Molokini Crater is one of the best dives if not the best dive on Maui. This scuba diving site is only accessible via boat and is at the remnants of an extinct volcano. The crescent of the volcano “cone” rises above the sea some 165 feet. The small island lies in the Alalakeiki Channel between the islands of Kahoolawe and Maui. The opening side of the crater faces the northwest and only a short boat ride from the Wailea side of Maui. If you are interested in some of the history around Molokini Crater there is a short article written by Edward L Caum, Geology of Molokini and published in 1930. There are a couple of “plate” photographs included in the article and it is interesting to compare to the crater today. Molokini Crater has been a Marine Preserve(MLCD) since the summer of 1977 and features one of the most pristine hard coral reefs in Hawaii.

Underwater photography with featuring a variety of images from around world including shipwrecks, crustaceans, Manta Rays, Moray Eels, sea turtles and more. Come explore the fascinating world of our oceans.

Underwater images of fish, shipwrecks, moray eels, anemone, shrimp, coral reefs and scuba divers including black durgons, silversides, white tipped reef sharks, trumpet fish and more from Hawaii, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and Asia. High quality print and stock photos.

Shipwrecks contain a certain mystery that draws Scuba Divers from near and far. Whether diving in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, North America or Africa, shipwrecks continue to be big draws for local tourism. Grand Cayman sank the USS Kittiwake, in 2011 and it has been drawing large numbers of divers ever since. The images in this gallery are from a number of wrecks including, the USS Kittwake, Doc Poulson, the Oro Verde and the Carthaginian II in Hawaii.

Pictures from favorite dive sites in the Hawaiian Islands from diving with the Giant Oceanic Manta Rays on the Big Island of Hawaii to favorite sites in Maui, Lania, and Molokai. See my blog http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com for detailed dive site reviews and other information

Scuba Diving in Grand Cayman is something special. The magnificent walls, the USS Kittiwake, spectacular corals on the north side, and upper west side, easy access and warm water makes this a marvelous place for scuba diving. Whether you are an aggressive technical diver or a recreational diver, there is something for you in Grand Cayman. The variety of marine species and topography provides every type of diver with what they want. With boat rides of 10 to 30 minutes to the dive site you can become easily spoiled to the warm, friendly and inviting waters of this Caribbean paradise. See my blog http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com for information on specific dive sites and other information.

Scuba diving and underwater photography go hand in hand whether you are in the beautiful Cayman Islands, Hawaiian Islands, the Red Sea or the coast of California. Come explore shipwrecks such as the majestic USS Kittiwake in Grand Cayman or the Carthaginian II in Maui, Hawaii along with magnificent coral reefs from around the world.

The Oro Verde (meaning Green Gold) shipwreck in Grand Cayman has been a favorite site for divers since she was sunk on May 31, 1980 by the Cayman government. The vessel a 131-foot 692-ton freighter lies in about 50 feet of water just off Grand Cayman’s famous Seven Mile Beach. The wreck has deteriorated a lot since her reefing, mainly as a result of several hurricanes that have hit the island in the last 30 years. The debris field today is scattered over a wide area with only the bow section still intact. This is a very worthwhile dive still and I especially like it as a night dive for the variety of marine species that are present. The Oro Verde lies about 100 yards off shore so advanced divers in good physical condition could reach it as a shore dive but with the long swim and requisite dive flags and floats due to offshore boat traffic, why bother? All of the local dive operators will be happy to take you to the Oro Verde as your second half of a two tank west side boat dive, an afternoon dive or on a night dive. I would urge you to dive the wreck whether it is the first time or it you have dove on the wreck before. The site is constantly changing and the marine species always make for an interesting dive.

Mala Pier has to be the best shore dive on Maui and a great spot for underwater photography. It is hard to believe that not very many visiting scuba divers know about this Maui dive site. It can be accessed from land (enter on the west side of the old pier if you are more adventuresome, or enter via the boat ramp, but watch for boats) or from a dive boat. Typically, if you are diving on the Carthaginian II, Maui Divers will bring you to this site as a second dive. This is one dive that is not to be missed and can be followed up with a great dinner in Lahina. This is a great spot for underwater photography and is certainly one of my favorite scuba diving sites on Maui. So whether you are looking for pictures of fish or new shark photos this is a great dive. For a complete review of the dive site see my blog http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com/2012/01/08/scuba-diving-mala-pier/

Underwater photography featuring images of Hawaiian fish pictures from the Big Island of Hawaii to Kauai. Explore the rich diversity of marine life amongst the Hawaiian islands. From the magnificent Oceanic Manta Ray to the beautiful Bandit Angelfish the Hawaiian Islands contain a marvelous diversity of marine species. Come enjoy and help us preserve this amazing marine habitat.

