Solstice - Scotland's Basking Sharks

I've been a little lax in posting any updates here of late, but I wanted to share a new film with you called "Solstice".  Here is the blurb and the YouTube version:

"Winter fades, Spring dawns and the seasons inevitably move on towards Midsummer, where an encounter with one of Nature’s true giants awaits...."

RED Scarlet X On Order!

I'm very excited as I have a RED Scarlet X on order with delivery hopefully some time in the next couple of months!  The Scarlet is the little sister to the RED EPIC and is capable of shooting at up to 4k (x4HD) resolution.  It certainly is a beast in a small package and I can't wait to get my hands on it!  Hopefully I'll be able to get it underwater some time during 2012!

EPICENTER

Hi all

Just to let you know that I've uploaded a new short film called EPICENTER.  It is an expanded version from the one first shown in Circle of Life that showcases Lembeh Strait, Indonesia and all the weird and wonderful creatures that can be found there.  I've had this project in my 'Things to Do' folder for months, but I finally found a few days to finish it off.  Enjoy!

Cheers, Simon

The Fin Trail - Updated Trailer!

Hi all

Just to let you know that an updated trailer for The Fin Trail is now online and can be viewed at:

www.thefintrail.com

Bahamas Photos Now Online!

The photos from our May visit to the Bahama Banks are now online!  Here are a few samples:

For the full gallery please visit here.  Enjoy :)

The Fin Trail Petition

The petition running in conjunction with our new feature documentary 'The Fin Trail' has now been launched.  Please visit here to sign the petition and help to end shark finning.

The Fin Trail

Hi all

I'm really excited to let you know about the new film that we've been working on, so here is the pre-production trailer for 'The Fin Trail'.

The Fin Trail is a Co-Production between Elasmo Films UK and Director Steve Bowles from Eyewitness Productions Ltd.  It will document an investigation into the global shark fin trade and will be the most revealing and hardest hitting shark film ever made.

For full details and a chance to help out with the film then please visit The Fin Trail's website www.thefintrail.com.

Awards for Circle of Life

Circle of Life has certainly been picking up some awards over the last couple of months!  Here is a full list and an embedded You Tube version of the film for those who have not seen it yet.  Enjoy! :)

34th International Wildlife Film Festival 2011

- Honourable Mention for Cinematography

Beneath the Sea Underwater Image Festival 2011

- Third - Short Film

Our World Underwater International Image Festival 2011 

- Gold - General Film
 

Eastern Mediterranean Underwater Film Festival 2011

- Winner - Professional Short Film
 

British Underwater Image Festival 2011

- Highly Commended - Mares Professional Category
 

Capture the World - 2010 Underwater Video Challenge

- Third - Short Film

International Underwater FIlm Festival Belgrade 2010 

- Third - Independent Producers

Red Sea Photos Updated

We've just returned from a week aboard Blue O Two's Blue Fin liveaboard in the Red Sea (looks like we got out of Egypt just in time!).  I'd actually forgotten just how much fun diving in the Red Sea can be, so it was great to be reminded.  We've updated the Red Sea Photo Gallery on the website so go take a look.

While Zoe was taking photos I was doing some more experimenting filming with the Canon 7D HDSLR.  It's a great bit of kit and provided you have the knowledge to shoot in full manual mode you can get some amazing results comparable with dedicated video cameras costing many, many thousands more.  To give you some idea of its capabilities I've posted a couple of random clips below which were all shot using MWB and natural light with no filters. 

Circle of Life

I've had to change tact a little with my latest film 'Circle of Life'.  Originally I'd planned to produce a 24 or 48 min documentary, but I've become increasingly bogged down with other (very exciting) projects and as these other projects are actually helping to pay the bills I'm finding that I can't turn them down.  I've therefore decided to publish 'Circle of Life' exclusively on our website for now as a series of stand alone but interconnected short films.

Please visit the Circle of Life webpage for full details.

Cheers, Simon

Palau

Well better late than never - here is my review of diving in Palau that was recently published in the Shark Conservation Society's biannual newsletter.  Obviously it has a shark bias, but its hard not to have that after a visit there!

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I'd always been intrigued  with any mention of the shark Nirvana that is The Republic of Palau.  Iconic names like Blue Corner, Big Drop Off, German Channel & Ulong Channel are world famous dive sites and nearly always come top of any 'best dive in the world' survey.  In September (09) when the news broke that the government of Palau had become the first country to declare their entire territorial waters a shark sanctuary, I knew it was time to pay a visit. 

