there and this is definitely new to me. But I could use some help identifying this little guy. He was only about 10-12 cm or so and it was tough to catch a good close-up shot of him because he just wouldn't sit still! These photos were also from the video camera we had out for a road test rather than the Canon G10's that we use for photography, so the images are a bit grainy, but I'd love to hear from anyone who may have an idea.

Last week I was working with Seashell Divers filming a PADI Open Water course at Chumphon Pinnacle, about a 45 minute boat ride from Koh Tao. The visibility was just perfect and we had a beautiful dive. Towards the end of the dive we decided to head up to 5 metres to do out safety stop.


Oceans Below Videographer Gill filmed this odd couple at Chumpon Pinnacle

While the students were hanging on the buoyline, I noticed a big jellyfish swimming along about 3 metres below the surface. I quickly swam over with the camera and began to film it. Then I noticed that inside the jellyfish (on the underside where the tentacles are) was a big crab! At first I thought that the crab was dead and had been killed by the jellyfish. But then the crab crawled out and began walking around on the top on the jellyfish! It was an amazing thing to see, especially so near the surface. There were also many other tiny fish swimming in very close to the jellyfish so I guess its quite a social place to be!

Seeing such cool stuff on a daily basis is just another reason that I think that working as an underwater videographer has got to be the best job in the world!

It seems like just yesterday that I arrived here on Koh Tao. But my time here has now come and gone...

Doing the Underwater Videography Course on Koh Tao has by far been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Everyone at Oceans Below has been a huge help and a lot of fun (up until the last night on the island of course- they know what I'm talking about!). I will never forget the stories or experiences I have had. I also hope to return back to the island as soon as possible, and bring others to do their training and internship, as well. I came here with a background in video, and I never thought I would feel so uncomfortable with a camera in my hands as I first did underwater. But Aidy and Elisabeth were a great help and taught me a lot to improve. After two months of diving and filming, I think I have come a long way.


Scott, a legend...

So this is farewell to everyone at Oceans Below. At least now I won't have to deal with Elisabeth waking me up all the time and Aidy worrying that I will walk out with a camera and never see me again. And they won't have to deal with me... whether that's a good or a bad thing, I don't know. The office will definitely be a lot less American in my absence! Thanks a lot guys.

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Nassos on Koh Tao

Nassos, a PADI Dive Instructor from Greece, completed his underwater videography course and internship with Oceans Below in March and April of this year. He's now back to work diving at home and is actively using the knowledge and skills he gained with us on Koh Tao. Following is the feedback form about his time diving and training with us in Thailand:
 
What University course did you study?
I studied  Business Administration at Boston University in the States (1992-1997).

How long have you been working and what was your job before coming to Koh Tao?
After graduation, I worked for a couple of years in travel and tourism and then in the hotel industry. For the past 7 years I've been working in scuba diving.

How does the content of the Oceans Below videography training compare with what you learned at University and your past work experiences?
In university during my business studies, I learned how to make money. With Oceans Below I learned how to make money and enjoy life at the same time. The level of professionalism at both Boston University and Oceans below are quite alike!

What do you plan to do now that you have finished your training and internship with Oceans Below?
After finishing my training with Oceans Below I return to my job which is to work as a diving instructor. However, having done my first steps in videography with Oceans Below I plan to use this knowledge and start filming whenever I do technical dives. I'm well into both deep and cave diving. Recently, one very good technical team approached me about becoming their videographer! I'm starting to think of ideas for a documentary. It may be a bit early at the moment,  but it's definitely at the back of my mind.

Do you think training with Oceans Below helped your future prospects? If so how?
Yes, definitely! I can now combine recreational diving or technical diving with videography and many opportunities are coming up.

Did you show any of your underwater videos to people back at home - colleagues, lecturers? If so, what did they think?
I definitely showed my underwater videos to people back home. Everybody was surprised by the fact that my videos looked quite professional even though I spent just 6 weeks with Oceans Below. A result of good training, I guess...!

What would you say to someone thinking about taking an underwater videography course with Oceans Below?
I would definitely recommend Oceans Below to anybody who's interested in underwater videography. Not only will you learn from motivated and experienced professionals the secrets of underwater video, but you will also be able to apply your skills working in the field and have the opportunity to constantly get constructive feedback.

