I Finally (Really) See the Light

When we jumped into the water, the reef sharks were already prowling the dive site, knowing what to expect.

We all took positions on the sandy seafloor as the frozen mackerel baitball was positioned.

Then they attacked. Aggressively. Other fish joined the fray, but only as scavengers capturing crumbs of chum that were falling by the wayside.

As onlookers, we observed from below, gulping at our air until the display had reached its conclusion. Then we went our ways exploring the site.

With its groupers, just hanging out,nonplussed, on the sand..

And sharks still patrolling the area.

Our three dives today were at Split Coral Head, Hole in the Wall, and Tunnel Rock.

I finally decided to bring my strobe (flash) with me for today’s dives, and honestly it makes a huge difference. In Cozumel I used the small built-in flash, but this strobe raises the bar to another level. I’m getting some stunning photos of various corals. And it probably goes without saying that the sponges and fish seem more vibrant as well.

There just isn’t enough sunlight at the deepest levels of the ocean to truly demonstrate the real colors without an external light source. This is why so many of my photos have an overwhelming blue tint to them. The flash should fix some of that.

And it has been revelatory. Colors that I haven’t been able to show before now spring to life. And detail that I haven’t seen before pops out at me.

I had debated bringing my flash on this trip. Traveling with it can feel like a nuisance as it consumes extra weight and space in my luggage. And on some level I’ve been self-conscious about it’s presence.