I arrived in Palau after spending the previous 3 months diving around Indonesia and the Philippines.  The diving had been outstanding, yet I was somewhat despondent by a distinct lack of shark sightings, emphasising the massive depletion levels in this part of the world.  Everything however was about to change.  My first dive in Palau put me face to face with more sharks than I'd seen in the previous 3months/150 dives!   Schooling Grey Reef sharks, White Tip Reef sharks, Manta Rays & Eagle Rays.  There were a couple of sightings of Great Hammerheads during the three weeks I was there and I even nearly sat on a Bull shark, but that's another story for another day.  There was not one dive that I did not see a shark, most dives I saw 30-40 and some dives I saw literally hundreds.  Palau really was as good as I'd heard it to be.  Actually it was even better.  You rarely get to see sharks hunting, but I witnessed it on four or five occasions.  Large spawning aggregations of Unicornfish and Moorish Idols were getting relentlessly harassed and on one occasion in particular we came across a baitball of a mackerel type fish called Scad that literally blocked out the sun.  We sat for 40 mins right in the middle of that baitball while around 50 sharks took their breakfast, lunch and dinner.  A truly breathtaking spectacle and perhaps a reminder of how all coral reefs used to be before man came along.

For all its wonders Palau still sits on a knife edge.  Like many of us they have been struggling lately and they hope that shark tourism will be a route out of recession.  They certainly need to be supported for their stance.  Well run shark eco-tourism can be positive for all parties.  The tourists, the local economy and of course the sharks all benefit.  If however Palau don't see a marked improvement in their economy rest assured that the fishing fleets of the world are ready and waiting in the wings.  It would take maybe as little as a couple of years to turn Palau into 'just another dive location', rather than the incredibly special oasis that I witnessed during my time there.

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Update

Disappointingly I've been hearing strong rumours that shark fishing/finning continues in Palau waters with the fishing fleets using a 'mothership' set up outside of Palau's territorial waters to stop them having to land the sharks and fins in Palau.  Like I said these are just rumours that I'm hearing, but it shows just how hard it is to police marine areas even when protection is in place!

Red Sea Cancelled :(

As I write this I was due to be in the southern Red Sea looking for two sharks that have always been fairly elusive to me - Oceanic Whitetips and Hammerheads.   Well true to form they continue to be elusive!

I've always been a bit clumsy (some would argue very clumsy), but I think I have now set some kind of personal record in clumsiness.  As I was walking out of our front door last weekend I somehow managed to break the 4th and 5th metatarsal bones in my left foot.  Although I asked the doctor to 'strap me up' so that I could still go on the trip he looked at me sternly before instructing the nurse to encase my left leg in a fibreglass plaster.  Needless to say I wont be doing any more diving this year! :(

Well looking back it has been an incredible year with probably the best diving I have ever seen.  I'm currently beavering away in the editing studio working on a full length version of Circle of Life (you can see a preview here) in addition to a number of other projects that are rolling in, some of which are VERY interesting.  We're also in the process of planning next years filming which will mainly be in the UK, so time to get the drysuit serviced!  Thankfully the team at Emperor Divers allowed me to cancel my trip at short notice so I can rebook it and at least get some warm water diving in next year!  Phew! :)

Photo Gallery Back Online!

After being offline for a few months I've managed to get our main website's Photo Gallery back up and running and updated.

Updates include Indonesia, the Humpback Whales of Silver Banks, the Maldives and the British Isles with more galleries, notably Palau coming online as soon as I can find the time to organize the photos!

Here are a couple of samples for you to enjoy! :) 

Shark Conservation Society

The Shark Conservation Society was created to be a 'hands on' practical organization that seeks to further conservation through research expeditions and campaigns based on fact and to promote best practice when interaction with sharks is necessary.  This film gives a short introduction to the Society, a recap on past achievements and an indication of their future plans.

Shark Conservation Society

Palau - First Impressions

I'd been hoping for a lot from Palau. Over the years I've heard so many great things about the place. Almost every diver I've ever spoken to who has been to Palau ranks it as some of the best diving they have ever done and Blue Corner in particular nearly always comes out top in any list of top dive sites in the world. So lets just say that I had high expectations. Yet after only four days of diving in Palau I've seen enough to realise that I don't think I had set my expectations high enough!! The diving really is that good.

This is just a first impressions write up, so I'll give you one example that has already blown my mind. We were diving along 'Ulong Wall' making our way towards the 'Channel' when we came across an enormous baitball getting harassed by some Golden Trevally. The sheer size and numbers of fish in the baitball were astounding and in addition to the Trevally it was getting pounded by twenty or so large Groupers, Napoleon Wrasse and Snappers. Then the Sharks rocked up and all hell really broke loose!

