Lady Turtle
ENAfter Cambodia and the temples of Angkor, we headed for the south of Thailand. So much for the chronology of the story... I switch directly to underwater mode, with my first underwater video: a coral-eating turtle, in Phi Phi Leh.
Beneath the surface
You were running out of bubbles? I was, too.
After these few days in Cambodia, I was looking forward to arrive on the Andamane coast, in Thailand. To see the blue sea, to jump in the water, to breathe again in my regulator, to play with my 7D and its subwoofer under the surface, to find small and large underwater creatures ...
I only did two dives on Koh Phi Phi. (I dedicated myself to diving the following week, during a cruise to the Similan Islands...) But the first splash off the island of Phi Phi Leh was more than nice, with the encounter of a not shy turtle.
It was a perfect opportunity for me to refamiliarize myself with the camera's settings underwater, to switch from photo to video mode and vice versa.
The turtle has been more than cooperative. In fact, far too busy with his meal to be distracted by our bubbles... An easy and rewarding dive, on a piece of reef full of life. What could be better for a re-fins?
Thank you, Lady Turtle!
👌 🙏
You can probably read between the lines written by Corinne 😉 «The turtle was more than cooperative», she didn't let herself be «distracted by our bubbles»... => It's true, this turtle was impeccable although observed by diving novices - it was a baptism for me. So... maximum bubbles and unbridled fin strokes... 😛
Lady Turtle was regal in superbly ignoring all that. And I'm delighted to have seen her for a first dive. Just like her cousin, whom we saw a little later 🙂
Lucky turtle!!!!! 😉
@The other girl: Yes, you saw, I was nice: no allusion to this «Discover Scuba Diving»... Very very cool, this turtle. She must see a lot of DSDs making too many bubbles while waving their arms and legs frantically 😀
@ Helen: Is the turtle lucky or me?
You throw a lot. You're already hinting when you say you're not... 😈
I believe that the turtle is very understanding and likes frantic DSD. It reminds him of his youth.
And I'm sure Hélène meant it was the turtle who was lucky to see a DSD (and a diver, hiding behind her monster camera) 😉
Incredible colors... I remember your article on underwater white balance, I guess that's what you did?
Beautiful video Corinne! Ha turtles, I love them too! Especially since the Perthian Islands, I saw one in the water (with 3 legs!) but above all I was lucky enough to see a turtle laying eggs on a beach, magic!
Hello Corinne,
Nice this little lady!
First of all, congratulations on your blog, which I've been reading for a while (in the shadows ;.) and for the successful combination of photos, stories and practice.
Technical question: on which computer do you finally edit your videos? Do you still carry your little Medion Akoya, even though you seemed to be saying that video wasn't possible on it? These are of course purely self-interested questions, as I'm fine-tuning my equipment before a 3-month trip ;o) I hope I'm not spoiling the mood!
See you soon
@The other girl: Well, it makes for nice memories, and so does the turtle... 😉
@Thib: Yes, but to tell you the truth, my white balance was a bit off... The colors were too pink-red. So I readjusted it in post-processing, in my editing software. 🙄
@Fabrice: I've been lucky enough to come across many turtles myself, from one diving trip to the next. But I can't get enough of them! 🙂
@Marine: I'm glad you came out of the shadows. And I see you're following... Ah, the computer question! I want to write a post about that.
In fact, I haven't been taking my Medion Akoya with me since the trip to Pulau Weh (Sumatra) a year ago, when I first got my 7D: I discovered then that the computer was unable to play back the HD videos generated by my 7D. Big disappointment.
So, on my next trip to Sulawesi in July 2010, I took my old MacBook Pro instead. It gave me a few scares when it broke down: regularly, the screen refused to turn on, even though the hard drive was starting up. When I got home, it started working normally again, and still does. I guess the heat and humidity didn't do it any good.
And then the new MacBook Air came out... Santa Claus came by and gave me a nice present. So this time, I set off on this trip with a MacBook Air, light and beautiful, which I'm very, very happy with (11-inch version, 128GB SSD, 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, boosted to 4GB Ram).
😀
Thanks for your reply Corinne! Well, I'm not sure I'll have the budget this time, and with a brand new camera in my bag, I don't want to stress about the gear, as I'm not used to traveling with precious little things. But your Santa gift is the ultimate goal, we agree ;o)
See you soon, I don't know what your next departure is, but I'm in the starting-blocks for the Transsmongolian, Russia and China :)) (...souvenirs from Krabi are not bad for waiting)
Hello,
I really like your diving blog. I too have a few articles on diving in Asia: http://www.monblogdanslemonde.com/tag/Plong%C3%A9es%20tropicales
It's been a while since I spotted your blog, and I hadn't yet taken the time to read and discover the media content. I think I'm going to have a good time, starting with this video of “Lady Turtle”, one of the underwater encounters I'd really like to make. For that, I'll have to multiply my immersions...
Good luck and thank you for this blog
@Marine: Without Santa Claus, I wouldn't have had the budget either, that's for sure. Apart from the HD video, for everything else, the Medion Akoya did its job very well, anyway. Ah, I envy you being on the go!!! When it comes to gear, be careful with your brand-new camera, though.
🙄
@Sandra: Thanks for the link 🙂
@Reev: Bon voyage in my Petites Bulles d'Ailleurs, then! 8)
I've just discovered your blog and I have to admit: you've just converted me!
I hope there will be some nice places to do my first dive in California.
What advice could you give me for a first dive?
Good continuation 🙂
@Alex: No special advice other than to relax, listen carefully to the briefing, and don't hesitate to ask the instructor any questions you may have, and even to talk to him about any misunderstandings you may have, so that you feel confident when you put your head under the water. There's no such thing as a “stupid” question when it's your first time!
🙂
@Corinne: Thanks for your advice, I'll keep you posted to share how I feel 🙂
When I first started following your blog (ouh, a long time ago!), I knew nothing about diving ... Now I can tell you that things have changed with a real love at first sight for this discipline. It's all the more fun for me to reread your articles, which now take on a whole new meaning 🙂
I've just made fifteen dives in sites overpopulated with turtles, and it's a delight every time... Just this morning, I was fifty centimetres from a magnificent turtle, fascinated by its eyes.
Good continuation!
NowMadNow
NowMadNow: How happy I am to read your comment. I think you're in Indonesia right now, aren't you? That would explain the «turtle overpopulated» sites... 😀
Good bubbles !!!
Yes I've been in Indonesia for almost three months. Right now I'm diving on the Gili Islands 🙂
NowMadNow