Does it get any better than this? Descending down into clear blue water and becoming 1 or hundreds of fish


Beach day ??~ via @raesonwategos


Under the Sea, the place best to be.............. This pic was taken when @allyjoyhair & @earthkitesurfing & I went out to Julian Rocks, it was an awesome trip checking out all the sea life


We are back out diving at Julian Rocks today and conditions are great with vis around 12m! No snorkelling unfortunately due to the northerly


Closest I???ve ever been able to get to an Eagle Ray These rays are often very skittish and usually hit the jets when us divers come close blowing bubbles


Here is a still from Anita???s video taken on yesterday???s dive. A dozen big Bullrays were gathered in the Stone Trench. What a great experience. Keep an eye out for her video on Anita Ong Media shot in 6K!


Eagle Ray from Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia. I like these rays but always seem to have trouble getting a good shot of them.


Nearly getting to the time when the grey nurse sharks start returning to


Manta Rays, Leopard Sharks & Grey Nurse Sharks. And that was just the beginning of the dive!


Black and white version of a Manta Ray from Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia. I like these rays but always seem to have trouble getting a good shot of them.


Pretty uncommon photo from me but I feel like sharing this! As one of my big hobbies is diving I went on a divingtrip in Byron Bay...it wasn't cheap but it was worth every cent! I saw turtles, sharks, rays and plenty of fish.


#leopardsharks at Julian Rocks


Great diving at Julian Rocks over the last couple of days after plenty of rough weather


A leopard shark cruising over the shallow reef at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay. These sharks are one of the most stunning and docile sharks


These guys are so much fun to photograph when they???re willing to cooperate


Doesn???t matter how many times I see turtles underwater I still get just as excited every time It


One of our favorite things to do in Byron is go snorkeling and diving with our friends at the


#Julianrocks has the most incredible abundance of fish


What a great morning out @bluebyronbay . Thanks guys


Most amazing little weekend getaway and dive


Green Turtle from Julian Rocks in Byron Bay Australia


Just a little baby boxfish to brighten up your day


Lone swimmer on another beautiful autumn day - Main Beach, Byron Bay, NSW.


This one's for my little brother julian who turns 28 today in germany and just announced his wedding for next year. Happy birthday to the most beautiful and precious human to me on this planet, you're always by my side, I love you beyond words or anything else on this world. I miss you. Your sister


Amazing marine life at #julianrocks


Just another one of those afternoons... and wow how good is body surfing!!! I might have been enjoying it a little too much


Cyclone Linda has been causing havoc on the seas, unfortunately all our diving was cancelled at


Perfect day for diving at Julian Rocks!


OMG Octopi. Video from a freedive back in Byron. Miss you guys. One of the best places to dive


Just the cutest school of #coralfish


Black and white version of an eagle Ray from Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia. I like these rays but always seem to have trouble getting a good shot of them


A beautiful little porcelain crab on an anemone at Julian Rocks dive site Byron Bay Australia.


I miss these guys


Had quite the exciting dive yesterday at Julian Rocks


Ornate Ghost Pipefish spotted in the Needles


End of a great weekend diving with 9 other divers from Scuba World


Will never get sick of seeing these gummy bastards


Awesome morning with flat seas as far as the eye can see


Just a manta ray kinda day


Manta Ray from Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia. I like these rays but always seem to have trouble getting a good shot of them.


The Numb Ray is part of the electric ray species, spotted down near Hugo


II big fish


Throw back to 2 years ago when my heart was still in #byronbay and diving at #julianrocks where I met my first shark


View of #julianrocks from #wategosbeach #byronbay such a special spot


So far so good? Miss this beautiful moment. .


Just hanging with my spotty shark and flat shark friends . . I haven't seen this many sharks in one place since Palau and also my first time seeing a spotted eagle ray, which is always exciting


Green turtle from Byron Bay, Julian Rocks


Looking back through some old photos, got to love mucking around on safety stops


Was going through some footage last night and decided to put a little somethin??? together. Will be posting more of these so hope y???all enjoy! Happy Friyay!


The beautiful Julian Rocks


Kayaking Byron Bay


We found a garden full of them flying and chillin under the sand.


"Leopard Landing" - freediver, @littleseapanda, descends with her big fins toward a leopard shark. Without a doubt the best looking shark I've ever seen, and an absolutely joy to dive with!


The sea; once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever


Clear water at #julianrocks is always a nice dive especially when there is schools of fish hanging around on the different bommies while chasing mantarays @tom_glaze


The Blue Spotted Sting Ray ?? Very common to find these little bottom dwellers in our waters of south east QLD Quite often these guys are very cautious and skittish... lucky for me this one was quite happy to stick around and suss me out


Here???s a shot of the Blacktip Shark we saw at Julian Rocks today. The water was crystal clear and super warm, so sharks and rays were buzzing all around the Rocks. Great job getting this shot @diver_linds


Here???s the proof that Mantas make happy divers


Whilst snorkelling at Julian Rocks, a giant Manta Ray emerged from the depths.


Under the sea


Snorkeling with turtles in Byron what a blast ??


Hunting for turtles


eyes to eyes ? swimming together ? what so lovely friendly shark :D


Dive guide life


Octopus,tricky to photograph on one breath,at Julian Rocks


The Julian Rocks in Byron Bay. we dived here : ) it was amazing and exciting place !


Hello, sea turtle in Byron Bay ?


the Byron Bay lighthouse from the see.


More amazing vis photos


Australian Wildlife


Green turtle at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay Australia. The Julian Rocks Nguthungulli Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve in New South Wales, Australia. It???s a place where the warm and cool currents meet, creating an incredibly vibrant ecosystem, forming a unique habitat which provides shelter and food for rays, corals, over 500 different species of fish and many other creatures such as this beautiful green turtle


After a LONG 3 weeks out of the water I was finally back where I belong


A bearded scorpion fish


Got to meet some beautiful leopard sharks this morning! Went diving off Julian Rocks in Byron Bay, so many leopard sharks, wobbegongs, some dolphins, gropers, colourful fishies, corals, moray eels, rays, a lobster and an octopus! photo credit wildbyron


Green turtle at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay Australia. The Julian Rocks Nguthungulli Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve in New South Wales, Australia. It???s a place where the warm and cool currents meet, creating an incredibly vibrant ecosystem, forming a unique habitat which provides shelter and food for rays, corals, over 500 different species of fish and many other creatures such as this beautiful green turtle.


A juvenile warty frogfish


How perfect is that view ? .


No boats today but here is a little clip from last week! Sharks and Rays for days


A day on the water ...Surfers ... kayakers ... divers ...@ Byron Bay.


Surfing with the locals .


Morning glory, love this place. Launch at the pass , 2mins and we are here.


Why hello Mr Octopus


So after a week of swell and rain the weather gods have finally blessed us. This week has been glorious! Clear blue water, eagle rays, manta rays and some amazing weather. Thanks @tommyblackdog for the picture


However, I did see loads of amazing stuff this morning: turtles, leopard sharks, a stingray, pufferfish, a stonefish and heaps more!


Amazing diving with this guys,epic diving at the rocks


What a weekend Here is just one of the many Manta moments at Julian Rocks


Yes, we lost some of the vis yesterday, but we got some extra Mantas...


Stunning day at the rock with Leopard Sharks galore!


Leopard Love


Today Jess and I went on our first ever scuba dive together at Julian rocks in Byron bay.


White Eye Moray Eels


Fun in the sun


Gotta love warm blue waters and friendly faces!


Portrait of a beautiful Leopard Shark enjoying the warm waters of Byron Bay These guys are so fun to shoot! I find by minimising eye contact and bubbles until the last second they often swim inches from your face before passing overhead Beautiful animals


Another day in perfect conditions today with crystal clear water. We dived the Mackerel Boulder first up and then back to Julian Rocks for the second dive. The marine life out there is insane at the moment!


Paradise


If you snorkel or dive during your visit to Byron Bay, you might be lucky enough to spot one of these magnificent creatures floating around Julian Rocks Marine Reserve.?? So very magical


A lunchtime dive. It's a really tough life living in the Bay


Hermit Crab, Julian Rocks Byron Bay Australia.


It may be a dark, wet winter day here at LBTE Headquarters in the Pacific NW but it???s summer in Australia. Thanks to @zephyr_horsesatop their Brumbly horse ( a new breed to me ) for reminding us that brighter days are just around the corner


"This would have to be one of my most dynamic and interesting images from the marine world that I have captured, a very large Jelly being devoured by 3 hungry Green Sea turtles and if you zoom in and look very carefully you???ll see why the huge Snapper are hanging around, just underneath the Jelly is a small school of fish and as soon as the Turtles head up for air these guys go in to grab a bite. I spent over 2 hours watching this incredible moment unfolding.


Great shot of our favourite boat at our favourite dive site by @c_levelmedia


Nudibranch wave


When fish attack


Spent Saturday diving with these guys again at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay It???s the only site on QLD???s east coast that I know of where they tend to be up and swimming as opposed to resting flat on a sandy bottom... Whatever the reason it makes Byron an amazing site to visit over the summer months!!


Leopard Sharks Shot with the Canon 1dxii w-14mm L II F2.8 w- Aquatech Housing Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia .


Swimming with Sea Turtles


Byron Bay???s ever changing seascape February is one of my favorite month with the sea temperature at its best, come and visit


Leopard Shark Julian Rocks


Diving into the week like


This guy was totally busted & out of his hiding place when I found him!


Nguthungulli means ???Father of the World??? and in the Aboriginal Dreamtime he was the creator of land, water, animals and plants. According to legend, Nguthungulli now rests in a cave at Julian Rocks.


It???s his place! Love me boy!!


F#%king swell keeping us outa the water this weekend! Can???t wait for it to ease up so we can get out again soon! Fingers crossed for next weekend!Here???s a shot from Byron Bay taken last week The swell had just picked up as we got in but was perfection 15m under


So freakin excited to have seen so many beautiful #LepoardSharks w


A leopard shark cruises over the reef at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay. .


Wide open spaces.


Regrann from @natgeo - Photo by @mishkusk (Michaela Skovranova)


Diving with leopard sharks! @shevaun.20


For me, no trip to Byron is complete without a visit to this shop. Dude has a little screen printer out back and is constantly pumpin' out the quality


Sick street mural here, by @shmick


Best day!


Summer diving ?? at Julian Rocks!


