Parting Shots

Alex Mustard & Pete Atkinson · Issue 53, Mar/Apr 2010 · pp. 66–67

Products mentioned: Nikonos 3, Velvia 100, Nikon D700, Subal housing, FIX LED500

Parting Shot 1 A compulsive desire to shoot some pictures after six months indolence in the flesh-pots of Whangarei, New Zealand, drove me north to Tutukaka with a couple of girls on board Vigia. Photographer Tobi Bernhard was up there on Nexus, working hard, diving at the Poor Knights as often as conditions would allow. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to work hard. Nearing Tutukaka as the light was fading, Anna Cherry spotted a commotion in the water. Dolphins or a sunfish I thought. We closed in and could see it was a 7m whale shark feeding in a huge windrow of zooplankton. I had never heard of whale sharks in New Zealand waters, nor seen one in 20 years in the Pacific. It was curious about Vigia and came right alongside so we could shoot some pictures, but at 7pm it was too dark to try to do anything in the water. Fortunately, having some low res digital pictures was enough to …