Maybe a dozen Grey Reef Sharks were darting in and out of the baitball joining the other predators and prey in a mesmerising dance. We hooked on with our Reef Hooks and spent the next 40 mins inside and on the fringes of the baitball with a front row seat to the breathtaking spectacle.

It's a fairly silent world underwater. Yes of course you hear your constant 'darth vadar' breathing and on busy dive sites you often hear an incessant banging and rattling from dive guides as they attempt to keep their groups under control, but I've never heard noise from fish before. As the frightened fish in the baitball moved into overdrive to avoid becoming prey a deep rumble could be heard, so deep and loud that you could feel it as a vibration in your chest. A most strange experience. Add that to the screams of delight from me and Zoe and you have quite a racket!!

So Palau. Well we've got another two weeks of diving here before I finally make up my mind, but what I've seen so far certainly indicates that it could be even more special than everyone told me it would be!  :)

Red Blue RIng Octopus Mystery Deepens....

Hi all

Well I'm getting some interesting feedback regarding the Red Blue Ring Octopus that we saw at Lembeh. One suggestion is that the colour shown could be some form of fluorescence captured by the filter that I was using on my camera at the time which is an interesting idea. Reports have also come in of a Pink Blue Ring being spotted before, but none so far of a Red Blue Ring. Also interestingly the Blue Ring did at times revert (in flashes) to its more 'common' beige/brown colours shown below:



Before once again reverting to the red colour shown here and in previous photos:



So the Mystery deepens! Feedback would be really appreciated!


UPDATE:

Ok some reports of Red Blue Rings are starting to come in from the Lembeh area. I'm passing all my info onto a couple of experts to see if there is anything particularly interesting about this, or if it is just a storm in a tea cup! I'll let you know if anything comes of it...

Cheers, Simon

Lembeh Strait, N Sulawesi, Indonesia

The Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia is world famous for its 'muck' diving. There are not many pretty coral reefs there and volcanic black sand makes up the majority of what is an often featureless underwater landscape. It may not be pretty, but this place is mind blowing.



From the moment you enter the water you are almost guaranteed to see critters and creatures that you've only dreamed of in your imagination. Pygmy Seahorses, Mimic Octopus', Wonderpuss, Frogfish, Hairy Frogfish, Flying Gurnards, Mantis Shrimps, Dragonets, Sea Moths, every conceivable type of Scorpionfish and all types, shapes, sizes and colours of Nudibranch and Crustaceans. There is little coral cover and therefore not many places for these critters to hide which makes spotting them and perhaps more importantly photographing and filming them an absolute delight.



We've spent the last 4 weeks in Lembeh diving, filming and photographing our way up and down the dive sites. I've never had a more productive trip for the quality and quantity of images captured. There were only a few dives in the whole time we were there that were not incredibly special. It was rare if you didn't at least once on a dive spit your regulator out in amazement at what your guide had found hiding away and sometimes you had a never ending procession of willing models just lining up for your attention.



Despite all the incredible moments one does stand out more than the others. I'd never seen a Flamboyant Cuttlefish before this trip and they were top of my list of targets to film. I'd never in my wildest imagination expected to find their eggs hatching and the tiny juvenile cuttlefish starting to hunt only moments after birth. I got to spend maybe 20-30 mins watching and filming this incredible spectacle. The miracle of life happening right there before our eyes. It was one of those special moments that happen while diving that will live in our thoughts forever and we feel so privileged to have witnessed it.



It is certainly going to take a lot to beat our time in Lembeh. We're spending a week more or less off diving in the Philippines right now but our next destination just may be one of the only places in the world that could be a step up.

The Republic of Palau.

One things for certain and that's that we are going to have a hell of a time finding out!!

Cheers, Simon

Red Blue Ring Octopus??

Hi All

Just a quick request. Has anyone seen or heard of a Red Blue Ring Octopus? I've seen beige and yellow before but never the colour in the photos posted below. If anyone has any info then I'd appreciate an email as I'm struggling to find out anything right now!

Bunaken Marine Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

It's been almost 5 weeks since we left the Island of Bunaken. Christmas and New Year have come and gone, but due to a crazy schedule and severe internet connection issues I've not had time to give an update on our time there. Well here it is - better late than never!



The Bunaken Marine National Park was established in 1991 and has helped to minimise the threats to this unique area of high marine bio-diversity. Don't be fooled though - this is not a pristine environment. Fishing is still allowed inside the park boundary and the lack of shoaling predatory fish and other large predators appears to be a direct result. Blacktip and Whitetip Reef Sharks are present in small numbers, but appeared wary of divers. Some environmental damage is apparent in the park, but most of this is historical and when in excess of 20,000 people are dependent on the park's resources for their livelihoods you do need to take a pragmatic approach to what is and what is not possible in conservation terms.



