ARTICLE ON SCUBA DIVING THE CAMPBELL RIVER AREA OFF BRITISH COLUMBIA'S VANCOUVER ISLAND

My wife and dive buddy Melissa Cole survived this brutal attack by a gang of juvenile Steller sea lions in British Columbia, Canada. Luckily I was on-hand to document the event. The account has just been published. We have thousands of exciting, beautiful, interesting pictures in our library just waiting to help you tell your story.

TRUK LAGOON PHOTO OF MELISSA COLE ON COVER OF DIVER MAGAZINE

Not only is Melissa a famous artist, she's a famous mermaid. Here is my much better half on another magazine cover. We created this photo in Truk Lagoon, the Graveyard of the Pacific, home to dozens of Japanese WWII shipwrecks. Exploring these ships inside and out was one of the most interesting and rewarding (and challenging) scuba diving photo assignments in nearly 20 years of swimming together. Thanks Melissa!
To see more pictures from Truk Lagoon, visit our web site:
http://tinyurl.com/qx9shmr

WHALES AT THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

If you are in the San Francisco area this year, be sure to swing by the California Academy of Sciences to see their new exhibit, Whales: Giants of the Deep. A few of our humpback and sperm whale photos are featured prominently.

http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/whales-giants-of-the-deep

EPIC PHOTO EXPEDITION TO INDONESIA

We have just returned from Indonesia's Ring of Fire and a month of adventure above and below the waves, scuba diving on the world's richest coral reefs formed by the active volcanoes surrounding us. Now that we have survived the Komodo Dragons, Chikungunya virus, sarcastic Sargassum Frogfish, the ripping currents of Watu Balu, etc... it is time to get to work editing the photos. Stay tuned.

PHOTOS OF DUGONGS AND DOLPHINS FROM THE RED SEA

From the wilds of the Egyptian Red Sea, I return. My last photo expedition was for dugongs and dolphins, and thankfully I succeeded on both fronts. Dugongs are similar to the manatees we have in Florida. They are large, gentle marine mammals which feed on seagrasses. Here's a picture of one happily vacuuming up the bottom, making quite a mess in the process. Phase two of my photography trip focused on spinner dolphins. Near a coral reef two hours from shore I snorkeled with a pod of about 40 as they interacted with each and lazed the afternoon away. Over the next few months I will be processing more pictures of Dugong dugon and Stenella longirostris, which will then be posted to our web site www.brandoncole.com

ELECTRIC REEFS

Happy New Year everyone! As this is the time to look head and be hopeful for a better, brighter future, we wanted to share an interesting photo and story with you. This shows Melissa swimming overtop an "electric reef" off the island of Bali in Indonesia. It's a man-made contraption on which super-charged corals are growing. Fast. Coral fragments from damaged reefs are attached by scientists to rebar frames constructed along shallow coastlines in the tropics. A low voltage electric current from onshore (some are powered by wind turbines and solar panels) feeds into the metal structure, accelerating coral growth. This technology is aiding in coral reef restoration efforts in areas hard hit by destructive storms and warm water events.

To see more of our pictures of these unique artificial reefs, jump to our web site:

photos of Bio Rock electric reefs

This image drew the attention of the Theo Westenberger Estate, who in celebration of their Art and the Environment Campaign has generously made a donation on our behalf to the NRDC, a leading environmental organization.

http://www.theowestenberger.com/

http://www.nrdc.org/

LOOKING BACK- 2014 THROUGH THE LENS

We are most grateful for your support in 2014. Your continued interest in our imagery is instrumental in keeping us afloat in this ever changing, ever challenging, and ever rewarding business. The photomontage above is a pictorial summary of 2014, touching on a few of the amazing things we were fortunate to witness in our ongoing quest to build the most dynamic underwater photo library around. 

We began the year snorkeling with gentle Florida Manatees, and then diving with enigmatic Great Hammerhead Sharks in the Bahamas, creating stunning pictures of this striking species, as well as documenting marine biologists at work. 

After this we turned 180 degrees and crossed the Pacific, all the way to Tasmania to explore truly unique kelp forest and sponge garden habitats, home to rare species such as sea dragons and handfish. Australia's Great Barrier Reef was our studio for photographing curious Minke Whales and colorful coral reef species.

Leaving the South Pacific in the depths of their winter, we were called back to the Bahamas to swim with sea turtles, sharks, and dolphins. Our portfolio from this island nation continues to grow and is sure to impress. Need visuals of Tiger Sharks? How about dozens of wild spotted dolphins in clear water? We have both, and so much more from the Bahamas.

Mexico has long been another favorite of Brandon Cole Marine Photography. We were drawn back to the Yucatan Peninsula in August, timing our visit with the world's largest gathering of feeding Whale Sharks. Epic! Then we took advantage of the freshwater springs to rinse away the saltwater. Slipping into the cenotes opened doors into the shadowy Mayan underworld, a vast network of sunken chambers decorated with stalactites and illuminated by otherworldly light shows.

As 2014 drew to a close we packed up our camper truck and drove north into Canada to behold the saga of the sockeye salmon. After four years at sea, these red and green super fish have survived a gauntlet of obstacles to return to the freshwater streams in which they were born. Their mission- to spawn and die. It's among the most inspirational stories we've ever covered. We can't wait to show you the new photos and video footage. 

     

Now it's time to submerge once again. First stop for 2015 is Egypt's Red Sea, to photograph dugongs, cousins to the manatees we met exactly one year ago. After that, the coral kingdom of Indonesia beckons, specifically Komodo and Flores, marine biodiversity hotspots both. Assuming we come up for air, we have a date with basking sharks in the UK. Then humpback whales in Tonga, great white sharks in Mexico, California kelp forest critters... you get the picture. With your partnership, we'll do our best to bring back new pictures to help bring your projects to life.