Sundown on Byron Beach


Beautiful shot of a Leopard Shark from yesterday morning by @ali.outside


Loren from C-Level Media met this guy at Julian Rocks today. Thanks for the great photo


Hard day???s work for Captain Roundy! Perfect conditions at the rock today


Sunset over Byron from the south end with my ? @lievanna


Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and take the plunge. Split shot taken at Byron Bay???s Julian Rocks on a stunning day of blue a few weeks ago with @byronbaydivecentre


Another perfect day at Julian rocks Marine sanctuary. The Bluewater is piping in from the coral sea bringing lots of tropical visitors experience it for yourself with @wildbyronseasafaris


What a view! @zephyr_horses


This sh*t just got real... Happy hour @missmargarita_byronbay


@sundivebyronbay I'm comin' for ya! Let's see some leopard sharks


A leopard shark close up freediving at julian rocks with @sundivebyronbay .


A day spent with my ? @lievanna on #watigosbeach is a day well spent. Beautiful spot with a beautiful human


Reef scene Julian Rocks


No Jaws music here, just peaceful joy with these guys


Spent the weekend down in Byron Bay free diving Julian Rocks Summer goal


Another small video from our fantastic trip with @bluebaydivers


Loved finding this on our cairns. #julianrocks #julianca #rock #cairns


So hot even Turtle is chilling under a rock


Saw an article online today about being able to spot a deadly snake out of a picture taken in Australia. It sent me straight back to this day in Byron Bay???one of my favorite little corners of this earth but also where I literally crossed paths with the 2nd most venomous snake in the world. ????????? I was hiking up to this view, which happens to be the most Easterly point of Australia, when a giant snake slithered out across the path???literally through my two feet, mid-stride. Naturally I wasn???t familiar with the specific snake types so when we got back to the hostel I looked it up online having gotten a clear look at the thing. It was the spitting image of the Eastern Brown Snake and I was forever spooked by that encounter. ?????????


The serenity.... Divine afternoon - reflections on the day - no filter - pre Barrio swim!


Leopard Shark Julian Rocks


Summer vibes


Just one more! Fascinating nudibranch found at Byron Bay Australia. Photograph by Brian Pool


We found our spot for the arvo cheers to @lievanna first time in Byron Bay.


Still too much swell for diving, but it???s dropping quickly and the water looks stunningly blue and feels warm from all the Southerlies we???ve had. Back out tomorrow. Should be a stunning weekend


Another week of amazing diving!


Crouching Turtle slinking leopards. Convergence at Julian rocks


"Fark! #swimming in these waters at 4am?? lucky you've still got your arms and legs, maaate.


Hopefully the winds die down soon, we can't wait to get back out to Julian Rocks and swim with these guys


Friendly Lepoard shark


Up close and personal with a beautiful leopard shark. Byron Bay is currently swarming with these guys in 25+ degree water Perfect time for a dive/snorkel! ??


Schooling fish everywhere! Another one from my dive last week at #julianrocks outside of #byronbay


Amazing morning at Julian Rocks!


LVN Athlete @mattboag coming up from the deep after diving with leopard sharks at #julianrocks #byronbay


#legend says there was a married woman who fell in #love with another man. The two #starcrossed #lovers decided to #sailaway and be #togetherforever and they #sailed that far into the sea but the lady???s husband caught them and speared their #canoe causing the lovers to be #lostatsea . #julianrocks is believed to be the remains of their canoe.


Anyone fancy waking up to this view? You can sit on the deck with your morning coffee and check out what the surfs doing without leaving home.


Too windy at Byron today


So delighted to have an image included in the @womenphotograph Best Photos of 2017, curated by @_mallorybenedict.??What an honour to be featured next to so many incredible artists. For people interested to learn more @womenphotograph is an initiative that launched in 2017 to elevate the voices of female and non binary visual storytellers. The database includes more than 650 independent women documentary photographers based in 91 countries. It also operates an annual series of project grants for emerging and established photojournalists, a year-long mentorship program, and a travel fund to help photographers access workshops, festivals, etc. thank you so much @womenphotograph for creating so many amazing opportunities.


Surf???s up kids! Looks like we are hanging up our fins for a few days. Thanks to Michelle Ansoul for the shot.  #byronbay #julianrocks


An awesome sailing race down to Julian Rocks @byronbay. Excellent crew with a great on board vibe.


Leopard Shark Julian Rocks Byron Bay


Counting down the days until the weekend First time diving Byron Bay for 2018 this Saturday Cant f@#king wait ?? Highly unlikely there will be any Grey Nurse down there this time of year but nevertheless, here is a shot of one bein all sharky mid 2017 Much more likely will be the abundance of Leopard Sharks that call Byron Bay home during the summer months Here???s to hoping they???re feelin especially curious on Saturday for some killer shots


This guy was a bit camera shy but I finally got a snap of his face.


My favorite session drummer


"Sunrise in the bay".


A brilliantly coloured nudi, Hypselodoris obscura, found in the not so brilliantly coloured waters at Julian Rocks.


The other day in #byronbay #rainbow after the #storm


Best way to beat the heat this summer. Dive and snorkel


Leopard shark at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay


There were many juvenile Blue Spotted Stingrays close to Clarkes Beach and larger ones at Julian Rocks


Regrann from @natgeo - Photo by @mishkusk (Michaela Skovranova) Green turtle at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay Australia. The Julian Rocks Nguthungulli Nature Reserve is a protected nature reserve in New South Wales, Australia. It???s a place where the warm and cool currents meet, creating an incredibly vibrant ecosystem, forming a unique habitat which provides shelter and food for rays, corals, over 500 different species of fish and many other creatures such as this beautiful green turtle.??


Today I finally got to see one of these beautiful creatures


How good is the Australian Summer!? Lking out at Julian Rocks from Byron Bay Lighthouse


Kind of interesting discovering what's under the water. Here we have the Starry Toadfish.


Mumma octopus hiding her eggs at Julian Rocks @gayestarr


LEOPARD PRINT


First time seeing leopard sharks while diving, as well as so many other fascinating creatures


I got to dive with leopard sharks for the first time yesterday!


Leopard Shark Julian Rocks Byron Bay


Good morning beauties, what a wonderful week we have ahead of us ?? - Byron Bay, Northern NSW Australia - Image by @photography_byron_bay


Today's Ocean (last week)


This Leopard Shark is ecstatic! Because the warm blue water has returned to Julian Rocks!


Finally getting thru photos from my January #roadtrip & #divingadventures w. @kirri.m Can you spy with your little eye the insy tinsy #ClownFish in the middle of this #coral. I love finding these little dudes.


You go for a dive and then Magic happens


To expand upon my previous post, here is a video clip of a leopard shark cruising by. Enjoy!


Awesome shot by @tommyblackdog. There have been so many leopard sharks around! Definitely worth getting out to the rocks and checking my them out


Snorkeling at Julian Rocks with #wildbyron


Beautiful conditions out at the rock again today! With water temp sitting comfortably at 26 degrees and visibility increasing to about 15m


LEOPARD SHARKS -UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL-


Above and below with 4 of the 7 different species of sea turtle


While freediving off Byron Bay's main beach, I found a nice Wobbegong Shark, and as I was working out a good position to take a photo from, I noticed a Lobster walking near its tail. Surprisingly, I chose to photograph the Lobster and the tail, and forgot to go back and photograph the Shark. Haha.


Wobbegong sharks apparently love to cuddle each other every now and then


Fabulous morning dive out at nguthungulli


Having a whale of a time!


A fabulous morning out blowing bubbles , just the best , has been too long ! Nurse sharks around the cheese grater , 1st time I have seen them there , a big old girl as well , bull Ray , turtles , and the list goes on , but this guy , have missed him ! Thanks Pez ! Legend


What it feels like being overtaken by Leopard Sharks ? Breathtaking, simply breathtaking......


Leopard (aka Zebra) Sharks hanging out...


Beautiful day today, had a blast with @hardcore_fish_game and friends, now family. Beautiful weather, manage to hook up a xl barracuda had a beautiful blue marlin float right behind the boat but, most likely his mouth was still soar from the tournament days so he decided not to bite this candy that they had out for him. Day ended at the monkey and sloth park just relaxing before their departure.


Yesterday we introduced a bunch of students to leopard sharks for the first time (@lanaisadora). These beautiful animals migrate with the warm water currents, down to my home of byron bay, where they hang out in the eddies of Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli). If you remain really still on the bottom (or mid water, as we were trying to get our students to master) they will often swim right up to you, satisfying their curiosity before undulating back into the blue.


Things to do in Utila? -Explore the amazing fresh water caves. -Visit bando beach. -Visit chepes beach. -Explore Jadeseahorse. -Head over to water cay -Sightseeing the town by golf cart and enjoy great local food and way of living. -Take pictures at the I??Utila sign.


A beautiful day on the water This amazing group had a great time snorkeling and as we always say on the east side there???s always a surprise to highlight your trip, school of dolphins came by to say hi then we followed in to our Famous Harbour tour where we visit the turtle sanctuary in Calabash Bight, had an amazing lunch at Hole in The Wall then headed to the amazing Mangrove Tunnel for great sightseeing and a quick swim at the end of it then headed over On The Rocks for some great drinks Thank you for choosing us What are you waiting for to customize your private tour and experience the great hidden treasures the east end has to offer.


Meet the many smiles of Julian Rocks I actually encountered all of these species on my dive just last weekend! I saved the goofiest of smiles until the end


A very productive morning spent photographing some of the east coasts most exciting marine life! The summer months have been delivering the goods lately and today was no exception. A manta ray, tonnes of leopard sharks, eagle rays and even a couple of Grey nurse sharks were all in attendance (no idea what the grey nurse were doing here in January!). Stormy weather made for some challenging conditions for photos but managed to pull a few together! Swipe through to check out some of the images! If you have a favourite, let me know below


Would you dive on one breath into the deepest murkiest hole inside port hacking? - despite the rain, this mid week private freediving course had quite nice conditions, with the visibility opening up below the surface to a pleasant 7-8m. Looking forward to our next few months of courses; we are going to be BUSY! Welcome to our new certified divers :)


TURTLE SANDWICH Another pic from yesterdays freedive at Julian Rocks. Lin one side in the distance, me the other, all angles covered.


TURTLE BREATH / BUBBLE First dive at Julian Rocks. So many turtles, sharks, blue tangs, wobbys, rays and more. I'll post more tomorrow when I have time.


