Group Adventures

BAY ISLANDS DOLPHINS, REEFS AND UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Explore the Caribbean’s barrier reef with Sam Bean

Sam Bean has been taking underwater photographs only since 2002. Focus and determination have driven Sam to learn as quickly as possible how to capture and present award winning images. This trip is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to achieve your photographic best whilst diving on some of the Caribbean’s most stunning barrier reef sites. Sam will be there to support and help you to develop your existing photographic expertise, to work with the strengths of your own photographic system and to explore creative new ideas for photography. Both experienced photographers and new photographers starting out on the exciting journey of image capture are welcome to join our group and whatever your photographic standard of experience you will soon enjoy pushing that learning curve higher and higher. During the trip there will be a number of optional workshops to cover a range of photographic concepts and stimulate ideas for your following dives. Additionally, Sam will be on hand to give one to one help if needed to ensure that any difficulties are quickly resolved. Why not join Sam in the Bay Islands and improve your own photography, whether you hope to enter competitions or simply enjoy capturing those special images for friends and family?

Roatan in the beautiful Bay Islands just off the coast of Honduras is one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets. It has a prime diving location at the southern point of the world’s second largest barrier reef, which runs through the Caribbean Sea from Mexico to Honduras. Roatan offers the diver and photographer a large number of easy to access dive sites, including stunning seamounts, dramatic coral walls, tunnels, caves, wrecks, sheer drop offs, sand flats and shallow lagoons. In other words, a variety of habitats, each with its own subjects for underwater photo-opportunities.

The diverse dive sites at Roatan are home to an enormous variety of marine life. Everything from pelagic encounters, schooling fish, dense coral walls, stunning seascapes, and of course numerous small fish and invertebrates are to be found. However, the real beauty of this location is that in addition to the fantastic dive sites, the après diving opportunities are abundant and the islands boasts pristine quiet coral sand beaches and lush jungle clad hills.

Although diving is possible here all year round, this trip is timed to maximise the chance of seeing Whale Sharks which migrate past Roatan every year. Three boat dives are available daily and there is unlimited shore diving from 1500-2100. In addition there are night boat dives twice each week.

Our trip will be based at the lovely, all-inclusive Anthony’s Key Resort. The resort is an ideal location for divers, snorkelers and non-divers too. Families in particular will enjoy the variety of activities offered. Within the all-inclusive package are a number of activities to keep everyone occupied, such as horse riding, windsurfing, kayaking and canoeing, though there is no obligation to join in any of the activities. You can opt to relax on the beach or just dive, dive, dive. The resort is also home to the Institute of Marine Sciences which has its own state of the art mini submarine that can be booked fort a trip to the depths of the barrier reef, well beyond the reach of recreational diving! In addition arrangements can be made to swim, snorkel or dive with the pod of resident Bottle-nosed Dolphins, a truly wonderful experience! Anthony’s Key Resort is extremely well equipped and even has its own hyperbaric chamber.

Travelling with Sam Bean will allow you to enjoy your diving and photography with a small group of like-minded people and to enjoy the benefits of a friendly and supportive environment. Each photographer will have the opportunity to plan with Sam what they would like to achieve on the trip and progress can be reviewed during the holiday to ensure that fantastic images are captured.

Sam will be diving with both digital and film cameras, so the trip is aimed at digital and film users alike, although film processing will probably not be possible in the resort. During the trip Sam will hold regular debriefs with the group to discuss the diving and photography and there will be informal, interactive presentations to refresh and enhance your photography and to stimulate the development of new ideas.