On the plus side Bunaken has great vis and some of the most spectacular and healthy coral reefs you'll ever see. Ripping and sometimes bizarre currents can make diving here a challenge. You can be zipping along a wall only to come to a dead stop, be sent up or down and then thrown back down the wall from where you've just come. This is not uncommon, but on two occasions in particular we experienced the most intense upwellings and down currents we've ever known - literally seat of your pants diving!



So yes we enjoyed Bunaken. We enjoyed it a lot! But after 4 weeks we were overdue a move and ended up on the other side of the North Sulawesi peninsular diving in the Lembeh Strait. Now that's a story that will have to wait until another day..... :)

Ahhh the Maldives...

Ahhhhhh the Maldives, what a great place to Dive!


In two weeks we must have seen 40-60 Grey Reef Sharks, White Tip Reef Sharks, Juvenile Blacktip Reef and Nurse Sharks, Stings Rays of all shapes and sizes, Eagle Rays and had Manata Rays literally dancing over our heads. The fish life is just as prolific as I remembered it to be with huge schools of Jacks, Snappers, Fusileers and Triggerfish. Despite the virtually constant currents it is also a nice macro spot and we saw lots of different Flatworms, Nudi's and even Frogfish and a couple of Peakcock Mantis Shrimp.



Well the first leg of our trip is over, we're home for a week regrouping and sheltering from the rain then we're off again next week. Next update from Bunaken Marine Park, N.Sulawesi!

Oh Dear...

Well I just got home to the news that Tigress Productions (working for the BBC) have nicked a Shark Conservation Society idea and now plan to send Monty Halls up to Scotland towing around a rubber seal looking for White Sharks. Here's the link to the SCS release.

We're on the move....

Well the time has come and we've packed the dive kit, checked the camera gear, got lots of new gadgets to try out and we've even managed to fit a couple of T-Shirts into the suitcases!

We leave for the Maldives on Sunday at the start of a four month filming expedition taking in many of the hot spots of world diving. November will see us camped in the Bunaken Marine Park, N. Sulawesi before moving onto Lembeh in December. January we arrive in the Philippines where we will be filming around Puerto Galera before heading off to Palau for three weeks to experience its many iconic sites. Then to round it all off we head back west to the Caribbean where we are heading out to the Silver Banks to film and swim with the Humpbacks that congregate there from Feb-Apr each year.

It's by far the longest duration trip we've ever undertaken and all this with Gracie who turned 1 last weekend! I'm sure there will be a few ups and downs, but really how many downs can there possibly be? :) Time and internet connection permitting I'll try to post some photos and video to keep you all updated to what we've seen on our travels....

Cheers, Simon

Climate Change

As part of the research for our next broadcast length film I've been reading up extensively on climate change scenarios and it's pretty scary stuff. Here are some facts that may make you sit up and think:

Lets get this straight from the start. All the talk of stopping Climate Change has ceased. If you listen carefully all the talk now is of limiting Climate Change and the mitigation of the more extreme realities that it will bring. Climate change is happening right now. Earth has had wild fluctuations of climate in the past but the main difference here is that man has no historical record of this experience because our history spans only a few millennia. The last time man was around and there was a major climate shift in pre-history, humans were very nearly wiped off the face of the planet and the entire human population could have been reduced to only a few hundred individuals.

At the upper estimate our Climate could increase by 6 degrees centigrade over the next century. The last time that there was that much variation in our climate was during the last Ice Age when the earth was 6 degrees colder and ice sheets a kilometer thick covered Europe and North America. Imagine what a 6 degree increase could do.

There is a lot of talk about reducing carbon emissions (the main driver for climate change) and returning them to a level that will slow the rate of change to allow our planet and us in particular to adapt to the new world that we will live in. In the real world carbon emissions are actually increasing, but not only that the rate of increase is actually accelerating!

A recent article suggests that Earth's sea level rise has been greatly underestimated over the long term. With the carbon we already have pumped into our atmosphere sea levels will eventually come into equilibrium 25 meters higher than they are today. 25 meters. As divers we know exactly how deep, or how high 25 meters is and its a scary proposition.

These are just a few snippets from a long list of predictions. Some of them could be accurate and some will undoubtedly be wide of the mark. One thing is for certain though - things are going to change and it wont be in some distant future: we will be sitting right there in the front row experiencing it in our lifetime. Makes you think eh?