Excellent AIDA2 free dive course with @theunderwateracademy this weekend, I learnt heaps about myself as a diver and just as a person in general, and got to learn and train a bunch of new skills while doing it. For anyone of any experience level thinking about doing a course, I cannot recommend going with Lucas, Matt and Alan enough - together they are a dream team!


Thanks for sharing @dane.ehm Fun diving on the weekend with the beautiful grey nurse sharks!


Wait for it.... always stoked to hang out with the turtles


Another mini froggy?. They come in all forms and sizes. And colours If you look closely, you can see the lure between the eyes.


When I was 13 I had my first real experience with sharks. A few mates and I had swam out to a little island to spear fish to eat for the weekend. Half way through a dive, we were confronted by a super inquisitive shark. Not knowing much about them, other than the stories I had heard perpetuated by the media, we climbed up onto the island and stayed there wondering how we could get back to shore. It was a moment that changed my life; but not in a negative sense. As I got older, I studied marine science, I trained as a freediver and opened @theunderwateracademy , I spearfished for my food all through university and now into the future. I???ve spent my life with sharks being an integral part of my existence. My relationship and understanding of them now is very different. We know now, that healthy ecosystems need sharks, and for me, if I want to keep living off the ocean, I need healthy ecosystems. My life, anyone who???s life revolves around eating seafood, needs sharks. I???m excited to announce that this year I???ve started working more and more with @biossance a cosmetics company who have created a vegetable based oil, which is identical to the one which used to be derived from shark livers; reducing demand globally for these shark products. I think if there???s a better choice available, it???s worth supporting. Excited to keep showing you this beautiful world they are helping to protect.


Well I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn???t hurt , and the beer I had for breakfast was ent bad so I had one more for desert??Â Sunday morning coming down , Mr Cash , my church Sundays


Treat someone special?? to a dive or snorkel experience out in the marine park of Nguthungulli_Julian Rocks! . Gift vouchers valid for 3 years! ?.


Proud of our new freedive students! 100% pass rate this day on our AIDA2 (max -20m) course.


So many beautiful whales off Ballina today. Thank you


I visited this cave the other day, under much different circumstances, and I can tell you the life that was around it was completely different. So nice to watch an environment change so drastically throughout the year.


Diving into the blue with leopard sharks in Byron Bay! An unforgettable underwater adventure surrounded by these mesmerizing creatures!


Turtle shell looks best on Turtles


Not something you see everyday: Little octopus, trying to eat a puffer fish.


A sunday full of adventures; tigers, sunken sub, dolphins, starfish, gifiti, beach time, local lunch and turtle refugee stop


Part of the allure behind the wild and untamed nature of our oceans, is the potential interaction with some of its most essential and and yet dangerous animals. It keeps our minds alive, and interestingly, just the thought of them can behaviourally impact our human impact on the oceans. But as we move into an age where we try to assimilate rather than dominate, it???s essential that we know how to keep ourselves and our ocean going buddies safe. While I would always hope that our divers out there learn about shark behaviour, and can mitigate interactions before anything like this happens, it???s critically important we know first aid in the incredibly rare case it is needed. This new approach to shark bite has been proposed by an ocean going doctor (Dr Nicholas Taylor) and deviates from the traditional tourniquet method. Please take a moment to have a read through it. It may save a life. If you love getting in the ocean as much as I do, it???s important to know how best to keep safe out there! Happy to hear input from anyone else who is knowledgeable in this particular manoeuvre


"Part of the allure behind the wild and untamed nature of our oceans, is the potential interaction with some of its most essential and and yet dangerous animals. It keeps our minds alive, and interestingly, just the thought of them can behaviourally impact our human impact on the oceans. But as we move into an age where we try to assimilate rather than dominate, it???s essential that we know how to keep ourselves and our ocean going buddies safe. While I would always hope that our divers out there learn about shark behaviour, and can mitigate interactions before anything like this happens, it???s critically important we know first aid in the incredibly rare case it is needed. This new approach to shark bite has been proposed by an ocean going doctor (Dr Nicholas Taylor) and deviates from the traditional tourniquet method. Please take a moment to have a read through it. It may save a life. If you love getting in the ocean as much as I do, it???s important to know how best to keep safe out there! Happy to hear input from anyone else who is knowledgeable in this particular manoeuvre"


What I loved about the hunter gatherer lifestyle was how healthy and alive I felt while I was apart of it. I usually only ate once a day, except for a few bits of fruit in the morning. I lost a lot of weight living like this; but what I lost in belt sizes I gained in knowledge about myself and what my body was capable of.

The difference between hunger and satisfaction were equally important times of the day. I don???t believe that it only effected my state of mind.

There???s something about hunger that refines your senses. You???re at a stage of being alert that doesn???t exist when you???re content and full. I felt that my eyesight, my intuition, my hearing were all able to be acutely focused on catching my prey, and avoiding being bitten or outcompeted by sharks at the same time. I remember a state of calm and purpose, where my body was both perfectly relaxed, yet spring loaded with responsiveness.

This is a picture of me at the end of a couple of months of living entirely off the sea and out of the forest. I was hunting fish at around 30m deep with no fins on, spending 6-8 hours a day in the ocean. I spent many days hungry, when the weather was bad, and I learned a lot about myself and my relationship to the environment. If you ever get the chance to spend time living off the grid, I???d thoroughly recommend finding out what eating less and seeing more can teach you.


We often misinterpret things we see, because we don???t have all the information available, and sometimes we let emotions or information from the media bend our perception of what is actually happening.

I often hear stories of sharks ???chasing people out of the water??Â or large rays trying to attack people; now I???m not saying those things have never happened, but often it???s the person???s interpretation which might not be as informed as it could be. Repeating those things, makes it likely others will think the same thing when presented with similar situations. Again, not always true.

This bull ray is changing directions; it makes it look like it???s being aggressive. For many years spearfishers have strung their catch to floats as they swim around this bay, and the rays often approach people looking for fish. They changed their behaviour and will come to the surface to feed. Sometimes the divers do feed them.

When someone unfamiliar with what???s going on here has a large ray swim up to them at the surface, they often get scared and think it was ???trying to attack them,??Â at no point did the ray get to say ???can I just explain...??Â

Let???s give them another chance; be open to re-understanding what behaviour means, and let???s have another look at all those tall stories we???ve heard before.


Part of the allure behind the wild and untamed nature of our oceans, is the potential interaction with some of its most essential and and yet dangerous animals. It keeps our minds alive, and interestingly, just the thought of them can behaviourally impact our populations impact on the oceans.

But as we move into an age where we try to assimilate rather than dominate, it???s essential that we know how to keep ourselves and our ocean going buddies safe.

While I would always hope that our divers out there learn about shark behaviour, and can mitigate interactions before anything like this happens, it???s critically important we know first aid in the incredibly rare case it is needed.

This new approach to shark bite has been proposed by an ocean going doctor (Dr Nicholas Taylor) and deviates from the traditional tourniquet method. Please take a moment to have a read through it. It may save a life.

If you love getting in the ocean as much as I do, it???s important to know how best to keep safe out there!

#sharks #firstaid #spearfishing #surfing #madeofocean #theunderwateracademy


There???s been a huge movement toward freediving and spearfishing in recent years, and for vastly different reasons. For me, it???s been the ambition of personal development, pushing my mind and body to the limits; but also about connection. I feel very at home in the ocean. I know the reefs like they were my back yard, I know how they change over the year, which animals stay, which animals are new, I get to feel like both a hunter and a protector. I live off the ocean, but I would also go to the ends of the earth to protect it because it now has my livelihood attached to it.


First time seeing one of these beautiful old turtles absolutely stoked


This was so cool watching these Marine Iguana???s cruise past at a snorkelling spot we visited regularly on our stay at Isabela Island,


It???s Winter and that time of the year we once again see Grey Nurse sharks at Julian Rocks but we also see huge schools of jewfish and several@other species like these red morning. It???s still 23 degrees in the bay some come on down (or up) for a dive.


Waaaay back when my Instagram handle was @theunderwaterhunter I made this image of Amber Burke @amberofthesea at the Australian national freediving championships. It made it onto photo of the week in a few underwater forums, and within the next few weeks, I saw replicas and star blends pop up across the internet. Some people were making some incredible images, and for a while, this was all I was interested in. There was a new drive to create things that were unique and other worldly. Photography took on new meaning, and there was a sudden realisation that this underwater landscape could be transformed into almost anything.


If you???re in Australia???s southern lattitudes at the moment, and you???re fortunate enough to be able to get to the water, the Giant Australian Cuttlefish are still spawning. The big alpha males can be found flashing colours at each other like underwater techno kaleidoscopes, and the females will be laying their leathery little eggs in the best crevices they can find. Whack on a face mask and snorkel and do some laps of your local coastline. Get those legs moving, and at the same time, see if you can see any of these guys.


Kicker Rock was turtley fantastic!


Crystal clear water this weekend.


One of the most beautiful things to do is take the 5 minute boat ride from The Pass and snorkel at Julian Rocks Marine Reserve. We saw turtles in the first few minutes and the most incredible marine life. The long wetsuits will keep you warm and you will create some memories which will last a lifetime.?


Cute little baby lionfish hanging out in some coral from this afternoon's dive at Julian Rocks


Mermaid for a day. In an ocean full of fish, be a mermaid. Rent one of there colorful mermaid tails and book a unique professional mermaid photoshoot.


Want to learn how to catch kingfish in Sydney? This is what the calm before the storm looks like.

After spending around a quarter of a century spearfishing, for subsistence, as a sponsored diver, marine scientist, guide and freediving/ spearfishing instructor I can say that sometimes it???s difficult to articulate exactly what you???re looking for when you???re hunting for a particular fish.

When you know, you know... it???s what many people call your fish sense. Why are you wasting your time in one place, but successful in another? What are the cues that tell you, you???re in the right spot? How do you know what will be around, and what gear to bring? How do you approach the area to maximise your chances of landing the fish you???re after.

I???ve attempted to put together a lot of answers to these questions in @theunderwateracademy???s spearfishing manual.

A comprehensive guide to breath-hold diving, spearfishing, safety, sustainability and coastal marine ecosystems.

Join us on a course!

#theunderwateracademy #freediving #spearfishing #marinescience #madeofocean


We've had many fantastic sea turtle encounters on our @sundivebyronbay Galapagos adventure! Off of San Cristobal Island, we visited Kicker Rock, a great snorkel and dive location. On the way, we came across mating green sea turtles. When it comes to mating, male sea turtles can be very unfussy about what they attempt to mate with; this sometimes includes scuba divers and any other turtles they can grab hold of. When I got close to what I thought were two mating turtles, I saw them fighting and then realised they were both males. The bottom turtle fought his way loose, and then they swam off to find a more obliging female.