I will definitely continue filming, because besides the technical knowledge I got from the team at Oceans Below, they also inspired me with their passion. Now I look forward to continuing to develop as an underwater videographer!
 

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Every couple of weeks Oceans Below organizes a company dinner for all of the staff and underwater videographer trainees. A few nights ago we decided it was time for another one!  We took the guys to Hippo Restaurant on Sairee Beach where we normally screen the dive videos for one of the shops which we represent- New Way Diving. Hippo is owned by our friends Bear and Liz and serves up, without a doubt,  best steaks on the island!

We were only 6 for dinner this time around since Amber is on holiday until next week and Cat joined us later at Vibe Beach  Bar for a couple of drinks. The 6th was the Full Moon Party on neighboring Koh Phangan and that's where all the backpackers head to before coming over to Koh Tao to complete their PADI Open Water course training. As there were rumors that the party was going to be huge with all the students now taking their summer break and we anticipate a lot of work coming up in the next few weeks, Aidy and I decided to spoil the team a bit!

The staff at Oceans Below is very excited about the new Sony AVCHD cameras in the office. The two new Sony HDR-XR500 cameras that we use for the BSAC HD underwater videography course come equipped with AVCHD. What does that mean? AVCHD stands for Advanced Video Codec High Definition.

AVCHD is high definition camcorder video format jointly developed by Panasonic and Sony for use in consumer camcorders. Specifically, it's a form of video compression that allows the large data files created by HD video recording to be captured and saved on digital media such as hard disk drives and flash memory cards. The new 1/3.15-inch, back-illuminated Exmor-R CMOS sensor, which Sony is featuring in its top two models, the HDR-XR500 and HDR-XR520. The new sensor design moves the photodiode from beneath the circuitry wires to above; presumably less interference will mean improved sensitivity, particularly in low light conditions. Camcorders with the new sensor will also be capable of capturing 12-megapixel still photos! The six-blade aperture G-lens from Sony, will make its way to the top consumer models, as well as Sony's new built-in GPS and geo-tagging feature. These cameras also have a huge 3.2"/8cm LCD. Very nice indeed.

Koh Tao has some new residents which have moved into the White Rock dive site! Two broadhead flatheads have decided to make the small cave at the bottom of the west buoyline their home.

While filming a PADI Open Water course for Simple Life Divers, the group and I decided to pay the flatheads a visit. It took my eyes a while to adjust before I saw them. With their sand-coloured bodies, they are very well camouflaged, and you have to distinguish their eyes first to be able to find them. Luckily for us, one of the flatheads got a bit of a fright when he saw us coming, and moved very quickly out of his little sand pit so we could get a glimpse of his entire body.

The flatheads have become celebrities in Koh Tao, with word spreading fast and many divers now on a mission to find them. The only thing is that word is going around that they are crocodile fish, as they look very much like them. They are, in fact, closely related and very difficult to distinguish but the Oceans Below staff and trainees have done their homework- consulting numerous websites and fish books and we agree that they are definitely broadhead flatheads. They can grow to a maximum of 31 centimetres in length. The White Rock flatheads are not yet fully grown, with one being bigger than the other. We hope our new fish friends decide to stay!

With the help of Marcio Pereira, father of Oceans Below underwater videographer intern Leila, we think we have identified the mystery jellyfish that Gill shot last week at Chumpon Pinnacle. It was a bit of a shock to the team as is it's definitely not common for these waters, but it seems that Gill, while accompanying her group of open water students, filmed a jimble box jellyfish!

Though common around the waters around Coffs Harbour, NSW, to Albany, Western Australia, it seems at least one has made its way to the waters off of Koh Tao. As odd as it sounds to Koh Tao divers, nobody can deny that in recent years more and more odd creatures are being seen in the waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

I've heard speculation that fishing boats which take on water in distant seas only to offload it closer to home are responsible for untold foreign fish species being displaced. Not sure if that's the case, but there's no doubt that these fish do seem to be turning up in unexpected places.

