Articles

An American crocodile settles into the sand in Chinchorro, Mexico
 

As you can see from the diverse portfolio of images below, this week’s featured photographer Don Silcock has done his fair share of globe trotting! Since learning to scuba dive in Malta in 1978 (when I was born!) then moving to Australia years later, Don has visited many famous dive destinations all over the world.

Living Down Under allowed him to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the diving to the north in Papau New Guinea and Indonesia. This part of the world quickly became his favorite place to dive—hence the name of his website, Indo-Pacific Images. Visitors to his site can find numerous informative and unbiased articles about diving in the region, alongside some excellent imagery from each location. He has also written and published guides on many of his favorite destinations, which include advice on travel logistics, photography techniques and the best dive sites to visit while there.

Although he still dives a lot in the Indo-Pacific, Don decided a couple of years ago that it was time to mix things up a bit and started to travel further afield for some big animal encounters. In a short space of time, he has snorkeled with humpback and sperm whales, come face to face with the crocs of Chinchorro and dived with tiger sharks and great hammerheads in the Bahamas. The resulting images of elasmobranchs, cetaceans and crocodiles add a whole new dimension to Don’s work, and complement perfectly his excellent wide-angle shots of reefs and wrecks taken closer to home.

What I like best about Don’s website is that he has no agenda and is not trying to sell trips, images or anything else. In his own words, he does it because he loves to write and provide interesting and factual content that is based on what he has personally experienced. Luckily for us, he also takes some amazing images while he is at it!
 

Giant manta rays amaze divers in Socorro, Mexico
 

The beautiful leafy seadragon is endemic to the waters of south and east Australia
 

A fleeting encounter with a sperm whale and its calf in the Azores, Portugal
 

Baitfish swirl around the Airborek Jetty in the Dampier Strait, Indonesia
 

A blue shark perfectly framed against the clouds in the Azores, Portugal
 

Tonga is the best place in the world to encounter curious humpback whales
 

Mating giant cuttlefish put on quite a show in Whyalla, Australia
 

Two tigers patrol the reef at Tiger Beach, Bahamas
 

A competitive group of male humpbacks fighting for female attention in Tonga
 

The aptly named ragged-tooth shark in South Africa
 

A giant whale shark feeding in Isla Mujeres, Mexico
 

Mating manatees having fun in Crystal River, Florida
 

An iconic shot of a great hammerhead at Tiger Beach, Bahamas
 

Soft corals cover the pylons of the Airborek Jetty in Dampier Strait, Indonesia
 

Don looking to capture the manatee love in Florida’s Crystal River
 

To check out more of Don’s work, visit his comprehensive website, www.indopacificimages.com.