You Tube Channel

Hi all

Just to let you know that we've resurrected our You Tube channel. You can find some of our old favorite videos there, but I've also just uploaded a couple of short films that have not even made an appearance here or on our main website yet!

View from the Blue You Tube Channel

Cheers, Simon

Sharks in British Seas Trailer!

For anyone who has not seen it yet on our main website, here is the Trailer for our DVD 'Sharks in British Seas' available now from www.elasmofilms.com

Sharks in British Seas

Green Sawfish Footage

I've been working on some Green Sawfish (Pristis zijsron) footage over the last couple of days. As far as I've been able to find out it could be the only wild footage of this incredibly rare shark relative in existence, so I'd be very interested to hear from anyone else who has seen or knows of any other footage that could be floating around the archives.

Cheers, Simon

Porbeagle Blues

Well I've just had a very frustrating week in Cornwall. The Shark Conservation Society's (SCS) annual Porbeagle Expedition was severely disrupted this year as we were blown out for 5 of 7 days and the 2 days that we did get out were pretty awful conditions to find sharks in. Based on the conditions of the last 2 years I'm starting to believe that we were incredibly lucky to have such good sightings in 2007 and it's becoming obvious why no one else has managed to film these sharks successfully. It's a good advert for the SCS though and epitomises what the society is all about - never taking the easy option, going out and doing what others shy away from, asking questions and getting answers. Still a nice trip to the Caribbean wouldn't go amiss now and then!

Water Baby!

We've just returned from a great 10 days in Spain where we were photographing and filming our 9 month old daughter Gracie swimming underwater. Some of the results were pretty stunning, so I couldn't resist posting a few previews here for you all to enjoy!



Being able to close their epiglottis when submerged underwater is an amazing ability that babies are born with but without training by the time they are 6 months or so, they will have forgotten and could potentially be in danger when in and around water. Needless to say that Gracie has been having swimming lessons since she was 10 weeks old!



We'll post a full gallery on our main site once we've had time to wade through all the images.

Cheers, Simon

Awards for 'Sharks in British Seas'

Hi all

I'm really excited that 'Sharks in British Seas' has begun to pick up some awards! :) Our film placed 3rd in the Professional category at the recent 'British Underwater Image Festival 2009' and this morning I've just heard that we received an 'Honor of Distinction' in the Broadcast Film Group A category at Celebrate the Sea 2009! These are the only festivals that we've entered into so far, so I better get my application forms filled out and enter a few more!

Cheers, Simon

Today is World Ocean Day

Hi all

Well today is World Ocean Day once again and now more than ever the world needs to become aware of the disaster that is currently unfolding on the high seas of our water planet.

To mark World Ocean Day, today sees the release "End of the Line", a dramatic new film by director Rupert Murray based on the book by Charles Clover. The film looks at what is happening with commercial fisheries right now and the consequences of over exploitation of our marine resources which within the next few decades will lead to the collapse of commercial fisheries worldwide. The film is not all doom and gloom though and this final out come is not set in stone, so the film also looks at what can be done to turn around this dire situation and what action needs to be taken to avoid a worldwide catastrophe.

You can find more details at the films website and the Underwater Channel are currently showing an in depth preview on their website.

Spread the word on World Ocean Day.

Cheers, Simon

Winter Blues Busted!

I'm sitting here on a balmy British summer day. I look outside and I see grey skies, yes almost inevitably it is raining again and there is a noticeable chill in the air. As much as I love our country it's easy to see why you can get summer blues in Britain, let alone winter ones!

Well hopefully the 'Winter Blues' are going to be a thing of the past for us this year! Starting in October we're going to be filming for our next production. October sees us in the Maldives, November and December we're in Indonesia, January will see us visiting Australia followed by a short visit home and then onto the Caribbean for March. I can't say much more right now as all the final details are still being arranged, but keep a look out and I'll post exactly what we'll be up to soon!

We'll also be filming in Britain over the summer. We're going to try to track down those elusive Porbeagles again in July and August will see us visit both Lundy Island and the south coast in addition to filming in some of Britain's inland dive sites. Now if only I could find a way to actually make some real money out of all this malarky and I'd be all set....any ideas on a postcard please! :)

Cheers, Simon

What are people saying about "Sharks in British Seas"?

