Articles

There are still some stunning coral reefs despite climate change, Western Australia
 

Western Australia still seems to fly under the radar for many divers and photographers. Photographer of the Week Wendy Mitchell spends the majority of her underwater time exploring these incredibly diverse and rich waters. From iconic macro critters like ornate ghost pipefish to the ocean’s top predators, orca, to the ocean’s biggest predator, sperm whales, Western Australia’s marine ecosystems host a staggering variety of wonderful marine life.

Wendy spent thousands of hours underwater as a dive instructor in Indonesia and Australia before beginning an incredible adventure of a life at sea—literally. Wendy lives on her sailboat and has covered over 10,000 nautical miles, documenting amazing wild places and creatures. She also co-runs Expedition Biru, a tour company specializing in liveaboard expeditions throughout the Indonesian Archipelago.

In Wendy’s words: “Documenting the beauty of this planet is a privilege and to achieve balance, I feel documenting the destruction of the marine environment is an essential element of telling the overall story of our oceans. This is all in the wider hope that I can inspire as many people as possible to cherish and preserve everything we have left and to open the door for a new generation of abundance moving forward both on the land and under the water.” This feature here focuses on the uplifting and showcases fantastic animals in beautiful pictures. Enjoy Wendy’s wonderful images and perhaps allow them to be uplifting and give hope that our ocean’s are still amazing places.
 

A pod of orca cruises through the blue, far out into the Indian Ocean
 

A whale shark being escorted by a small group of baitfish, Ningaloo, Australia
 

The oxymoronically named pygmy blue whale, Western Australia
 

A beautiful pair of sea snakes engaged in a mating dance far off the coast of Western Australia
 

A top predator of Ningaloo Reef, a tiger shark patrols just offshore, Western Australia
 

A tornado of lion’s mane jellies has created an oasis of life off Ningaloo Reef, Australia
 

The wisdom-filled eye of an Australian giant cuttlefish, South Australia
 

A stunning pair of ornate ghost pipefish (the big one is the female) hovering near their host crinoid, Western Australia
 

Two Australian sea lions photobomb a fur seal, South Australia
 

A curious pair of false killer whales comes up to inspect the camera, Western Australia
 

Mantas feed on plankton soup at the surface near Rowley Atoll, Australia
 

An icon of Southern Australia’s chilly temperate water environments, the weedy seadragon
 

A small pod of sperm whales interacts off the coast of Western Australia
 

A blue shark with a pilot whale companion and fishing hook cutting into its jaw, Western Australia
 

To see more of Wendy’s beautiful work, please give her a follow on Instagram, visit her website, www.wendymitchellphoto.com, or join her on a trip.