Night Dive with the crew


Diving instructors to be


As well as selflessly and unknowingly fighting off pods of orca to protect manta rays, yesterday also involved huge fevers of mobula rays! That was pretty epic too!


When the sky is on fire


Amazing leopard sharks at Julian Rocks


Todays diving was nothing short of exceptional ??


Freediving courses nearly fully booked till the end of April. April has some of the best water around; typically clear blue and warm.


Just had a fantastic 5 days out in the coral sea, where conditions were hard to believe. I taught a freediving course and got some new recruits happily and comfortably down to -25m.


Tortuga. Green sea turtle???s were everywhere on our snorkel adventure to Kicker Rock, Gal??pagos Islands.


Navigation Dive on Anemone Garden today - my adventure dive for Padi Advanced Open Water Diver certification.


Nice ride back to oak ridge from westbay, after having a good day on the water. Fishing, snorkeling and Island hopping bookings are open.


I am in the amazing Galapagos Islands with an adventurous group from @Sundivebyronbay. A lovely marbled ray (Taeniurops meyeni) swimming through the mangroves on Isabela Island. This ray had his tail and barb removed which means it has lost the ability to defend itself. Unfortunately, this species of ray grows large and is often caught as bycatch. Fishers quickly remove the tail and barb to protect themselves while releasing the ray. Sadly, this is a common sight around the world, and I have seen it in many different locations, even in Australia. Interestingly this species, although found in Galapagos is not found in South America.


Another fantastic day, another fantastic class! Really proud of the steps taken in getting deeper into this watery world of ours, and super proud of all our instructors who helped make it possible!


Grey nurse sharks have always been very approachable, part of the reason why they nearly wiped out by spearfishermen in the 70???s


Fantastic people doing incredibly valuable work. Great to be out on the water


A green turtle munches on some delicious Caulerpa on Isabela Island, Galapagos. Colourful rainbow wrasse swim around the mouth as the green turtle pulls the Caulerpa from the substrate, hoping to snatch a quick invertebratey type meal


Posted @withregram ??? @byronseapixdavebryant Diving with a leopard shark in the shallows at Julian Rocks - shot with a GoPro4 and UR pro filter.


Once upon a time, in a land far far away, I completed my instructor trainers certification for AIDA International. I???m now looking at organising a program to train new instructors to come work with me at @theunderwateracademy tag someone you know who would love the life of a freediving instructor, or put your hand up yourself


Posted @withregram ??? @byronseapixdavebryant Nothing like diving in a huge school of trevally and then a couple of monster kingies wanna be part of the shot!


I am in the amazing Galapagos Islands with an adventurous group from @Sundivebyronbay. Our first part of the trip is exploring the islands and snorkelling in the shallows to meet the friendly locals!


Nothing like interacting with apex predators in the ocean. These yellowtail kingfish are very cool and calm but lightning fast if provoked or feeding. Filmed with a GoPro 4 and UR pro filter.


Nothing like diving in a huge school of trevally and then a couple of monster kingies wanna be part of the shot!


Diving with a leopard shark in the shallows at Julian Rocks - shot with a GoPro4 and UR pro filter.


I could never get tired of looking at these beauties


Best day ever - omg


A lemon shark doing its best ???Bruce??Â impersonation from finding Nemo.


Awesome dive on the Tassie III wreck in Byron. Big swell was pounding the beach but we n as never a safe entry before a 150m swim, and a beautiful 30 minutes on the bottom. Such a great artificial reef in Byron!


Back at Beqa Lagoon with the awesome tigers


Great team of people to experience our shark adventure with. Days 1 and 2 completed with unforgettable moments under the water?????? Beqa Adventure Divers and Uprising Resort done and a new adventure at Beqa Island Resort to come?


Stegostoma fasciatum ~ this species of shark is commonly called a leopard shark in Australia, and commonly called a zebra shark in the United States


This shark obvioudly has a very good dental plan


One of the sharks I was very excited to encounter on our @sundivebyronbay Bahamas shark trip was the Blacknose Shark Carcharhinus acronotus. I had never seen this shark before and I love adding new species to my species list. We encountered these sharks hanging out in a beautiful blue hole which would have been an exciting dive site without the sharks. These small but stocky sharks didn't come too close on this occasion, but I got a few decent passes. Thanks to @shark_explorers and @brocqmaxey for making it happen.


We took a whale watching/snorkeling tour with @scottwilsonimagery off the Gold Coast hoping to swim with some humpbacks. While we saw a ton while onboard, they would all disappear once we slipped into the water. We gave it about 7-8 tries. I think they were toying with us. Still a great day on the water with @dbnichols4321 and @k3ndalln . Anytime in the water with Punkin makes for a great trip. If you???re on the Gold Coast during whale migration, reach out to @scottwilsonimagery you will not be disappointed.


Nguthungulli , still the one of the most amazing dive sites !


Incredibly lucky to be back in Norway! Such a dramatic environment of deep dark fjords,rugged mountains, cascading waterfalls, and forests in a thousand shades of green.


Julian Rocks on a gorgeous day and the phantom 3 pro worked perfectly!


Such beautiful creatures....


Julian Rocks Dive Sites


I still have so many photos from last year, but one of my favourite encounters was with this beautiful female oceanic whitetip shark off Cat Island in the Bahamas whilst on our @sundivebyronbay shark expedition! She hung around with us all day; it was an exceptional experience.


The white edges of the giant kelp in this picture are dead. White wisps of former forest, stressed beyond their thresh-hold. This is a plantation of Giant kelp; a ???hope spot??? where the most temperature resistant genetics were re-established by scientists, hoping to regenerate some of the 95% of giant kelp forests lost from climate change. I learned to freedive so that I could experience our underwater world, I spearfishing for my food as a way of staying connected to my natural existence. If we want to continue to live from the oceans, if we want to hand over the experiences we had, to our children, we need to make some changes to what???s happening. There have been 6 years of consecutive warming in our oceans, and this is the result. Not only the Great Barrier Reef, but our great southern oceans are feeling the pinch. Spread the word. Bring someone diving, so they know what it is we stand to lose.


Whale watch today


The white edges of the giant kelp in this picture are dead. White wisps of former forest, stressed beyond their thresh-hold.? ? This is a plantation of Giant kelp; a ???hope spot??? where the most temperature resistant genetics were re-established by scientists, hoping to regenerate some of the 95% of giant kelp forests lost from climate change.? ? I learned to freedive so that I could experience our underwater world, I spearfishing for my food as a way of staying connected to my natural existence. If we want to continue to live from the oceans, if we want to hand over the experiences we had, to our children, we need to make some changes to what???s happening.? ? There have been 6 years of consecutive warming in our oceans, and this is the result. Not only the Great Barrier Reef, but our great southern oceans are feeling the pinch.? ? Spread the word. Bring someone diving, so they know what it is we stand to lose.?


A frame grab from my last project with @biossance. (Who can see the two sharks in this pic?) We explored our beautiful oceans, and how critical shark populations are, for ocean health. We also touched on how we can make a difference to ocean health by being careful about what we buy. @biossance for instance has innovated a vegetable based alternative to shark liver oil (squalene), and they are helping to replace this product in the cosmetics industry. It???s worth checking what you???re rubbing on your face and supporting those who are trying to make a difference.


Had the most magical day exploring the deep with @unreliableearthling, swimming with pufferfish, lionfish, leopard sharks and turtles!!


Check these two fur seals, mother and pup having a good old snooze. Los Tuneles, Isabela Island, Galapagos.

#galapagos#isabelagalapagos#furseal#sundivebyronbay#sundivetravel#sonya7rv


How to dive deeper and stay longer safely? Train for it. Set targets, work on technique, most importantly have a buddy that is always watching your back. It???s somber news hearing all our operations are frozen for another month at least. This has been a difficult time to feel like the years of work setting up @theunderwateracademy was worth it; but with the dedication of our instructors, I???m confident we will be roaring to go, the second we???re allowed to have students back on our float lines.


Beautiful evening passing through the channel dividing old and new port royal.


This came from a time in my life when I literally lived off the ocean. Not catching fish meant going hungry. Competing with sharks for every meal was part of the daily routine. I remember being proud of this fish, because of how difficult it was to take. I was happily diving 30-40m deep back then, waiting for the one specific fish I wanted. This last year and a half ha been tough on a lot of people; with my businesses currently shut down, I???m wishing I was back there, floating around in the tropical waters with nothing better to do than exist.


Kicker Rock off San Cristobal is a fantastic dive site! There were so many green turtles around the rock, which seemed to be aggregating to find a mate. This gave some nice photo opportunities!


We had a whale of a time yesterday. Thanks


A curious green turtle at Kicker Rock


Byron Bay you are absolutely devine! Another crackin day out on the water


Beautiful moments with beautiful people and amazingly gorgeous creatures


Seriously UNREAL! Had a magical morning with these playful bottlenose dolphins. More experiences like this please life!


Post Dive Bliss !!! 1st 30m Deep Dive completed well - Happiness in the extreme


I am in the amazing Galapagos Islands with an adventurous group from @Sundivebyronbay.
This shot was taken on Pinzon Island Galapagos; it's so nice to see healthy populations of sharks close to the shoreline. These whitetip reef sharks were all sat in the mangroves.
Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting such an awesome encounter and, the guide told me that we had to stay horizontal, or the sharks would see this as a sign of aggression. Knowing how aggressive whitetip reef sharks can be towards people, I heeded his advice, but composing the shot was difficult from flat on the surface and lots of heads were subsequently chopped.
You get the picture anyways..


Fantastic life at Mantaray Bay with a surprising healthy reef.


For anyone else trying to find the light in all of this, I know that if you keep pushing, keep focusing on what will get you to the surface, eventually you will feel the breeze on your face, and fresh air in your lungs again.


Thanks Nathalie! ?? this pic and love this Sundive Byron bay


Cool night dives off the Ribbon Reefs with a favourite being Gotham City for the Red Bass and Trevally.


#outoftheblueadventures Thanks Angus & Emily for a fantastic morning. It was knowledgeable and full of some awesome visions of these amazing creatures. Highly recommend you and your company for anyone visiting Byron Bay


If you???ve messaged or emailed in the last week about freediving courses (or just to say hi) sorry I haven???t got back to you. We???ve been working away on a project out to sea... looking forward to sharing it with you later in the year ?I???ll get back to all the emails over the weekend! Looking forward to taking you all out there!