Hi all

I just thought I'd share some of the comments we have received after people have watched "Sharks in British Seas"


"This is intelligent, creative film making and I recommend the DVD to anyone with a passion for sharks"
Simon Rogerson - Editor, DIVE Magazine

"I thought the film was an excellent exploration of the lives and habits of sharks around our coast. The presentation was first class and some of the unique footage of our British sharks will live in the memory for a very long time"
Martin Kurzik - BBC Producer

"Sharks in British Seas is a wonderfully engaging film and one that's long overdue!"
Nicholas Claxton - Founder and MD, The Underwater Channel

"Beautifully filmed and compellingly told, Sharks in British Seas is a moving and vital contribution to the future of these magnificent animals"
Mary Lynn Price - Founder and Producer, DiveFilm

"A good film. It's a story that so needed to be told and no one could tell it better than Richard"
John Boyle - Producer and Director, Sharks Bay Films

"I hadn't realized that there was such an enormous gap in information about Sharks in British Seas until I watched this fascinating film"
Sarah Fowler - IUCN Shark Specialist Group

"Thank you for bringing sharks and the plight they face to the attention of the public...your film is an amazing journey portrayed in a compelling and charismatic way"
Chris & Annabelle Lowe - Atlantic Diver

"I watched it last night and it was terrific! Really amazing footage of sharks and great to see sharks getting attention"
Zeina Aboul Hosn - Film maker, London

"An eye opening documentary on the astonishing variety of sharks found around Britain and the human traditions and activities that reflect our long standing relationship with these compelling creatures"
NHBS - Natural History Books & DVDs


We still have some DVDs available from the first pressing @ £19.99 inc postage. Full details can be found at the Elasmo Films website where you can also order your copy.

Shark Conservation Society

Hi all

I just wanted to let you know that the Shark Conservation Society is continuing to look for new 'Registered Supporters' and 'Friends of the Society'. SCS was formed to further shark conservation through research expeditions and campaigns based on fact and practical experience and as such is unlike any other shark conservation organisation anywhere in the world. When the society was formed last year I was honoured to be asked to become a member of the board running the society and I urge anyone with an interest in shark conservation to consider joining.

'Registered Supporters' can apply to join a number of expeditions throughout the world each year to conduct genuine shark research in addition to getting valuable experience of working with these amazing, but often misunderstood animals. Recent expeditions have included Kuwait, the Adriatic and the UK and as I write a team is currently in Qatar on a three week shark survey. Planned future expeditions include Cornwall, Syria, Scotland and the Adriatic. Becoming a 'Registered Supporter' also brings other benefits including newsletters, members area on the SCS website, invitations to attend SCS public meetings, discounts on SCS merchandise and due to the wide range of contacts of directors and supporters we are able to offer personal introductions to some of the leading shark eco-tourist operators around the world. Memberships start at £10 to become a 'Friend of the Society', while becoming a 'Registered Supporter' is only £20 per annum.

Please visit the Shark Conservation Society website for further details.

Sharks in British Seas Released!

We are now accepting orders for our eagerly awaited new film "Sharks in British Seas", with the first DVDs shipping on 27th February.

Presenter Richard Peirce will take you on an incredible journey around our country and introduce you to those with whom we share our seas. We'll track down the Porbeagle shark, a close cousin of the dreaded Great White. We'll swim with Blue sharks, Basking sharks and search for the mysterious and elusive giant tailed Thresher shark. We'll look for Catsharks, Houndsharks and Dogsharks and find out why the Soupfin shark got its name. We'll nail the truth of who should fear who and who eats who? Never before has a British shark journey been documented in this way on film.

To purchase Sharks in British Seas please visit the Elasmo Films website. Initial stocks are limited so you need to hurry if you want to be one of the first to watch this ground breaking new wildlife film!

Award for "Earth?" at OWU09

I've really been exceedingly busy these last few months with all of my spare time being sucked up into trying to finish editing "Sharks in British Seas". I've had very little time to work on other projects or enter any of my films into festivals, but I did manage to enter an updated version of "Earth?" into the 4th Our World Underwater International Underwater Photographic and Video Festival in Chicago. This really is turning into a very esteemed festival that is billed as the 'superbowl' of underwater imaging competitios and I was delighted to hear over the weekend that "Earth?" had placed 1st in the Conservation Video category. Obviously I'm delighted and I thought that I really should share the new version with you - so here it is:

Earth?

As for "Sharks in British Seas", well stay tuned for an update over the next couple of days....

Cheers, Simon

iStockvideo

Hi all

Just to let you know that we now have a substantial number of clips from our stock footage library online and for sale at iStock where you can buy clips ranging from 5 -30 seconds in length in a variety of formats and resolutions.

So if you like what you see here and you're in the market for some underwater, wildlife, nature or travel stock footage then please check out our portfolio by clicking on the link below!