Though we're not looking to begin a raging debate on the subject similar to that which ensued a few years back when Chumpon's Bull Sharks which were commonly mistaken for grey reef sharks (and incidentally, were at last positively identified by a number of shark experts), we would like to know if anyone out there has come across anymore of these jellyfish. Likewise, if anybody would care to weigh in on whether you think we're correct in our experienced- though unscientific eyes- or just dead wrong, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We look forward to hearing from you! Here's some photos for comparison...


This lost jellyfish was filmed by Gill last week


Here's a photo of a jimble box jellyfish at night in Western Australia.


...and another. See the resemblance?

Yesterday I took out our 2 new trainees, Stuart and Scott, for their 3rd session of filming in open water. This time we did the drop off at Red Rock and dived all the way back into Japanese Gardens where the Simple Life Divers boat was moored. The skills we worked on were practicing white balance, filming a complete ‘descend sequence’, learning to compose shots with divers swimming and focusing on following a storyboard.


Scott filming the Sea Krait

At Red Rock I took them through the cave and the guys got carried away filming the glass fish and the sun rays coming through the cracks. Along the way, we spotted a yellow-lipped sea krait, which we followed for quite some time. The guys even managed to film it going up for a breath of air. It was a fantastic day of training and the guys impressed afterwards by producing a couple of great movies. They're well on their way to becoming very good BSAC professional underwater videographers!

Just had another reminder that being an underwater videographer on Koh Tao is a job that never gets old! A few days ago while out filming an open water course on the Easy Divers boat at Chumphon Pinnacle, we came across the most interesting looking jellyfish. Swimming elegantly around the top of the pinnacle, the jellyfish came so close to the school of batfish that it might have thought it was one! Shaped like a rectangular box , it had 4 long yellow tentacles. Neither I nor the dive instructor whose group I was filming had seen one of these before, and luckily, I was able to capture it on film.


Can you identify this jellyfish?

After heading back to the Oceans Below offices to edit my movie, all the staff and video internship trainees had a thorough search in the various fish guides and over the internet to try and identify the odd creature. We ended up drawing a blank. The jellyfish starred in the open water video that evening, and many of the dive center's PADI Divemasters and Instructors came to have a look and see if they could identify the new specimen. It's amazing that with the collection of scuba diving experience that we have from around Thailand, nobody can agree on what type of jellyfish it is. So, here's a photo. If anyone has any ideas please let us know!

Two days ago our new underwater video interns, Stuart and Scott, started their 2 week BSAC Underwater Videography course with Oceans Below. They were both itching to get out in the water around Koh Tao and get wet, so yesterday we took them in the afternoon on the Simple Life Divers boat to Chumphon Pinnacle and Twins to have their first try at filming underwater. After we briefed them on the dive site, they got a full explanation on how to film under water; shot lengths, camera movement and white balance.


Aidy on the boat with Stuart and Scott

We had a beautiful first dive and they both looked like pros in the water!  The batfish are back on the pinnacle so we spent the last couple of minutes trying to capture their best side on film. For the second dive we moved the boat to Twins where we did some buoyancy skills in the sand with the camera before enjoying the dive site.

 
Stuart getting the feel of the camera and housing

Since Twins is such a great Open Water course training site, we spent a lot of time giving them a thorough orientation to the area and pointing out where to find all of the interesting stuff to film. After a great dive we came back up and both of them agreed that underwater filming looks easier than it seems! Later as we viewed their footage I had to admit, that they both have a knack for it. Today we’re introducing the editing software and hopefully we get to see tonight what the result is of their first edit. Good luck boys, now you're off and running!

In this e-mail interview, we quiz Jonathan McLaughlin on his time as an underwater videographer trainee with Oceans Below on Koh Tao...

What University course were you studying?
Film Production Technology

What year had you finished before your training with Oceans Below, Koh Tao? How long have you been working and what was your job before coming to Koh Tao?
I graduated in 2005, lived in Canada for a year with the odd job as a runner. Got back to UK mid 2006, worked as a gardener for the last 3 years! Running alongside with gardening I set up my own film business which is still going to this date.

How does the content of the Oceans Below videographer training compare with what you do for a living?
It’s very different, no tripod!! You just film what you need instead of filming loads then picking out a small segment of it. Makes you think on your feet, in your head your editing whilst filming.

