Something beautiful to end the week. At the base of Torc Mountain, in Killarney National Park, lies the stunning cascade of Torc Waterfall. So often, photographs of waterfalls use long exposures, creating ethereal, otherworldly movement. But if you’ve ever stood beside even a modest waterfall, “ethereal” or “otherworldly” are the last words you’d think of. … Read more
Skellig Michael is a dramatic, steep prominence of red sandstone rock protruding from the ocean 12 kilometres off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland. Unless you’ve seen it up close, it’s hard to describe just how imposing this island really is. While on our surface break between dives, I decided to try and create an … Read more
Two weeks ago, dead fish began appearing in the River Blackwater along a 40 km stretch between Banteer and Killavullen. Initial estimates suggested 400–500 dead, with early speculation pointing to a natural algal or fungal cause. Today, two weeks later, that number has grown to 40–50 thousand, and investigations have ruled out natural causes. Instead, … Read more
I probably could not have staged this image even if I had tried. At the moment I was about to hand my camera up to another diver in the boat, I took the shot. Instead of capturing what I had planned, the camera focused on the inside of the dome and here is the result. … Read more
If you ever find yourself with a spare couple of hours in Killaloe or Ballina, it’s worth the effort to walk the Tountinna Loop and enjoy the incredible view from the Ballina Hilltop Lookout of Lough Derg and the surrounding Irish countryside. Or you can simply drive to the top, as we did. Still, the … Read more
A sunset on beautiful Rossnowlagh beach is always a wonderful experience. Whether a solitary personal moment, or shared. This time not all eyes on sunset were mine. #aerial #dji #drone #flyby #goldenhour #rossnowlagh #sunset
Exploring the swim-through tunnels of Cuas Gorm, beneath Puffin Island, reveals all kinds of critters that prefer the dark, or those simply taking refuge until nightfall. Normally shy and skittish, this lobster seemed perfectly at home as my bright lights pierced its shadowy den. I managed to bring my lens within a few centimetres of … Read more
A playful greeting from a grey seal welcomed us as we arrived at our Little Skellig dive site, an experience that stood in sharp contrast to the grim events of 1809, when the full-rigged ship Lady Nelson was wrecked here. Of her crew, only two survived while twenty-five souls were lost. During our dive we … Read more
It was just John and me today, the last dive of an unforgettable Portmagee weekend. With the ocean calm and flat, we decided to head across to Puffin Island. On the western side of Puffin Island lies a dramatic fissure, almost splitting the island in two. Here, 50-meter cliffs of 350-million-year-old red sandstone plunge vertically … Read more
As I headed upstream from Lover’s Leap toward the River Blackwater Beach, I noticed a change. There were fewer lifeless fish on the riverbed now, and the first signs of the living, dying, and desperate. I saw trout with clouded eyes, their bodies veiled in a milky-grey film. Some floated upside down near the surface, … Read more