It???s nice to be getting back to teaching my freediving and spearfishing courses again! Congrats on your first lessons @tiff263 ??? The water is starting to cool down; but still warm enough to be out there enjoying it! There???s some big fish going past the north coast of NSW at the moment too if you???re game to brave the swell


Ready to dive into the weekend like these two idiots


It???s nice to be getting back to teaching my freediving and spearfishing courses again! The water is starting to cool down; but still warm enough to be out there enjoying it! There???s some big fish going past the north coast of NSW at the moment too if you???re game to brave the swell.


Dolphinpuppy


The water clarity in the Bay is soooo clear... time to get out for a dive on the Tassie wreck. It will be going off!


Did you know that almost all of the world's seven species of sea turtles are omnivorous???meaning they eat pretty much anything, including jellyfish!


Incubus Chaos Underwater with the wonderful


Dancing witches , ??? Incubus Chaos??Â Underwater creatures


Bloop bloop bloop! A Lion???s Mane Jellyfish cruising through the waters of Julian Rocks yesterday offshore from Byron Bay. I don???t come across many of these interesting creatures, it was refreshing to see one again. It was amazing to be back at JR again, I???m looking forward to getting back weekly adventures here as we enter Leopard Shark season


Australian Mottled Moray Eel // Hidden in a tiny crevice in the coral, this moray eel gave us a quite the surprise when we looked closely. Growing up to 1.5m in length theses guys can be distinguished by their multiple light spots on their dark body


What???s the weirdest thing you???ve found underwater?? Yesterday I was exploring somewhere new and found this rather ominous hulk, laying on the bottom collecting silt. Did someone forget where they parked?


I loved photographing the lemon sharks at Tiger Beach; such a cool animal! | Taken on @sundivebyronbay Bahamas Shark Expedition |


Good wildlife photographers stay focused and build up knowledge and skill over the years to anticipate animal behaviour in an attempt to be in the right place at the right time. I obviously missed that memo. Here I'm taking a portrait of a still lemon shark while a tiger impressively launches for the bait in the background, and I had no idea until checking the photos back on land.


Photo by??? @britinbrisbane Borders to head down to Byron from Queensland opening back up from October 1st . Who's excited? ???


The best view in the sea


Swimming pigs!!!! Couldn???t t miss the Bahamas classic on our @sundivebyronbay trip. Baby pigs on the beach and cheerful big pigs with floppy ears swimming towards you .. puts a big big smile on your face thanks to @shark_explorers for getting us there early before all the crazy day boats ..


Meet 'Emma', probably the most famous shark of Tiger Beach and one of the favourites on our @sundivebyronbay Bahamas shark expedition. Emma is distinguishable by the damage to her lower caudal fin and her calm behaviour around divers. Apparently, Emma turned up this season looking very thin but has bulked up and was looking good when we spent a few days with her.


You can???t really say you ve done tiger beach if you haven???t been head butted by Emma. Such a chilled and charismatic shark she likes to get close, very close


Another tiger to meet from our @Sundivebyronbay shark expedition is 'Cookie' named after the cookiecutter shark bite on her chin (ouch). Cookie liked to do flyovers and was usually higher in the water column than the other tigers.


With such an exquisite bright blue coupe these guys are hard to miss on the reef. Easily mistake for a parrot gosh due to their colour, their thick chunky lips help to distinguish.


Cruising with one of the most vulnerable shark species. Even though grey nurse sharks (or sand tiger sharks) look intimidating, they are actually one of the more laid back shark species


During our @sundivebyronbay shark expedition to the Bahamas, we were lucky enough to meet Butthead, the tiger shark, named for, well, obvious reasons. Each tiger shark has a distinct personality and behaviour, and Butthead is just slightly loco and unpredictable; still, we really enjoyed our time with her.


Meet 'Bullet' the tiger shark (my personal favourite)! We've had a fantastic few days at tiger beach on our @sundivebyronbay Bahamas shark expedition! So many photos to go through; more from Bullet soon.


Check this school of Barracuda we encountered in Kimbe bay PNG back in March. Dive site, The Arch.


Having fun in macro with a bubble anenome!


In a couple of months our local dive sites will see hundreds of leopard/zebra sharks make themselves at home.


Moray eel


Swimming with the puppies of the sea


Slowing things down has presented an incredible opportunity to reassess the way we live our lives.
While we are stuck in a routine; keeping the cogs turning, we rarely get the opportunity to step back and see if we could do things differently. The small blessing of closing down my businesses has been to refocus my energy. I???ve come up with a new direction for my company, and I???m now reaching people all around the world (and in incredibly unforeseen places).
Instead of focusing on the obvious, the discontent, the negative; if we broaden our perspectives, we have an increased opportunity to reinvent our way forward.
Freediving is one of those amazing sports where slowing down and relaxing helps us out. Trying harder isn???t always the best way forward... I???m sinking deeper into thinking differently. See you when I reach the bottom #theunderwateracademy @theunderwateracademy #freediving #breathhold #adventure #theunderwaterhunter #sinking #slowingdown #speedingup


We had a superb sharky week during our recent dive trip to Beqa Lagoon in Fiji & can thoroughly recommend Beqa Lagoon Resort Dive crew, great group of professional guys, comfy boat rides & incredible non-stop shark action at the Cathedral dive site. From 50+ bulls & Tigers making their appearance on 2 days the entire experience was awesome Photograph: Brian Pool


Face to face with a tiger


Aren't bull sharks Beautiful?


Tiger Shark rises up before us from the Cathedral arena @ Beqa Lagoon, Fiji. Photograph: Brian Pool An phenomenonal dive, led by dive master Brandon Paige, where we were blessed to have four big Tigers cruising around us (not to mention the Bulls). This was so much more than we ever expected. Huge thanks to this amazing crew. Vinaka!!


We were back in Byron Bay for another dive at Julian Rocks. It was fantastic; the visibility was about 10-11 metres, although, it was a little bit chilly. But besides that...


Wahoo action today was nice


Fabulous day whale watching at Brunswick Heads


What a job! The guy in the picture who looks like a shark puppeteer is in fact in control of the food bin. The sharks never bother him and, his job is to swim up and down the line of excited divers with the bin to make sure they all have a great view of the sharks; this must be one of the most exciting diving jobs ever! Any volunteers?


A picture I made many many moons ago, showing what days in the ocean can be like. The underwater part of this shot is in a marine park, where these manta are protected, however in recent years when I???ve visited, the amount of plastic they deal with is increasing and increasing. Now, I???m not going to harp on about plastics as I think we???re fairly aware of trying to reduce where we can, but I am going to say I???m in the middle of a project which is going one step further, which is going to be doing things to reverse the problems


After going back for a few dives on scuba again, I can honestly say I???ve never been happier with my transition to freediving. I did my open water scuba licence when I was 14 and then started freediving when I was 16... that???s nearly 20 years ago now, and it was the best thing I???ve ever done.


Some lovely white spotted eagle rays cruising around Julian Rocks on Sunday. Conditions were decent - a handful of leopard sharks & rays doing laps around the needles & nursery. Another nice day spent in the big blue! .


I used to spend months at a time in the Solomon Islands, in a village that had no electricity, no phones, no real contact with the western world; or with our system of values. Days revolves around the weather, the seasons and the movement of different animals. It had its own focus and flow.

I miss that. Here???s a pic of me spearfishing. Without using fins, I would crawl down the walls to between 20-30m deep to catch fish. This was a Maori seaperch, and I remember the dive well. A bit over 3min on my last dive of my whole trip. The perfect fish to share with my host family, over the fire on my last night. #simplertimes #aintnobodygottimefordat #imholdyourbreathkindahungry #freediving #theunderwateracademy #hunting #huntandgather #liveofftheland #nofinsfriday #aquaman


? Great day back in Byron Bay.. So many amazing memories!


A tiger shark about to be hand feed, fantastic interactions at Beqa Lagoon.


I am delighted to have my image 'Somewhere Under the Rainbow' take off Lord Howe Island shortlisted in the @southaustralianmuseum & @australiangeographic Nature Photographer of the Year. So many great photos from so many talented photographers; I wish everyone luck.

We visited Lord Howe Island in May last year; it was the last trip of the diving season but still an amazing one. I was excited about visiting Lord Howe Island to see some of the rare and endemic species that inhabit the land and seas around the island. On my radar were Galapagos sharks (Carcharhinus galapagensis), as Lord Howe is one of the only places in Australia to encounter this species. @prodivelordhowe runs a fantastic snorkel experience. There is no bait; they pop you in the water and drift with the current. The sharks, presumably thinking that the boat may be a fishing vessel and that there may be a few scraps going overboard, inquisitively come and investigate. On this day, there were many curious sharks; as we drifted, a storm started to form off Mount Gower, which usually isn't great for photographs, but then a double rainbow also formed, which was a fantastic sight. I wasn't geared up correctly to take split-level shots with my small dome and heavy strobes weighing my camera housing down, but I tried my best to capture the moment, even with the storm-generated waves crashing over me. Sharks & storms & rainbows, oh my!

Thanks to @prodivelordhowe for taking us to meet the sharks and making the shot possible.


Incubus Chaos 2, the wilding inside us... with the amazing contemporary dancer


Tiger sharks aren't the only species that inhabit Tiger Beach; there are multiple other species, including the charismatic and bold lemon shark which is the shark in the front of the image.


Incubus Chaos , the wilding inside us... with the amazing contemporary dancer


Swimming with these guys is the highlight of my year


Hey guys! If you haven???t jumped on board yet, I???ve got another week of classes running online. Tonight???s classes are equalisation (if you have trouble going equalising past 5-10m) and breath-hold physiology and psychology. Still time to book on, just follow the link in my profile: thank you for supporting @theunderwateracademy during these times! If you???re near one of our locations, we???ll take off the price of your online course from your next freediving course with us :) -


Fighting chaos ... Underwater creatures


What to say... just stay still... Underwater creatures


But we feel there is no air left for us ... politicians playing with our lives while the world drains in despair ... Underwater creatures


But we are besieged, immersed in chaos ... deep down a dark place ... Underwater creatures


There is so much beauty in this world, even through the darkness ... Underwater creatures


Went for an ocean kayak with @cape_byron_kayaks yesterday. This crusty Loggerhead came over to say 'Hi' so I dropped the ActionCam in the water - Result. Oh, we saw whales and dolphins too.