What do you plan to do now that you have finished your training and Internship with Oceans Below?
Embark on my Mongolia trip and push more work for my film business as I’ve jacked in the gardening, well full time anyway! So I need some cash…

Do you think training with Oceans Below helped your future prospects? If so, how?
Immensely, filming and editing skills have improved tenfold; have more capability to think on my feet.

Did you show any of your underwater video footage to people back at home - colleagues, lecturers? What was their reaction?
Hell yeah!! I showed the whole world! They loved it, very jealous of that way of life!! They loved the work I did and one person said the music was perfect and he’s in a band so I was chuffed with that.

Jon (seated, center) with a group of PADI Open Water students that he filmed

What would you say to someone thinking about taking an underwater videography course with Oceans Below?
Do it!! It will be best thing you ever do; people there are also great they don’t have film snobbery! If you don’t like the filming, then you will love the diving, and the things you see. Also it improves your diving skills, you got to be a good diver to do the video course, if you don’t like the filming or diving you still get to meet loads of people with amazing stories, if you don’t like at least one of those then you’re not human!!!

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In this e-mail interview, we quiz Lauren Smith on her time as an underwater videographer with Oceans Below on Koh Tao...

What University /college course are (or were) you studying?

I studied at Shrewsbury Sixthform College, Shropshire, UK. I took Geography, Politics, Art, General Studies, Media Studies and Film Studies. This September I am going to Cardiff University to Study Journalism, Film and Media.

What year had you finished before your training with Oceans Below, Koh Tao? How long have you been working and what was your job before coming to Koh Tao?

I had finished year 13, A-levels before going to Koh Tao.

How does the content of the Oceans Below videographer training compare with what you learn at University or with what you do for a living?

It fit into the practical elements of my media and film course. Having already used Adobe 2.0 editing software in college it set me up for the internship at Oceans Below. However, in regards to it being underwater, it is a skill that only I, in my college, possess. Not only that but it backs up what I already had learned about narrative structure, introduction of protagonists and following their journey. Also, camera language and shots, thinking about construction of mise-en-scene.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

My future plans involve either doing a post graduate in the USA learning about the production of films, moving to London and trying to get a place within the BBC, or coming back to Koh Tao for a few years and continue working as an underwater videographer.

Do you think training with Oceans Below helped your future prospects? If so how?

MOST DEFINITELY!!! It has showed that at only 18 years old I have been working in a professional setting- making money for myself and my company. It will show future employers that I am reliable and motivated, as well as show my passion for film as I moved to Thailand to pursue it!

Did you show any of your underwater video footage to people back at home - colleagues, professors? What was their reaction?

As soon as I was home I was asked to teach an entire class on it to all the A Level classes in Film and Media Studies, showing them about what I did with Oceans Below. My college professors are all thoroughly impressed and are encouraging all other students to follow my example. He asked whether I wanted to go into business with him in the Middle East after university...

What would you say to someone thinking about taking an underwater videography course with Oceans Below?

JUST DO IT!! It is an unforgettable experience; I plan to go back every summer in between university, that’s how much I loved every second!! You meet so many wonderful people and work with some of the most talented minds in the industry. It will change your life :)

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In this email interview, we quiz Nathalie Holman on her time as an underwater videographer with Oceans Below on Koh Tao. 

What University (College) course are (or were) you studying? I studied for 3 years at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. I studied Performance and Scenography with a speciality in film art. I graduated in 2007 and worked in London for two years.

How long have you been working and what was your job before coming to Koh Tao? I worked for two years in TV production in the roles of Post production assistant and Production Co-coordinator before wanting to take a break from the fast paced life of London to escape to the calmer waters of Thailand.



How does the content of the Oceans Below videographer training compare with what you learn at University or with what you do for a living? Alongside my training at University I also did a Director's course for Motion Pictures Production at Brighton film school, this was a 3 month course and was good at teaching you the theory behind film production but in comparison I learnt a hell of a lot more during my time at Oceans Below. Elisabeth was fantastic at teaching you the specifics involved in the production of Underwater Videos. Everything from setting up the kit, taking you out and teaching you to be a responsible diver in charge of a camera, teaching some new and different camera movements, teaching you about the underwater world and how to edit together a fast paced and interesting video in a matter of hours. Adrian was always on hand to give advice along the way and was a pro at producing some first class promo videos. It was a fun filled course that taught you practically how to make good videos quickly.