Elasmo Films UK

Hi all

Just wanted to let you all know that our new Elasmo Films UK website is now up and running at www.elasmofilms.com. Elasmo Films has been created to publish our "Sharks in British Seas" film and for a host of future projects that are in the works at the moment. Go take a look and let us know what you think - feedback is always appreciated! :)

As for the film, well editing is advancing at a good pace and we're still optimistically hoping for a December release date. A five minute preview is being shown at Richard Peirce's presentation at DIVE 2008 at the NEC in Birmingham, where you will also be able to pre-order DVDs. Tickets details can be found here. We're hoping to get a trailer online by the end of November so keep your eyes peeled for that too!

Cheers, Simon

Ahhhh the British Summer.....

Well what can you say? It's August and it feels like bloody November!! Filming sharks this year and in this weather has been challenging to say the least. At one point I'd spent nearly two full weeks at sea and got less than ten seconds of footage of a sharks fin tip - and that was at maximum zoom range!

However against all the odds we're now on the homeward stretch of our British shark filming odyssey. We have one more week filming in Scotland, a short trip back to Wales, a couple of days in Yorkshire and then a few more days finishing things off in Cornwall and we should have a wrap. The film is already shaping up in the editing studio and optimistically we're going to be pitching now for a release date sometime this year, so if by some chance you're already thinking of Christmas prezzies, then our DVD could make a nice stocking filler! :)

Cheers, Simon

Sharks in British Seas - DVD

Hi all

I've been waiting to share this with you all now for some time, but at last today is the day and I can announce that we will be releasing our first DVD "Sharks in British Seas" some time later this year / early 2009.



This film is a joint effort with writer, broadcaster and shark conservationist Richard Peirce who will ask 'who eats who?' as we take viewers on an action packed shark tour of the British Isles. We will show you some of the first ever footage of our own Great White shark (the Porbeagle), plus Blue Sharks, Soupfin/Tope sharks (how did they get their name?), Threshers and Spurdog sharks; from the pretty little 50cm long Smallspotted Catshark to the giant 10 metre plus Basking shark. This film will ask the questions, get the answers and go where no British shark film making has ever gone before.



We are over halfway through our filming now, but still have nearly two months before we wrap it up and start slogging away in the editing studio. I'll try to update you of any new developments here and our main website has a page dedicated to the project. So far it has been an amazing journey and hopefully its only going to get better!

Florida Gallery Now Online!

Hi all

Just a quick note to let you know that Zoe's photos from Florida are now online. Spending 5 days with the wonderful Manatees at Crystal River was a privilege and although they face a myraid of environmental issues I genuinely hope that all of you will at least once in your life get to share the same very special experience that we did. Just look at this cheeky chappy - how can you not go all ga ga? :)



You can find all of the photos on our main website in the Florida Gallery

World Ocean Day 8th June 20008

Saturday June 8th will mark World Ocean Day once again. I really don't want to preach, because I'm in constant danger of turning everyone off of the message - which is that our oceans really are in a terrible state, where even pristine locations have sometimes been changed beyond recognition.

One example I'll give is the Brother Islands in the Red Sea. I recently got back from a trip there and I'd heard so much about these legendary offshore islands that I was literally champing at the bit to get into the water. Under the surface the corals admittedly were spectacular and in very good health, but the pelagics that the Brothers are (were?) famous for were sadly absent. No big shoals of anything, although I did see one solitary Barracuda and a couple of Napoleon Wrasses. Where were the Grey Reef Sharks? Where were the Hammerheads? Even a shoal of Snapper would have been a bonus! A couple of people on our boat did see a Thresher Shark on one dive, but the vast majority were sadly in the same situation as me and didn't see a sausage. All this happened at what is billed as the Red Sea's premier pelagic and shark location. It was almost as if it had been fished out and when you hear rumours of a fleet of Philippine longliners working in the Southern Red Sea just outside of Egyptian waters, then you can certainly believe it.

One fellow diver on our boat summed it up nicely. "Diving the Brothers these days is like arriving late at a very expensive party. Everything is beautifully set out, with stunning decorations and a beautiful setting. But all the the fun has moved on and all you are left with is a few waiters clearing the tables and stacking up the chairs."

True - on any given day it is possible to see anything in our oceans - but these experiences seem to be becoming less and less common. So tomorrow on World Ocean Day please bare a thought for our fragile oceans and perhaps take a moment to say a little prayer for them. God knows they need it.

Earth?

70% of our planet's surface is covered by water, and yet we call our planet Earth. Seems strange eh?

For centuries we have believed that our oceans were an endless resource and we have harvested their bounty to their maximum potential. However over the last decade in particular we have begun to realize that this is not the case and that our oceans are just as fragile and prone to destruction as any other habitat.