There is so much beauty in this world ... in humans but specially in the Nature around us ... let???s fight to preserve the life in our oceans ! Underwater creatures


If you want to join us, there???s still a few places available (you can book on through the link in my bio). I???ve even decided that, as a way of saying thanks for supporting our business; if you choose to come and do one of our freediving or spearfishing courses when our businesses @theunderwateracademy reopens, I???ll give you a discount for what you spent on the online classes. We hope we can help you through these tough times, by keeping you entertained and healthy, and we love that you???ve supported us through it too. Hope to see you all face to face soon! First class starts tomorrow evening. We will have regular weekly dry training classes running as of next week.


Name a happier looking shark!


Before we hit the waters here in Fiji, I have some last fotos of @bluebaysaronde to share with you Besides nudies we've seen many other creatures from the tiny funky shrip to the big impressive whale shark


Big spotty fish???


Hidden in the Ocean ... Underwater creatures


I dream of beautiful creatures that live in our seas and our dreams... taking care of both... Underwater creatures


My oceans are full of Nymphs and marvellous creatures , if we harm our oceans, what tales will we tell to our children ? Underwater creatures


Last day @bluebaydivers1212 Thank you for those great memories, for your hospitality and a feeling of being at home! The colours and wildlife are amazing! It's a true paradise!


We got to spend a whole week on @bluebaysaronde An island paradise with wonderful hosts, white sand, balinese style villas, delicious food and top notch diving. Being the ONLY guests on the island was the cherry on the top!


Reflect... Underwater creatures


A great collaboration since longtime with our friends jica international for sharing our knowledge for some scientific surveys to protect our marine ecosystem for our future


In moments of darkness may we have the clarity to look at the light of wisdom and compassion Underwater creatures


Julian Rocks over the summer months really is an amazing place to dive.


This is happening again! Last year I was super proud to bring @theunderwateracademy and the entire Sydney freediving community to the opera house to dive in the waters of Sydney harbour. We were there as part of Clean Up Australia Day; for an event organised with @surfrider ... we???re doing it again if you want to come on down! All free divers with a valid certification welcome to jump in the water with us :) .


Balls Pyramid has been one of those places I???ve wanted to dive for years and years, and finally, yesterday it became a reality. It was a 6:30am start with @prodivelordhowe and anticipation was high. Greeted with 30-40m visibility, I managed to Freedive the cave at observatory rock; touching the back wall, and spotting the huge numbers of dinosaur-like slipper lobsters, bunched into the crevices on the caves roof (the cave is about 18m deep and about 20-30m long to the back wall). From here we explored the boulders until the final ascent at Ballina Bombie. Resting on the sand in around 30m, I found my first Ballina Angel Fish. A definite tick off the list for fish addicts like myself. The next dive was at SE rock; where I found mammoth coronation trout, big black trevally, plenty of huge kingfish, oh, and probably 50+ Galapagos whaler sharks that jostled at our fin tips when I called them up from the deep. We even had a hammerhead come up to join the excitement. All in the shadow of Balls Pyramid. If you ever get the chance to do this dive, I can highly recommend it. I???ll hopefully be teaching freediving courses out here again soon... so please let me know if you???re interested. A massive thank you again to Aaron and Lisa at


The beauty of our oceans, its myths and legend will disappear in a death Ocean, turned dead by human induced climate change . Underwater Dancers


Underwater Dancers


Gift vouchers available for Christmas! - if you???ve left if till the last minute and need to make up for it; send us a message and we???ll sort you out. Get them out and underwater - The Underwater Academy team


Chaos . Underwater Dancers


Ocean Nymph Underwater Dancers


The Ocean Nymph Underwater Dancers


Sometimes when it feels like the entire world is against you, and your life is spiraling away into a void you won???t climb out of, remember that somewhere out there, there are cute baby seals, just wanting to play with you


Lemon Shark


Going to miss seeing these beauties around the rock but pretty dam excited for some grey nurse and whales


How many bull sharks can you count in this image?


Going to work after the long weekend like...


Galapagos Shark of Lord Howe Island .


What???s your favourite dive site? This is mine...


One of my favourite images of a white spotted eagle ray taken at Julian rocks a couple years ago.


Another weekend of bad conditions here in south east Queensland??? Only plus side is thinking about how good it???s going to feel when we eventually get back out there! I???ve recently been going through and editing some past images that didn???t make the initial cut. Swipe right to check em out


Taken in 600m of water in the middle of the night, while i floated off an island by myself in the remote parts of the Solomon Islands. I miss adventures.


Oh my goodness... I had a really amazing party with these lovely whales! This is one of the best experience in my life.


Today was beyond breathtaking! We went on an epic whale watching trip and saw beautiful humpback whales and a chill sea turtle! The first three photos here were taken by our lovely guide Laura from @wildbyronseasafaris (I just popped on my favorite filter) How stunning are they?!  My heart was beating so fast when the whale breached, I didn???t see it coming! It was truly a day I???ll never forget! Our guide Glenn was looking out for trash, too, and fished it out as we went along! He told us a lot about how human actions are harming the wildlife in our oceans! Special experiences like these also strengthen my belief that we as humans just have to strive to be better every day!


What an incredible experience getting to see Humpback whales up close!


When I first took this image it annoyed me how asymmetrical the manta is with one wing up and one down??? The more I look at it the more it actually bothers me If only the mantas could keep this kind of thing in mind next time their workin the camera


Whale watching today was wonderful!


WE LOVE MANTA???S! What???s your fave? You have until tomorrow night to enter our GIVEAWAY for your chance to WIN 50% off a dive course + some rad new gear...What are you waiting for! ?Find the post with the slick mask + snorkel for all the details ??? @zoea.imagery ???


One of my favourite experiences was having these two curious creatures come and say hello while we were out on a boat near Byron. They're inquisitive and so beautiful. Hoping to get back out on the ocean again soon.


Today, as part of our @sundivebyronbay Galapagos adventure, we were diving offshore of Wolf Volcano on Isabela Island. The diving was fantastic with giant mantas, huge schools of mobula rays, sharks and much much more. On our third and final dive, we were looking for a large school of black-striped salema that had been seen previously. After much searching, we found it in about 5m of water and spent some time playing with the fish.

Soon after, I completed my safety stop and surfaced, only to hear people yelling at me from the boat. I turned around and looked under the water to find a manta stationary underneath me; quite unusual, but I figured this was what everyone was yelling about. I took a couple of crappy photos and then, to my shock, I noticed in the distance a pair of orca who were hunting the manta, and it was using me as cover. The orca came into sight, and I got one distant (very crappy) shot before they disappeared; the manta then disappeared, too. It was all over in a heartbeat, and I was a little confused (I???m easily confused) as to what was happening at the time. I???m unsure if the manta swam under me as it was, hoping they would take me instead or if it knew my presence would delay them; if the former, I forgive it, and I hope my presence didn???t only delay the inevitable.

An amazing experience I will never forget!


Counting down to when we will see these wonderful sharks again - possibly the most terrifying looking but one of the least threatening sharks in the ocean!


We might not have our boats going out to Julian Rock???s just yet, but we have some exciting plans to look forward to! We???re talking 1:1 scuba diving and freediving courses, first aid courses AND new stock in the shop for all your ocean needs! Don???t forget.. You can hire full scuba gear from us or just hire the bits you need to fill the gaps for your adventures! Drop us an email, give us a call or pop in and say hello Stay tuned for more updates ??


Yesterday???s scuba dive on the Tassie III allowed me to use my old Olympus 5050 camera with its 100 degree Inon wide lens and in-built flash - I get just enough flash from the camera to light up the subjects in the first 2 feet - and this is the end result.


Ned???s beach on Lord Howe Island is one of the highlights for fish lovers. Here, a small section of the beach is designated as a feeding zone and attracts a variety of very confident fish in large numbers. The feeding is carefully managed with special fish pellets and limits on the amount of food given. One fish species attracted to Ned???s is the charismatic silver drummer; these guys gather around you as soon as you enter the water and greet you with hungry ???smiles???.


Underwater witches ... Underwater creatures


Julian rocks Byron bay , amazing crystal clear ocean


Plans for the weekend? Fancy a snorkel or even a scuba dive? You can rent or buy all the gear you need from us at BBDC! Swim out off the beach whilst the water is flat as a pancake + clear as day ?? Pop into the shop between 10am + 2pm daily + we can tell you where the best hangouts are + get you fitted out with some gear! ??? ??? ??? @raquelbota ???


An absolute epic Lord Howe dive experience thanks to #prodivelordhowe and a shout out to #sundivebyronbay and the 2022 Lord Howe crew for another fantastic adventure


Galapagos sharks are also encountered at Ned's beach. The sharks are a  little more reserved than the silver drummers, but I think that possibly everything on the planet may be...


Another fish I wanted to encounter while visiting Lord Howe Island was the Galapagos shark.
Lord Howe is one of the only places in Australia to see this species of shark. @prodivelordhowe run a fantastic and highly organised Galapagos shark snorkel trip to meet these charismatic sharks and it doesn't disappoint! Maybe two minutes after choosing our location, there were Gal sharks coming to check us out; by the end of the snorkel, I estimated approximately 50 sharks were swimming around us. If you are visiting Lord Howe and love sharks, this trip is highly recommended!


You can get a little sick of seeing these guys on a dive as they are usually everywhere. Good to stop and take a quick on the odd occasion.


More more silver drummer ???smiley??? fun???


Leafy Sea Dragon Photograph by Brian Pool Under the pier at Rapid Bay Jetty, South Australia. Leafy Sea Dragons have to be amongst the most photogenic animals in the world.


On this dive we were lucky enough to see 6 species of sharks. This image shows Bulls, Lemons and Tawny Nurse sharks but we also saw Black and White tip and Grey reef sharks. Fantastic diving with


Meet 'Parasite' an approximately 5 m long male great white shark we met off the Southern Neptune Islands. Parasite has quite a good coverage of parasitic copepody type thingies, which is (most probably) from where his name originates; he certainly is a handsome fish! Thanks to @rodneyfoxsharkexpeditions for the trip and @sundivebyronbay for organizing the trip!


Our oceans are dying while our politicians do nothing and pledge allegiance to the fishing industry ... is a nightmare... Underwater Dancers


Serious whale action ...


Pretty pumped for the rest of January! The next 8 days, back to back, fully booked freediving courses. Creating a whole new underwater community. Extending people???s lives into the other 80% of our planet.


