Back after the summer…

Phew…finally back after the holidays. Fantastic weather in Denmark where I live. We have had the summer of decades. Warm, dry – almost too dry and warm for many. we are not used to temperatures above 28-30C for several months. BUT I DON’T COMPLAIN. But I cannot stop thinking about global warming and how we affect the global climate negatively.

However, now the normal weather has returned with milder temperatures around 23C with wind and rain – just like it used to be. Work has returned as well so the daily rhythm is also slowly coming back.

I just wanted to also direct your attention to a new website I launched during the summer. I have now so many underwater images taken over several years that I wish to share more publicly. Please visit henrikleerberg.com I you are interested in the topic of underwater photography. All images are published under the Creative Commons license so feel free to use. And do come back to check frequently as I will continue to post new images as they arrive through my lens.

Take care out there!

Blue water is calling…

I will soon be visiting The Bahamas – a place where I’ve never been before but always has been on my bucket list.

I am so privileged to have family living there so accommodation comes easy 🙂

The Bahamas is a large collection of islands, some populated ad some not. I am especially looking forward to shark diving which is one of the few places where that is possible to experience. Besides that lots of “normal” diving and sunshine are on the agenda so I hope to be able to post some images from below the surface I the clear blue and warm water which does to exist where I normally live.

See you in Caribbean.

 

Time for an upgrade…

Last summer I had my old but steady Gopro flooded in the Mediterranean. It had documented many good experiences – above and below the water line.

I have now retired the old kit and switched to a newcomer in the underwater video market. Paralenz has introduced a new concept of automatic white balance adjustment based on depth which should release you from bringing various filters with you or do significant post-edits.

I hope to be able to share a video or two once I get the new unit tested thoroughly.

Make it go away…

Today, I stumbled upon these two pictures I took back a year ago (2017) at the Norman Reef (part of northern Great Barrier Reef in Australia).

It simply makes me sad watching them as it just throughs it right at my face how sensitive this great ecosystem is. It suffers from heating ocean temperatures and rising acidity levels. Look at how the degeneration of the coral is underway. The few remaining coral is slowing turning white (bleaching) and the turf algae has taken over where the the once healthy algae lived, making it all look filthy and grassy.

I sincerely do not hope that we have passed the point of no return yet for rescuing our coral reefs around the world.

Healthy corals are the cornerstone of all other life in these waters. Both the algae that live on the coral and serve a nutrition for the coral themselves, but also the fish that live off and in the coral, a healthy environment is required for them to survive. If the coral disappear, it is not only a disaster to something so beautiful and astonishing, but also to the fish and animal life that live among it. Also many people on the local tropical islands make their existence from fishing which also will be threatened if the coral reefs should die around us.

Finally, I would love to show my kids the Great Barrier Reef, like I also hope for their children and so on to experience and enjoy this fabulous wonder of the world.

Make a GREEN and SUSTAINABLE living as we all need healthy oceans to survive.

Going double

I have been scuba diving for years and it is one of my favorite activities all year round and a fantastic way to experience something undiscovered. Plus a mind blowing way to excluded the busy daily life for an hour or two.

Some time ago, I decided to go with a dual tank setup. Despite the heavy lifting, the main reason is basically longer dives times, better balance and more safe and redundant setup. As I am also a passionate under water photographer, I hope to get more time to find the right camera angels and exposure without being too concerned about air consumption.

My new double setup is configured according to the DIR (Do-it-right) instructions thus giving better self reliant diving setup if a malfunction should occur.
The setup is rigged by 2x12L tanks, Ursuit donut BCD, Ursuit harness and 2x ScubaPro MK25 and G260 second stages.

With or without?

The other day I received my new underwater housing. Soon I'm going to test it and I think the best practice is to test it without a camera inside 🙂 However, I am tempted to just dive in and start taking fine pictures and some great video from under the surface. One small problem is the value you bring with you down under when you also add camera and optic etc. You really don't want to see saltwater in your DSLR camera…!

Underwater housings is a big jungle but I have over the years enjoyed the way Ikelite produces their housing and the features and controls they provide you with while in the water. I have other housings too  and they also work, but typically they have some limitation that over time starts to annoy you.

So, I cannot wait to see how much better this should perform compared to the old one I been using for years – I need to do some comparison shots.

Stay tuned for some underwater footage.

Dying coral reefs in Australia

I recently visited the Great Barrier Reef in the northern Australia. I did three dives on various reefs and all of the dives were ‘sad’ dives. I was in the same area three years ago where everything bloomed and had lots of color and life but this time around many (most) corals were bleached or bleaching or had died already. Over the past recent year the water has been very hot and the cloud cover minimal. The type of coral living here (northern Australia) is not used to +30C at 20m depth – it is way too warm so they slowly turn white and after 12-14 weeks under this condition they simply die. And keep in mind that corals are not plants but animals.

Global warming and rising sea temperatures need to taken seriously and dealt with so wonders like the Great Barrier Reef also can be enjoyed by our children.

(Photo: TUSA dive, Cairns, Australia)

Divers paradise

A first visit for me this past week to the divers paradise of our world but not the last. I’m talking about Bonaire in the Dutch Antilles in the Carribean. An island with the sole purpose of protecting the environment both over and under the water line. It is a fantastic island with a great attitude. I definitely have to come back one day to further explore the underwater world of Bonaire.

Black coral

The black coral is almost extinct in Bonaire. Previously the area where it grows was called the forest but now it is merely a few corals left. Another sign of the changing nature and how environment is affecting our common planet. 

Taking care…

Taking care and being serious about our common underwater environment is something the Coral Restoration Foundation is all about. They maintain underwater farms for nurturing and growing corals for later setting them into their ‘real’ world habitat – keeping in mind that corals are living animals. The coral reefs are a threathend resources thus initiatives like this is the way to go. Thanks!