COVER FEATURE ON VANCOUVER ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Continuing in the spirit of cool and colorful British Columbia, we're happy to share the good news about a new feature of ours showcasing BC's Vancouver Island, and it's hot off the press. Thanks to our fellow scuba divers, Stephen Frink (publisher of Divers Alert Network's Alert Diver Magazine), and of course the amazing marine life large and small living below (and jumping above) the waves in our backyard.

 

FOUR RECENT MAGAZING COVER CREDITS

Four recent magazine covers nicely showing the scope of our marine photography collection. Worldwide coverage of marine life large and small, serving editorial and commercial markets for more than 25 years.

CAYMAN ISLANDS

As some of you probably know from following my better half Melissa Singh Cole (she who is infinitely better at regularly communicating with the social media world), our last photo shoot slash scuba diving trip was in the Cayman Islands. Thanks to the company of good friends, and cool critters like stingrays and friendly Nassau groupers, we had lots of fun, even with weather and diving conditions that at times were far from perfect. 

 

I am just now beginning the edit, so it may be a while before I can point you to all of the new images. Please let us know if you have any immediate photo needs from Grand Cayman or Little Cayman and I will work on those pictures first in order to help with your project.

It's going to be a busy fall and winter, with upcoming travel including local diving in Washington and British Columbia and travel further afield to Baja Mexico, Sri Lanka, Norway, etc. I have no intention of allowing my gills to dry out.

CUBA ABOVE AND BELOW

Earlier this year we explored Cuba's Gardens of the Queen National Park. We enjoyed great diving with sharks, healthy coral reefs, and close-up encounters with crocodiles in the mangroves. Havana's people, culture, architecture and scenery proved to be a big bonus. Here is a slideshow of photos from the trip:

http://www.brandoncole.com/WEBGALLERIES/Cuba_171_800pixels/

These images are also on our web site ( http://tinyurl.com/zt44gaz ) and now ready for licensing. Please contact us and let us know how we can be of assistance.

ARTICLE ABOUT SCUBA DIVING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA

Here's one of our recent published articles, "Lords of the Fjords", featuring cold, deep diving in British Columbia from a shoot in February. This winter we will be busy in warmer climes!

http://www.scubadiving.com/advanced-adventure-fjord-diving-in-british-columbia?image=0

OCEANIC WHITETIP SHARKS IN EGYPT'S RED SEA

I'm currently in Istanbul, Turkey, on my way home from Egypt where I was photographing in the Red Sea, training my cameras on coral reefs, shipwrecks, and sharks. Front and center were oceanic whitetip sharks, like this beautiful creature with its attendant pilotfish bodyguards who ride in the slipstream of this open ocean wanderer.

This shoot wraps up a travel marathon stretching over three months, during which time I created new images of humpback whales in Tonga, great white sharks in Mexico, giant octopus in British Columbia, among many other critters large and small. I'm looking forward to taking a little breather til the end of the year, when we will once again take to the seas.

Safe and Happy Holidays to everyone,

Brandon and Melissa

PROTESTING THE TAIJI DOLPHIN HUNT

Just wanted to say thank you to Donna Cox and her daughter for demonstrating in front of the Los Angeles Japanese Consulate yesterday. Donna made a poster using one of our dolphin pictures and stood up for the dolphins of Taiji, Japan by demonstrating against the yearly slaughter of thousands of dolphins. Have you seen the excellent movie The Cove yet? You should. It's all about this atrocity. Visit here:

http://www.takepart.com/cove

UNDERWATER PHOTOS OF BRYDE'S WHALES

QF1080-D. Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera brydei) has just gulped a mouth full of Pacific Sardines (Sardinops sagax) and with throat pleats still distended bumps into underwater photographer. Baja, Mexico, Pacific Ocean. Photo Copyright © Brandon Cole.

One of my luckiest and most memorable encounters at sea happened off Mexico's Baja peninsula years ago when searching for striped marlin. In addition to finding and photographing these rarely sighted billfish, we were surprised by Bryde's Whales. We witnessed an amazing spectacle, dozens of marlin (as well as sea lions, dolphins, and several Bryde's Whales) attacking baitballs of sardines and mackerel. The resulting photos, and the story behind this "trial of life" was first published in the National Geographic magazine, then subsequently featured in many other magazines around the world. The latest is National Wildlife, for sale at newsstands now. Friend and fellow marine photographer Doug Perrine, my dive buddy on the shoot, wrote this article and as always did a splendid job. The opening picture is one I made showing Doug bouncing off the snout of a Bryde's Whale. Additional pictures of mine illustrate the gulp feeding behavior of this speedy, relatively unknown baleen whale species. Check it out:

https://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2015/Brydes-Whales.aspx

To see additional underwater photos of Brydes Whales, visit our web site: http://tinyurl.com/odfurdn

To see pictures of Striped Marlin, click here: http://tinyurl.com/24r7gk7

 

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.

ARTICLE ON DIVING THE SOCORRO ISLANDS

Our article on scuba diving in the Socorro Islands of Baja, Mexico was recently published in Diver Magazine. These islands, far out in the Pacific Ocean, are home to giant manta rays, sharks, and huge schools of fish- hence the story name "Mexico's BIG Animal Mecca." On our last photo expedition onboard the superb Solmar V live-aboard boat, we also encountered dolphins, yellowfin tuna, and even a whale shark, in addition to the resident friendly mantas, a huge pack of silky sharks, baitballs, and much more. Photos from these remarkable islands (officially called the Revillagigedos) can be seen on our web site.

Besides the Socorro Islands, the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean region also contains world famous diving hotspots such as the Galapagos Islands, Cocos Island, and Guadalupe Island- the planet's top spot to cage dive with great white sharks. Over the last 25 years we've worked extensively in these waters, resulting in a very strong collection of dramatic imagery. And we'll be back! In fact, we're returning to Guadalupe in 2015 on the Solmar V to come camera to face with apex predator Carcharodon carcharias. Click here to learn which infamous fish bears that name.

ARTICLE ON MINKE WHALES IN AUSTRALIA

A new article with photos about my Minke Whale adventure during my June trip to Australia has just been published in Scuba Diving Magazine. Here's a link:

http://tinyurl.com/oukf9rt