One of the highlights of being with @rodneyfoxsharkexpeditions is that they have a 'bottom cage', which sits between 15 and 28m and allows you a fascinating perspective with the sharks; it also makes for some excellent photo opportunities!


What amazing and bizarre creatures


Leopard Prints


An unforgettable experience onboard the @rodneyfoxsharkexpeditions Big thanks to the crew for their efforts in making a very successful trip .


Just back from an amazing trip chasing great white sharks in the Neptune Islands with a great bunch of lovely people from @sundivebyronbay . We had the weather on our side, lots of sharks everyday, playful sea lions and beautiful clear water??? a huge thank you to @rodneyfoxsharkexpeditions for a fantastic trip with a wonderful crew


This weekend made for incredible conditions out on the rock. With 15m+ visibility, we had it all with Manta Rays, Leopard Sharks, Turtles, Schooling Barracuda, a huge Stone fish and much more. It???s was one of those days that rarely happen.


Leopard Sharks Byron Bay, New SouthWales, Australia Please Like, Comment & Share New longer videos on my YouTube Follow @mitchellpettigrew for more


Needed a little break from reality! -


A quick break from posting Mexico photos?????? to the next adventure?????? @chezlgee and I have arrived in Fiji. Standby for the pictures of SHARKS!


Diving at home!


Watching the marine life


Underwater slow dance ... Underwater creatures


Morning views...


Thanks Ate Leni for the parking lessons , driving time and for these photos


This was such a fun day, the hardest part was choosing which leopard shark to take a photo of. You can see @kristianlainephotography in action


My buddy, Anne, watching this beautiful octopus change colour and dance around the reef at Julian Rocks. #byronbaydivecentre


Have you ever seen a school of Tuna and Barracuda together? Well we did here in Kimbe Bay PNG


Underwater thoughts... Underwater creatures


Look at me... wake up... Underwater creatures


Hidden ... Underwater creatures


These majestic mammals have returned They always make my heart sing


SURFRIDER FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA - OPERA HOUSE CLEAN-UP 2020! Such a beautiful day with amazing people all getting together to participate in an amazing cause!!!


??? A new dawn??Â a collaboration with a fantastic musician,


Maybe there is light out there... Underwater creatures


Underwater Dancers


Good crew = Good Dives


Woohoo, completed the AIDA2 with The Underwater Academy!!! Had soooo much fun and gained so much more knowledge about this fantastic sport!!! So lucky to have gone with such an awesome group with such amazing teachers!!


Now there???s something you don???t see every-day... and what a couple of days it???s going to be. Just got up to the Great Barrier Reef for one of the greatest natural spectacles the world will ever see... turn the lights down low, if you know what I mean. Corals -swiping right like their lives depend on it.... kind of like this guy


The bulls were on top form today! Thanks to @thefijisharkdive for expertly looking after all of our group from @sundivebyronbay


With all this science work, I???ve been out of the water for 3 weeks now... going crazy!! To make up for it, I???m flying to Sydney to teach another freediving course; and will have all our summer courses up soon too! Who???s coming along? Who wants to learn how to dive deeper?


Aquaman looks like a sissy.


Pretty grey + wet outside today but look how BLUE Bexhill Quarry is Our Freediving + Open Water students went there this morning for their training dives with instructors Kaine + Matt ?? Have you been diving there? The water is beaut even on a day! ?


Last minute spots on our Sydney freediving course this coming weekend. Send us an email on info@theunderwateracademy.com


For the last 10 years I???ve created media about our changing oceans, both about their beauty, in the hope that people would find reason to want to protect them, and about their destruction so people would do the same. After @bluethefilm2017 I began to see a real awakening in both people and now in companies. Putting our oceans and environment back at the top of our priorities. We became conscious about our impacts and are now looking at ways to make changes, small and large. We???re moving away from the throw-away society, by reducing our waste, recycling & choosing brands that make timeless and high quality items. I???m proud to start a journey with @breitling @breitling_oceania who have proven you don???t have to sacrifice quality or style by being environmentally conscious and incorporating recycled plastics into their #superocean range of watches. I know I???ll have my Breitling for a lifetime. I???ll be off next week to their summit launch, so will keep you all updated with what???s to come!


Blowing bubble rings as a freediver is kind of that perfect ???thing??Â that typifies our sport. It???s the combination of air and water and all its dynamics. It???s a fragile balance between stillness and movement. The bubble, outwardly expanding as it travels further and further, threatening to crumble and lose form, but being held together by tension and pressure. The toroidal vortex moves through water with the least friction of any known movement.... To create the rings or for some people ???underwater art,??Â we sacrifice what it is that keeps us there, the air in our lungs; and just like the bubbles we have to return to the surface, where our presence will disappear, like we were never there in the first place.


Just a couple of mates enjoying a morning swim at the rocks Must be getting close to 10 weeks now since I???ve had a local dive! The weather along the east coast has been unrelenting to say the least.


So good to be back in the water yesterday! Conditions were average at best but we still managed to find a few nice photo ops. Here???s one of the highlights - a beautiful lion fish spreading its fins. Little guy was hanging out under some very turbulent water making things a bit interesting Now let???s all hope the rain forecast for the coming week isn???t nearly as bad as first though


Somewhere in the pacific, is an island, with cracks and caves full of crystal clear water. At a specific time of day, the light shines straight through a hole in the top of the cave to create amazing light beams. This cave is the most spectacular. There is coral, sharks, and the possibility of something else. . Where is it?


A Leopard Shark cruising above the sandy bottom at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay


Well the start of Leopard season here on the east coast has been a bit up and down so far??? that said, the ???ups??Â have been realllllly up So it???s hard to be too disappointed Swipe across to check out some of the Leopard Shark magic that has been occurring so far in 2022


Facing off with Eagles. There???s been a large fever of Eagle Rays hanging around the rock the past few weeks. This abundance of Rays coupled with beautiful blue water has made awesome conditions to practise photographing them.


8 of my favourite images from this years leopard shark season. This year didn???t exactly go to plan thanks to less than ideal weather But still had some amazing dives. Swipe right to check em out!


Excited to announce we are putting the final touches on The Underwater Academy @theunderwateracademy spearfishing courses. Living from our oceans connects us to the sea. That connection often means we want to see it healthy enough to continue supporting our families and our futures. The courses incorporate freediving physiology, marine science and fisheries stock assessments, gear testing and techniques for effective and sustainable spearfishing. With a strong focus on safety and the latest marine science, the course is designed to not only develop skills, but a knowledge that connects you to the sea and fosters a relationship where you are entrusted to be its guardian. Courses are up and running in Sydney, with a roll-out across Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Byron Bay as the year progresses. . . Tag a mate who should do this: and send us an inquiry on info@theunderwateracademy.com


Excellent conditions to shoot this morning at the rocks Here???s a Leopard Shark trying his best to shake off a couple of remora fish I can confirm he was unsuccessful and the little buggers only seemed to attach even harder! Back out again tomorrow to make the most of this perfect visibility


So I???ve recently collaborated with @ocean.pulse to contribute to their weekly blog for all things underwater and scuba! @ocean.pulse is full of interesting articles ranging from product to destination reviews as well as everything in between. My first piece for the blog: The Best Leopard Shark Dive in the World: Julian Rocks Many of my images have been captured at Julian Rocks and anyone who???s slid into my DMs will know - I can talk about it all day If you???ve ever wondered a little more about the site and it???s seasonal Leopards, this article is for you (LINK IN BIO) Have a read and let me know your thoughts!


SPEARFISHING COURSES: Excited to announce we are putting the final touches on The Underwater Academy @theunderwateracademy spearfishing courses. Living from our oceans connects us to the sea. That connection often means we want to see it healthy enough to continue supporting our families and our futures. The courses incorporate freediving physiology, marine science and fisheries stock assessments, gear testing and techniques for effective and sustainable spearfishing. With a strong focus on safety and the latest marine science, the course is designed to not only develop skills, but a knowledge that connects you to the sea and fosters a relationship where you are entrusted to be its guardian. Courses are up and running in Sydney, with a roll-out across Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Byron Bay as the year progresses. .


It don???t take long for it to go from good to bad. Early start on Friday picking a couple of lads up off the beach. Hope they are doing ok. Good spotting by Rod to alert us all.


Grey skies and whales!


One day you will go further than you imagined, and you will look back and ask yourself. Why did I doubt myself so much? @svenjamin_franklin snapped this pic of me taking @alexandre.gibaud down to his pb depth of -30m. Courses will be running over winter in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney! (And a couple in Byron) hope we can see you there!


A bit of Manta madness for your Monday night These images were taken Saturday morning at Julian Rocks/Nguthungulli. There???s been a lot of Manta action so far this season! Let???s hope it continues Swipe right to check out my favourite 5 Manta images from the dive Let me know your thoughts! Do you have a favourite? If so, which one?


Having spent this last year mostly freediving for work, I???m pretty excited to be heading off for some play time on the GBR with @belugaxpeditions and @hannahderose__ ... chasing the Ferrari???s of the whale family for a photo op. Who else has dived with Minke whales before? Listened to the dubstep-like beats? Looking forward to


I???ll be speaking at the upcoming Sydney boat show, on all things freediving! I???ll also be hosting a bit of a forum, so if you???re interested, come on down! Find out a bit more about underwater photography, freedive training for spearfishing and how you can get involved. Hope to meet you there! .


We???re super proud to announce an AIDA instructor course with Miguel Lozano (3rd deepest diver on the planet) in November this year, running in Bali. We???ve had a couple of candidates have to withdraw due to other constraints so there???s a couple of positions left. This really is an incredible opportunity, so send us a DM if interested. We will also be running an assistant instructor course on the lead up, to get people up to speed, and our weekly squad training will help keep you in condition throughout winter. Imagine going freediving for work!


FREE EVENT: I???m hosting an equalisation workshop tomorrow night at @adrenospearfishing store in Sydney (678 Botany rd. Alexandria - 5:30pm) with @theunderwateracademy If you have difficulty with equalisation between 5 - 12m (so if you can???t go past this depth) we will be working on the common problems. You can also come along if you???re keen to learn more about spearfishing and freediving, as the techniques we use are necessary for effective diving. Please let us know you???re coming, and tag in any friends you think should come along. Looking forward to seeing you all there!