What have you done since you have finished your training and Internship with Oceans Below? Since leaving Koh Tao I have come back to Brighton, UK and have got stuck into work in film production. I have produced a low budget feature film that is currently in post production and soon to be entered into international festivals and I am producing a sitcom pilot that is currently in pre-production. I have also continued my work as a wedding videographer and have taken on board my new skills to make my videos more interesting. I am also trying to build up my underwater videography skills by immersing myself into the dive world over here. I have teamed up with a local videographer and am off to Birmingham in October to help him film the Dive Show for Dive Magazine.

Do you think training with Oceans Below helped your future prospects? If so how? My time at Oceans Below has almost definitely helped me get to my position now and will help me progress in the future. After my couple of years in TV production I began to doubt that this was the route I wanted to take as I could see how hard the journey was going to be however my time at Oceans Below reignited my passion for film production. It gave me the skills to work as an Underwater Videographer, new skills to help my work as a camera woman and experience working with different cameras and editing software.

Did you show any of your underwater video footage to people back at home - colleagues, professors...? What did they think? I showed my footage to many friends and family as well as my work colleagues. They all loved the work I had done and I have been able to use the footage on my show reel ever since to get future work.

What would you say to someone thinking about taking an underwater videography internship with Oceans Below? I would recommend anyone to do an internship with Oceans Below; it was such a fantastic experience. I would most definitely recommend you also do it alongside some dive training - I did my divemaster training on the island at the same time. Oceans Below are able to help organize this with you as they did for me. It was a fantastic way to earn a bit of money whilst traveling and meeting new people. I gained some invaluable skills and expertise alongside making some memories I will treasure forever. Thank you to Elisabeth and Adrian for making this one of the best adventures of my life so far!

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I was recently in Bangkok for a few days to check out some new underwater video cameras and housings for Oceans Below and I stayed at a new hotel, Citadines. The girlfriend and I had a lovely stay and found the place quite nice. However on the last day of our stay, I had a look at the information packet that the hotel leaves in the rooms recommending things to do and places to go in the city.

Turning to the restaurants section, I was shocked and saddened to find that top of the list was a Shark Fin Soup establishment! I didn't see any point in complaining to the staff on the desk, so upon returning home I wrote a letter to the management. I expressed that though we had a great experience at their lovely hotel, we wouldn’t return due to their promotion of a business which is involved in such a barbaric and environmentally unsustainable industry. I didn't really expect much to come of it- we do live in Asia, after all. So I was surprised to receive a letter today thanking me for my feedback and ensuring me that they have removed the offensive restaurant from their recommended list of dining establishments!

What a great result. It was a valuable lesson to me that even on an individual level, we are all responsible for making our world a better place. I’d now like to recommend Citadines Bangkok Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 11 to anyone looking for a new place with great rooms, friendly staff and an eco-friendly management team! We’ll be sure to send all of our staff and underwater internship trainees to stay there in the future, as well. I designed the above photo and will ask if they can arrange to add it to their information pack.

Yesterday started gloriously! The sun was out and the sea was calm, so Elisabeth and I decided we should take a break from designing the new BSAC Professional Underwater Video Course and get wet. We resolved to make our way over to Nangyuan Island and get some stock footage on both the video and photo cameras. Elisabeth prepped and brought along a Seatool HD underwater video housing that a friend asked us to keep an eye on while she was away, and I took out our new Canon G10 still camera.


The wreck at Japanese Gardens- Koh Tao

We planned to get some shots of her diving and filming around the small wreck at Japanese Garden and to also go off the beaten track at Twins to see what we could find. Everything worked out beautifully. We got what we were looking for and more, as the sea once again offered up some amazing scenes!


