Hannes Klostermann Underwater Photography

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  • Did you know that at least every other breath we take contains oxygen generated in the ocean? This fact alone should highlight the importance of this vast ecosystem that covers around 70% of our planet's surface. <br />
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Despite its importance though, we as a species have been doing our very best to destroy marine ecosystems through run-off, overfishing and plastics, just to name a few. <br />
<br />
Thankfully, many countries are now starting to re-think their relationship with (single-use) plastics, but lots remains to be done! It's important to remember that every little bit helps. Taking your own cup on your daily coffee run alone can help avoid hundreds of pieces of plastics that can potentially end up in the ocean. And that's just for one person! Try and get your friends, family and co-workers to be more aware of their impact on the world and little by little we might be able to make the change the world needs!<br />
<br />
Tiger shark, Tiger Beach, Bahamas
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  • Tiger shark extraordinaire Emma comes close to check out my legs (and camera) :)<br />
<br />
Because it's time for Shark Week, let me just point out that there are NO dangerous sharks. <br />
<br />
I'm sure there will be plenty of quality shows this week but also the usual programmes exploiting many people's irrational fears. Even a tiger shark the size of Emma (~15ft/5m) can be pushed away with ease when the situation is handled correctly. Again: there are no dangerous sharks. There are however potentially dangerous situations. Poor visibility, food in the water and people doing foolish things (like swimming away, splashing around etc) can make a shark investigate with its mouth. If their other senses aren't enough to determine what you are, that's simply the only thing they have left. Humans use their hands every day to figure out what something is, but sharks obviously don't have that tool available to them. As long as you keep a close look on the shark, you can always remain in control of the situation. We have to remember that we are only guests in the ocean, so let's treat all its inhabitants with the respect they deserve. Please just keep that in mind as you enjoy this year's sharky programmes :)
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  • Let's make the next 12 months a good year for the conservation of our oceans! Many countries are now heading in the right direction regarding the use (or rather ban) of single-use plastics, but there is still lots to be done! Every little helps! You can be a voice for our oceans. Convince your favourite restaurants and takeaways to get rid of plastics and say no to products sourced from sharks. I captured this gorgeous pregnant tiger shark at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas, one of the few places left in the world where you can see these apex predators in good numbers.
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  • Everyone on the boat gets very excited when someone shouts this word. It's Spanish for 'bottle' and describes a feeding behaviour where Whale Sharks stop swimming, which causes their tail to sink. They then 'stand' in the water and feed by moving their massive mouths and gills. It is still not clear why they do this. However, there seems to be a link to the concentration of food in the water.  One common theory states that they stop when they find a very dense patch of food. An opposing theory is that they might be saving energy by not swimming when there is little food present. Maybe one day we will know for sure :) Taken on the Wetpixel Whale Shark Trip 2017.
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  • Taken on the Wetpixel Whale Shark Trip 2017.
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  • See the little fish? Whale Sharks are often followed by smaller fish for protection and sometimes food.
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  • A Grey Seal resting in the kelp at the Farne Islands in the UK.
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  • Conditions were challenging when I went to Bimini in March. The sand there is like powder and countless pesky nurse sharks can stir it up a lot. Without a current to carry away the particles, divers quickly find themselves surrounded by a giant cloud, which makes photographing these beautiful, but shy creatures very tricky.
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  • Vincent Canabal interacting with Rodeo, one of the resident ladies at Tiger Beach.
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  • Another older image, taken at Tiger Beach last year. The eye of a Caribbean reef shark. Can anybody tell me what those things are to the left of the eye? Some sort of parasite, I assume?
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  • This is my 1st place winning image in the Wide Angle Unrestricted category of the Digital Shootout 2019.  The groupers in the Cayman Islands are famous for being extra friendly. They regularly approach divers and pose for photographers which makes for good opportunities to get the creative juices flowing!
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  • While I was on Little Cayman for the Digital Shootout, I spent almost an entire dive with this good-looking creature! Sometimes you don't have to venture far (or deep) to find good subjects. He/She was extremely chill, and had absolutely no issues with me being VERY close. At times I moved the camera out of the way and I ended up almost hugging the fish! Encounters like these always make for great dives! In fact, this image won me 2nd place in the wide angle traditional category of this year's competition.
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  • A Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) swimming away after a close pass.
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  • Collision Avoidance - Even though they have a huge blind spot right in front of them, Whale Sharks are amazingly aware of their surroundings and always make sure they don't just run you over.
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  • Taken on the Wetpixel Whale Shark Trip 2017.
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  • Taken on the Wetpixel Whale Shark Trip 2017.
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  • 30 degrees delicate cycle, no fabric conditioner :)
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  • During the summer, there are a lot of Whale Sharks in the waters just north of Isla Mujeres in Mexico. However, this does not go unnoticed so there is an armada of boats heading out each day to give people a chance to snorkel with these beautiful giants. Sadly, not all operators use the appropriate amount of care when navigating these waters which can lead to sharks being injured. This guy here for example has a large portion of both his tail and dorsal fins missing. The good news is that despite the very obvious injuries the shark has grown to a large size so thankfully, he still seems to be able to feed efficiently. Nevertheless people should make the safety of these magnificent animals their number one priority.  Like, share or comment if you agree :)
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  • Last weekend i visited the very playful Grey Seals of the Farne Islands in the North East of England. Sadly, day 1 was blown out but day 2 certainly made up for it big time! The seals were very curious from the first minute, messing about with the divers' fins and cameras. Who doesn't love interacting with such entertaining creatures?