WHO WANTS TO GO FREEDIVING FOR WORK?? We???re super proud to announce an AIDA instructor course with Miguel Lozano (3rd deepest diver on the planet) in November this year, running in Bali. We???ve had a couple of candidates have to withdraw due to other constraints so there???s a couple of positions left. This really is an incredible opportunity, so send me a DM if interested. I will also be running an assistant instructor course on the lead up, to get people up to speed, and our weekly squad training will help keep you in condition throughout winter!


Not hard to see how these guys get their common name #leopardshark Outside of Australia however, they are known as Zebra sharks. When they are born they actually have distinctive stripes which gradually stretch into spots as they mature. Regardless what you call them, I think we can all agree they are incredibly beautiful and always a joy to dive with


Current conditions off the coast of northern New South Wales Here???s a chilled out little Green Turtle as he slowly made his way to the Cod Hole.


Keen to do some beach dives but you aren???t certified yet? Want to get certified now so you can be on that first boat back out to Julian Rocks? Never dived before but fancy giving it a go? Look no further! We are offering 1:1 dive courses due to the current Covid-19 restrictions. A 1:1 course, just you, one of our amazing instructors & some beautiful marine life? Sign us up! For all your enquiries, questions & queries, chuck them in an email or give us a call. We can???t wait to hear from you We are open 10-2 daily ???


Seriously though.. how can you not love that face Had a couple of great dives earlier in the week. Visibility varied a fair bit but found a beautiful patch of Blue water with 6 Leopard Sharks chillin. Current was pretty strong which saw them keeping close to the sand making for some different shots


Julian Rocks over the summer months absolutely goes off! Will be a very exciting day when we finally get to head down there again??? Here a Leopard Shark shows off it???s beautiful spots as it cruises just a few meters beneath the surface. Can anyone find the sneaky Turtle? ???


Freediving squad is lit. Thanks @lucas_handley for sharing your expertise, tips and mad skills.


FREE EVENT: I???m hosting an equalisation workshop tomorrow night at @adrenospearfishing store in Sydney (678 Botany rd. Alexandria - 5:00pm) with @theunderwateracademy If you have difficulty with equalisation between 5 - 12m we will be working on the common problems. You can also come along if you???re keen to learn more about spearfishing and freediving, as the techniques we use are necessary for effective diving. Please let us know you???re coming, and tag in any friends you think should come along. Looking forward to seeing you all there!


According to a recent fisherman???s report, if you fell in the harbour, you would definitely get eaten by a shark..... perhaps the sharks didn???t get the memo this day?


Another great couple of dives at the rock this morning Some pretty strong currents at times but plenty of marine life to hang with! Here???s a beautiful Lion Fish that was happy to pose for a few shots


SOUND ON: Learning to equalise can be a frustrating experience, because we are learning to coordinate muscles that we are often very unaware of. The muscles work, but for some people, getting them to work at the correct time can feel a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy. It takes a bit of practice to get it happening correctly at the same time.... If you lock up at: 2m, 5-8m, 15-20m, 25 - 32m, or around 40m and can???t equalise any further, there???s usually a very good reason; and it comes down to muscle control. Know someone who can???t equalise? Tag them, as we will be holding an equalisation workshop soon.


Leopard Shark Killer day with @wildbyronseasafaris Shot with the Canon 1dxii w-14mm L II F2.8 w- Aquatech Housing Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia


A big thanks everybody? Who help us for the clean up of bluebay today . Together we can protect our oceans? lots of kg removed from the seabed Thanks to mmco, bluebay boat owners,scubaworld,bluebaydivers.


We???re super proud of our instructor, Jarrod Briffa and his incredible achievements. He recently won the Australian Pool Nationals, congratulations (200m! What a swim)


Leopard Shark Shot with the Canon 1dxii w-14mm L II F2.8 w- Aquatech Housing Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia


We???re open! Come and see us, grab some gear and head out for a swim on this beautiful day ?? You can rent our gear for 24 hours.. How many snorkels can you get in in that time? OR, you can buy masks, snorkels and fins from us if 24 hours isn???t long enough to get your ocean fix! Come on, let???s go!


Unlocking our hidden powers. Teaching others about freediving, emotional/logical decision making and planning for anxiety???s at @sydney_cm if you???re interested in this kind of thing, we will be doing more! Well done Jess! @hilariouslyhealthy


Yashil and his dad do their discover scuba diving session with our team?we were very happy to see them enjoy the underwater beauties?


Perfect conditions for a sea safari with Wild Byron. Tropical currents from the coral sea bring summer visitors like this leopard shark to our doorstep. Julian rocks is so alive at the moment with lots of leopards, rays , turtles and fish. We have snorkel tours going out every day at 8am 11:30am and 3pm jump on board !


Late afternoon stingray convention on a local shipwreck. Diving conditions are epic here in Byron Bay for the new year! I am guiding daily Freedive and snorkel trips and running Freedive course. Beautiful blue water and plenty of leopard sharks turtles and rays :) let???s get out there ! Message me for details .


A White Spotted Eagle Ray at Julian Rocks, Byron Bay.


This morning was so much more amazing than I could have imagined, this little fella was so close to our boat for so long


After teaching our freediving course in Perth last week, @taylorsagirlzname and I were heading out for a quick cray dive when @mkz.imagery alerted us to the fact there were schooling hammerheads off shore. He had been filming them with a drone and was pretty surprised to see how excited we were to swim straight out there. I guess most people would have a similar reaction when you say ???lead us straight to the sharks.??Â With a lot of the paranoia surrounding sharks, it takes incredible experiences like this to start breaking down what is often misrepresented, uninformed, over exaggerated dribble in the media. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. As we approached the school, the sharks swam straight up towards us, rolling to look at us and circling around with curiosity. They remained completely calm although you could see they were cautious and we had to hide our excitement in order to not scare them away. We spent half an hour sharing a sand cove, exchanging mutual curiosity before we left, with big smiles and great memories. Thanks to @mkz.imagery for both pointing them out and also this amazing pic (apparently there is video to come). Experience of a lifetime


Water temp was beautiful today, 12-15m visibility... no wonder we???ve got courses filling up for summer! If you???ve ever thought about joining us, send me a message. We???re teaching our 40m courses this week coming, then getting ready for Christmas. Why not get your partner, friend, child or tinder date a freediving course; gift certificates welcome :) Summer is looking Blue! With @theunderwateracademy


I???ve got one spot left on our AIDA 2 freediving course this coming weekend if anyone wants to join? Send me a DM! ..: this pic is from our last deep camp over in Komodo!


So many sharks at Julian Rocks last weekend my head was spinning


As our our freediving school gets bigger, we???re employing more instructors! .... Have you ever wanted to teach? Send us a DM as we???re looking for passionate and skilled divers to train up to become AIDA International freediving instructors. Internships available.


About that time of year where I start to really miss those warm summer days while being surrounded by these guys


We are all tied together by the ropes of a dying civilisation that refuses to wake up ... Underwater creatures


Looking at the forecast before yesterday???s dives I wasn???t even sure we were going to make it past the bar, let alone have decent conditions! What a nice surprise when we pulled up to the site and could still see the bottom It was a stunning day on the water! Vis was about 10-12m (better in parts), water temp around 21-22 degrees and as always heaps too see around the rocks!


Diving in Byron bay yesterday with Clancy. Not too shabby!


Bring on another weekend of good times under the sea! Looking forward to an early trip tomorrow morning with @tweedgoldcoastdivecharters to Cook Island and perhaps a couple dives at Julian Rocks Sunday provided the weather plays nice Anybody else diving this weekend


Sitting at Boulders watching you


We want to shout ENOUGH ! and stop their games ... Underwater creatures


How cute is this little guy Came across him hanging out in the surge at Julian Rocks. Seemed to have found something tasty amongst the sand


Not a huge fan of the average wobby resting on the sea floor... but find me one on the move and I???m all over it! Beautiful conditions again this past weekend with @bluebaydivers


So great to see the return of our beloved Grey Nurse Sharks at Julian Rocks!


Underwater creatures ... once we lived in the oceans ... now we destroy them with our gluttony and greed ... Underwater creatures


However, there's something about holding your breath underwater and interacting with marine life in the most raw/natural way that I just can't put into words. You have to try it for yourself to truly feel and understand exactly what I'm talking about.


The backing track on this reel came from a video we took while sitting on the beach during sunset at Byron. It was so beautiful listening to these live performers while the sun went down, we would love to know who they were!


Diving with @sundivebyronbay @patrickbryce778 @alex_lenaa


Byron Bay is a small town mostly known for good surf and chilled vibes and it's crazy to think that many people have never experienced it underwater!


Shot on my @sonyalpha inside my @nauticamhousings on board @blueseafaris


IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY


Diving with @sundivebyronbay and @alex_lenaa


Julian rocks nguthungulli nature reserve


It was such a beautiful day out there at Julian Rocks, and the conditions were epic, with lots of marine life to see


Thanks for another round of stunning footage @finsandphotography


This is a lion's mane jellyfish, one of the largest animals in the world. You can see it being torn to pieces by the turtle. This doesn't make the turtle good or bad, it's just nature. Same as a shark would eat a fish. It's part of the animal kingdom and the cycle of life. Sharks are not bad, turtles are not good, animals are just animals and we should be grateful for being able to experience the wonders of the natural world


Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, Australia


Iâ€™ve had the most amazing two days out discovering Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli) with @outoftheblueadventures . On this day we saw around 20 of these leopard sharks! Nowhere else in the world can you have an experience like this. If youâ€™re on the east coast of Australia in the summer you canâ€™t miss this spectacle


Let me show you around in a guided freedive session. Message me for details:)


Nguthungulli, Byron Bay, Australia


Between the gorgeous colours of the reef at Julian Rocks and the incredible leopard shark pattern, sometimes you just don't know where to look during your dives


Next dates: 18-20 October â¤ï¸ some images are Yukoâ€™s own and the rest are by our fantastic photographer and co-owner of Sundive Byron Bay @scaprodossi


@scubascribbles, @kikidives, and @ricksteveseurope - come diving with us! The water is brilliant!


We took a boat there and saw two dolphins on the way there...then we went to watch humpback whales breaching (thanks Byron Bay Dive Centre for the personal whale watching session). At the snorkeling spot we saw: Grey nursing sharks, Wobbegong shark (wobble), sea turtle, sting ray and eagle ray, octopus & eel + dory and plenty of other fish We were there in the afternoon - 2pm


Photograph: Brian Pool


We saw all the usual summer species + 4 mantas Send us a message if you???d like to come out