The Wild West, Underwater

 The visibility around the wreck was a bit limited, but it added an eerie feel to the underwater photos, especially in black & white.  Also, as luck would have it, we came across two gorgeous seahorses- both a male and a female. They were willing models and posed beautifully for us. Just as we got back to the Oceans Below offices, the beautiful blue sky opened up and reminded us that we live in the tropics, giving Koh Tao a good soaking. We’re glad we got back when we did and can’t wait to get out and document some more amazing underwater experiences!

While out fun diving and testing out a new underwater video housing a few days ago with Freediving Instructor Trainer Monica, I had a new encounter with a fish I'd never seen in Koh Tao waters before!

We were out at Shark Island and the conditions were great with 30 meter visibility, the sun was shining bright and there was only the gentlest of currents carrying us along. The site was full of fish on the day. I filmed schools of juvenile circular batfish shaped like boomerangs, a number of Titan triggerfish clearly agitated by our presence, and a large school of Wiebel's butterflyfish who were anything but camera shy.

Near the end of the dive, something flashed by the corner of my eye and went into hiding. I waited about 5 minutes for it to come out and when it did, I had no idea what I was filming.



Here's a photo of the little guy 

Back at the Oceans Below office, nobody could identify the strange fish, so I posted it on Facebook asking our friends from around the world to help us out. Finally, we had our answer from an underwater videographer in Belgium- it was a Juvenile Spotted Knifejaw. Thanks for that Patrick.


And here's what an adult will look like...

That's one of the many great things about this job- it never gets old!!

Wow! What a great day of freediving and filming I had at Koh Tao’s beautiful Aow Leuk (Deep Bay)! On one of my few days off for the coming months, I decided to go out with my camera for a look at what a few of the videographers in the shop had been telling me about. It seems all around the East side of the island, in the shallows near the rocks, there are baby Black Tip Reef Sharks feeding.


After awhile they came right in...

It is so cool to see these cute little guys. They’re very small- about 30cm’s or so- and very timid. It’s almost impossible to get close to them on scuba equipment as the bubbles seem to scare them away. But while freediving, they seem to be very curious and posed for some fantastic shots. I sure hope they make it to adults so I get a chance to film them again with our PADI Open Water course students.


Perfectly formed, but only about 35cm...

We really enjoyed the much-needed day off. Now, back to creating the new BSAC Professional Underwater Video Course and welcoming our new underwater video intern, Scott!

Oceans Below has recently been recognized by their dedication to quality underwater video training by none other than the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC)! The distinguished, internationally-recognized training organization has chosen none other than Oceans Below to author the first professional-level underwater videography training program in the world.


Aidy 'teaching' Elisabeth to fin pivot with a camera!

It's a huge honor and one that the staff don't take lightly. They will soon publish the new BSAC Underwater Pro-Video manual and will be certifying BSAC instructors throughout Asia to teach the program which has long excelled in the industry. Already, there are people anxiously awaiting the start of the first courses on Koh Tao, Thailand. One of the huge advantages of working with BSAC is that the newly-designed course will be immediately credited towards university degrees for those involved in media studies.


Uncle Les posing for the camera!

As experienced PADI Instructors but with no background in BSAC training, Elisabeth and Aidy were invited by BSAC Instructor Trainer Les Skelton to do their cross-over course. This now allows them to  teach within the BSAC system.

We're all really excited about this new project and look forward to teaming up with an organization like BSAC which has such a fantastic reputation for excellence!

The weather is back to normal and the visibility in the waters around Koh Tao is becoming very special. Underwater videographer Cat got some fantastic footage of a relatively rare creature for these waters this morning- an octopus. 

Cat and her new friend...

Special thanks to Alan for the great photos!

Along with most of the civilized world, the underwater video team from Oceans Below was shocked and saddened by the passing of ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson. Unless you live in a cave, you could not have escaped being influenced by his tunes or those of The Jackson Five. With our interest in music and music editing it seems we were especially hard-hit by his sudden departure. We spent the day revisiting some of his greatest hits- many of which we hadn’t heard in years- and reminisced about what we were doing when those songs were still chart-toppers.

The whole Oceans Below crew decided to pay tribute to the King by including one of his songs on each of the open water dive videos produced for the coming days.  Rest in peace Michael Jackson, and thanks for the memories.