Commercial fish stocks the world over are on the brink of collapse and at current rates will disappear by 2050 at the latest. Shark populations have been decimated as we continue to kill up to 100 million sharks a year. As a result many species are in imminent danger of extinction. Today we have only 5% remaining of our coral reefs that once carpeted most of our tropical seas. By 2050 it is believed that we will loose a further 95% of what little remains. We are in danger of turning our most incredible of natural wonders into a barren desert completely devoid of life.

With all these words of doom it perhaps seems strange then that this film attempts to celebrate our water planet by sharing some of the wonders that I have seen during the past 12 months or so. I truly hope that I can convey at least a small part of the wonder and amazement that I often feel while under the surface of our water planet. I have very little hope that it will be possible to save our oceans in their current state, but we must try with all our resolve, because if we loose this amazing resource, we may find that our species may also be on a very short path to extinction.

Earth?

HSE Professional Scuba Diver

Spending nine days in Plymouth diving in late March doesn't really sound like much of a holiday does it? Well it wasn't! I'm pleased to announce that after a grueling course and three exams I am now officially qualified as an HSE Professional Scuba Diver. It is a requirement under UK Law for divers to hold this qualification before they can be directly employed as an Underwater Camera Operator. It is an internationally recognised commercial diving qualification and as such it also qualifies me to be employed as a Stand-by Diver and In Water Safety Diver pretty much anywhere in the world. It was an interesting course with a very strong bias towards safety and rescue scenarios and we got to dive not only on normal scuba equipment, but also on full face AGA and Band masks.


Left to Right: Trainees Dean, Simon, Adrian and Dan

The course was organised and run by diving legend Tony Hillgrove from TH Diving Services and the diving supervisors were Mark Hagger and George Gradon. We were based at the Mount Batten Centre where Sean from In Deep Diving made us extremely welcome and all the boat dives were from the charter vessel Venture whose skipper Pete plied us with cups of tea, donuts and hot sausage rolls after every dive (what more could you ask for??). Normally the course would last four weeks, but Tony put us through our paces and packed it all into a frantic but incredibly rewarding nine days. A big thanks Tony, Mark, George, Sean, Nick, Pete and last but certainly not least my fellow trainees Dean, Adrian and Dan.


Simon showing off his shiny hat

So what will I do with my new found qualification? All I can say for now is stay tuned - big things are in the works!!

Five More Awards!!

Well we seem to be having a run of awards over the last few weeks! On the 15th March we attended the presentation ceremony of the British Underwater Image Festival at the Go Diving Show in Birmingham. The festival in its third year received 1300 entries from 30 countries and we were delighted that two of our films "Porbeagles in Peril" and "Hubble Bubble, Sand & Rubble" were awarded joint first in the Liveaboard Category. We really enjoyed watching all of the finalists films and the amazing photos on display and we were very honoured with our award. Full details of all the results can be found at Dive Magazine's website.

More news soon followed when we were told that Porbeagles in Peril had been awarded 1st and Hubble Bubble had been awarded 3rd in the Short Film category of the 4th International Eastern Mediterranean Underwater Photography and Film Festival. Then to top everything else off we've also just been informed that we have received a Highly Commended for Conservation Message Award for Porbeagles in Peril at the 31st International Wildlife Film Festival. To receive any recognition from this highly regarded international festival is an amazing achievement for which we are extremely grateful.

It is always an amazing honour to get recognised by your piers, but to have a run of five awards over a matter of a couple of weeks has been amazing. It just makes me wonder where we go from here... !

Cheers, Simon

Awards and News

Hi all

We were really pleased to hear that our film Porbeagles in Peril won the Bronze prize in the Conservation Video category at Our World Underwater International Photography and Video Competition last weekend in Chicago. It's billed as the 'Superbowl' of underwater imaging so we were delighted to have been placed in the top three. There were some great images and videos amongst the winners so go take a took at Our World Underwater 2008

So far this year our feet have not touched the ground. We were in Florida in January and spent some time with the Manatees at Crystal River. I must say that I was shocked at how the place has deteriated since my last visit there in 2001. More on this soon hopefully. Also we've just got back from South Africa where we were diving with Tiger Sharks with Walter Bernards from African Watersports - what an experience that was! Here's a screen grab of myself, Zoe and a 4m Tiger shark sent to us by our good friend Mark Thorpe who's working out there at the moment with National Geographic.



Sadly the week after we left Aliwal we learnt that at least three (maybe as many as eight) Tiger sharks had been caught and killed illegally in this Marine Protected area. When will the madness end?

Well we seriously need to buckle down to some REAL work now, but we've got lots of filming still planned for the rest of the year, so keep checking for updates!

Cheers, Simon