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  • Mangroves are nurseries for many species of fish and other animals. The young use the roots for protection from larger predators before venturing out into open water. This is only one reason why mangroves are extremely important to marine ecosystems.
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  • Part 3 of my shark close-up series shows the eye of a Lemon Shark, one of the most common species of shark at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. It is important to keep in mind though, that although they may seem abundant there, their numbers are in rapid decline around the world and they could be threatened with extinction very soon!
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  • To answer yesterday's little quiz, that aerial shot was of USS Kittiwake, a former submarine rescue vessel for the US Navy. After being decommissioned in 1994 it was sunk as an attraction for scuba divers off Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman in 2011. It's pretty amazing to see just how much it has changed in only 8 years. Check out earlier pictures on the web and you'll find that it used to be white! What's even more impressive is that it was sunk upright, but strong surges from tropical storm Nate pushed the wreck closer to the reef and tipped it over on its port side.
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  • On day 2 of the Wetpixel Whale Shark Trip we did not find many sharks so we decided to go for a snorkel around a nearby coral reef just off Isla Contoy - quite a good backup plan if you ask me! :)
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  • This Whale Shark is clearly a saint!
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  • A Pelican flies past as the sun sets over the mangroves in the lagoon between North and South Bimini.
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  • In many countries, today is Mother's day! Let's celebrate it with this beautiful, pregnant tiger shark!
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  • A large female tiger shark called Emma swimming through a group of divers at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. These are very confident animals that know they don't have to fear anyone that's down there with them. This however doesn't mean that they are aggressive in any way. They will expect you to make way for them and will run you over if you don't, but there are hardly any serious incidents involving divers and it is surprisingly easy to steer them away should they get a bit too close for comfort!
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  • This is Tequila, a female tiger shark and long time resident at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. These sharks are truly magnificent and despite their enormous size, they hardly ever harm people. Incidents with tiger sharks are usually the result of their curiosity and divers not paying close enough attention to their movements. Swimming away from an approaching shark or showing erratic movements, for example, will always peak their interest, as that is what their prey would normally do. Simply standing one's ground and gently pushing them away is all it takes to show them that you're in charge. Despite having 5 to 6 tigers around for the majority of my diving at Tiger Beach, not once was there any hint of danger or aggression. Despite chum and bait in the water, the animals move at a very relaxed pace. In fact, I would say that diving at Tiger Beach is the perfect thing to do if you're afraid of sharks. It is impossible not to see their beauty, and how they are not the mindless killers the media like to make us believe, after spending some quality time with them in this beautiful environment.
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  • Even though the lovely ladies at Tiger Beach usually move quite slowly, they do expect divers to move out of their way. After all, they're the biggest fish in that particular part of the sea. This can cause some confusion, especially when divers don't keep an eye on the sharks that surround them. Notice the diver that got knocked over by the tigress in this picture? Notice the lemon shark just next to him? No reaction. Despite what the media would like you to believe, even a diver losing control and falling over right next to a shark doesn't just end up as shark food, let alone someone that remains in charge of the situation. Sharks are used to other animals trying to get away from them, so people standing their ground (or swimming towards them even!) actually confuse and intimidate them quite a bit. Every species is different though. Tiger sharks for example are too curious and confident to care much about what other animals or people do or don't do, whereas hammerheads get spooked very easily. Remaining passive while keeping an eye on the shark is usually the best way to get a good, safe interaction.
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  • I encountered this Brain Coral snorkeling at a reef near Isla Contoy in Mexico when we didn't find many Whale Sharks in the area.
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  • Taken on the Wetpixel Whale Shark Trip 2017.
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  • Some of the sharks of Isla Mujeres are very friendly! This guy for example became my BFFLTMOS (Best Friend For Like Ten Minutes Or So :) ) swimming very slowly in tight circles around me. Without any movement on my part he came in very close several times. This was probably the best moment of this trip! Share your favourite underwater moments in the comments :)
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  • It's not all about the seals at the Farne Islands! There are also some amazing walls to discover with tons of cold-water coral, crabs and lobsters.
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  • Following up from my previous post, we move from a pond near the Everglades back to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas, where tiger sharks can still be seen in good numbers. Sadly, even here they have dropped by more than 50%. While dives with around 20 tigers were the norm only a decade or two ago, today you'd be very lucky to see 10! Thankfully, these are very curious creatures so the ones you get tend to stick around. Having six tiger sharks swirling around you is still an amazing experience! I'd love to know what it's like with 20 of them! Have you ever dived with tiger sharks? If so, where and how was it?
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  • Because there are so many Whale Sharks at Isla Mujeres, it can actually be quite hard to keep out of their way. Therefore it's important to be situationally aware at all times which is most easily done by turning around 360 degrees every now and then. Doing this also helps to not miss one of them swimming past metres behind you...
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  • Whale Shark coming in for his dental check up
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  • This Whale Shark is 'standing' vertically in the water to feed on dense patches of plankton. When they stop swimming their tail sinks thus putting them in this unique position.
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  • Isla Mujeres, Mexico
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  • A snorkeler trying to get the perfect picture of this Whale Shark. These guys are much faster than you might think! Even with a gentle movement of their tail they can easily outswim a human. Think you can keep up? ;)
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  • A Grey Seal hovering above the kelp in the Farne Islands.
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  • When the sun sets in Bimini, fish seek shelter between the mangrove roots. These protect them from larger predators like the bull sharks that frequent the lagoon.
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