The Doc Poulson is a purpose sunk shipwreck on the western part of Grand Cayman. The ship was originally a Japanese cable laying ship and was sunk in Grand Cayman in 1981 to create an artificial reef on Seven Mile beach. The wreck site is named for Doc Polson who helped set up the first hyperbaric chamber on Grand Cayman for the treatment of decompression sickness. The wreck sits upright in about 50 to 60 feet of water and can be easily explored. However, given the age of the wreck there are many exposed surfaces that can cause harm to a diver. There are a variety of fish in and around the ship from Goliath grouper, to Queen Conch, to cleaner shrimp, blue tang and many more. The wreck sits on a sand flat and is about a 5 minute swim away from the reef. The clarity of the water in Grand Cayman, along with the upright position of the boat makes it a great place for underwater photography from the novice to the professional. The interior of the ship is filled with a good bit of sand, but working your way through the ship is still quite easy even after 30 years on the reef. If you take your time however, you can spend most of your dive time at the wreck. However, this is a better dive when there are no more than 5 to 6 divers on the site and great when there are only two. It can be a good night-dive spot especially for a photographer as you have a wide variety of marine life around the wreck including a number of small creatures great for macro shots. For other information on the Doc Poulson go to my blog - http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com/ and/or view more underwater photographs on my website - http://www.stevenwsmeltzer.com and/or follow me on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/images2inspire

Caribbean coral reefs make up about 8% (by surface area) of the world's coral reefs and contain somewhere between 500 to 700 fish species. The greater Caribbean reef systems extend from Florida and the Bahamas to the the northeastern coast of South America. The greater Caribbean areas provides a variety of habitats from densely populated reef systems to wetlands to open water for pelagic species. The Caribbean is also home to a number of endangered species and is a vital commercial fishing zone. There are many threats to the Caribbean Fishes habitat including invasions of non-native species such as the Lionfish, over fishing, dust from Africa, coral disease and more that need to be better understood in order for us to help this beautiful and vital resource to recover and thrive.

When you are on your next scuba diving trip to Grand Cayman make a point to dive on Andes Wall, you will certainly not regret it. It is certainly one of my favorite sites on the island and is accessible from the West Side dive boat operators or out of Rum Point. This is a great wall dive and is a premium spot for underwater photography. Andes Wall is located just past Rum Point on the North Wall. Typical conditions are 100+ feet of visibility and has a sheer drop along the wall of several thousand feet. On this dive you will see Spotted Eagle Rays on almost every dive. There are also other pelagics that can be found here from the elusive Tiger Shark to White Tips, Hammerheads and more. I went with Red Sail Sports on my last dive at Andes Wall and the day was absolutely perfect for underwater photography. It was one of those extremely rare days when the north wall was absolutely flat. The visibility was over 150, no current, very little particulates in the water and there were only 8 divers on the boat. This must be paradise. Andes Wall is just about 10 to 15 minutes past Rum Point on the North Side and one of my two favorite dive sites on the North Wall. You can dive this site on top of the wall or as a wall dive and I would highly recommend the wall dive. When we descended to the mooring the first thing I noticed on this dive was a Spotted Eagle Ray in the distance and a Great Barracuda cruising by. This was one of seven that I saw on this dive. After meeting at the mooring pin, we head to the wall notch, the visibility is absolutely phenomenal. We then made our way through the "notch" to the wall and immediately on my left was another Spotted Eagle Ray. This is going to be a great dive. As we move past the 90 foot level out to the wall I notice a number of Blackcap Basslets swimming upside down in a small indentation in the wall. There are a great variety of fish usually on this dive. Today we see Schoolmasters, numerous types of Basslets, Princess Parrotfish, Bermuda Chub, Blue Chromis, Trumpetfish, Gray Angelfish, Spiny Lobsters, Spotted Eagle Rays and much, much more. The soft corals are amazing on this part of the island and they are especially plentiful around the mooring ball on this dive. You will find several great places to get photos of sea fans, or sea rods, sea whips and of course many colorful stony corals as well.

Underwater images featuring coral reefs, fish pictures, sea turtles, sharks, ship wrecks, sea sponges, hard and soft corals and crustaceans, from Hawaii, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia and many other places around the world. Underwater photographs available in high-quality print and stock images.

What are Coral Reefs? Coral colonies are composed of many tiny, cup-shaped animals called polyps, which are related to jellyfish. A single coral polyp may be as large as a saucer or smaller than the head of a pin. Millions of polyps working together in a cooperative colony generation after generation create the limestone skeletons that form the framework of the beautiful coral reef. Corals begin life in tropical waters as free-floating larvae. After a relatively short period of time, the larva eventually attaches itself to a hard surface and becomes a polyp. Polyps divide asexually and form colonies. Coral colonies reproduce both sexually and asexually. In sexual reproduction, the coral polyps release both eggs and sperm into the water. (This is also known as coral spawning.) One type of asexual reproduction occurs when fragments of coral are broken off as a result of storm action. The broken pieces of corals usually survive and continue to grow and produce a new colony. This process is referred to as "fragmentation".

Underwater images of sea sponges from around the world, vase sponges, tube sponges, barrel sponges, rope sponges, elephant ear sponges, colony sponges from the Pacific, Caribbean and Atlantic. High quality print and stock images.

Photographs of fish, Manta Rays, sharks, Moray Eels, and much more this gallery features both normal and macro photography as well as wide angle images from Australia, Hawaii, North America, Europe and Asia

Ode to the USS Kittiwake Rest well your work is finally done No more the ocean to roam No more to fight the storm and sea Rest well beneath the waves The USS Kittiwake - http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com/dive-site-reviews-and-listings/dive-sites/scuba-diving-grand-cayman-uss-kittiwake-shipwreck/ - has been on the reef in Grand Cayman for several years. Explore this gallery and see how the ship has been changing over the years. See the complete photo gallery at Steven W Smeltzer / USS Kittiwake or visit my blog and read more on the USS Kittiwake.