Send in your photos (two max, please) and if Ceiling Cat is willing and the creeks don’t rise, you will be featured. N.b.: I have a dearth of women sending in photos, and don’t know whether that reflects a dearth of women readers, greater reluctance of women to send in photos, or what. But if you have two X chromosomes, your photos are most welcome.
Today’s reader to be pictured is Howie Kornstein, and there’s a video he made as lagniappe. Howie’s story:
I attach two photos of myself, howiekornstein, engaged in my beloved pastime of scuba diving. I have been diving for the past 55 years, almost since the sport first began. For anyone fascinated by the amazing diversity of lifeforms that evolution has produced, diving provides an amazing chance to discover them in a totally different realm from the one in which we humans spend our existence as surface animals. It is akin to visiting another planet… to become weightless in that realm.
As one fascinated by evolutionary science, my most exciting diving trip was to the Galapagos Islands to experience the underwater world in this amazing place. The trip was further enhanced because Richard Dawkins was a fellow passenger and guide on the ship “ Evolution” that took us on that voyage. Anyhow here are the photos of myself:
Howie also made a video of his trip (below). I liked the musical background and asked him what it was. His answer:
The group (long gone now) is a South American trio: Trío los Paraguayos. Their music features traditional regional songs backed instrumentally with a Peruvian harp. Beautiful melodious sound. The particular song is “Mi Dicha Lejana” — My Happiness Far Away – which is sort of what I feel about the Galapagos.
I’ve gone scuba diving a few times in my life. A wonderful experience, but not one that I trust myself on anymore.
What a remarkable experience! Thank you for the photos.
That was a great video. Looks like an amazing trip. Thanks!
Great story and I much enjoyed the video. I have been a diver since 2000, and my trip to the Galapagos (2002) was probably the highlight of my diving career. I dove from the Galapagos Aggressor and saw several shark species including whale sharks which are the size of a school bus. The land tour was also memorable for tortoises, iguanas, seals, and many bird species, including blue footed boobies, frigatebirds, and of course Darwin’s finches. I should send Jerry some pics one of these days.
Thank you Howie. Interesting & entertaining.
I’ve always thought scuba diving would be a blast. I’ve only snorkeled in Hawaii and that was thoroughly enjoyable. Very cool video as well. Thanks for the submission.
Hello Howie
Thanks for sharing.
If I claim to say this with “just a tinge” of jealously, it would be fake news!
Can I suggest that you take a look at Ningaloo Reef in the NW of Western Australia, visited by Whale Sharks in April, tropical cyclones from Nov on.
Plus Turquoise Bay and Coral Bay for more awesomeness.
On the way up from Perth, there is the Pinnacles, Abrolhos Island, Shark Bay (with stromatolites, sea cows etc). Perhaps an occasional tree . . .
Be aware that map projections lie – this WA is YUGE! It’s 2+hrs flying time Perth-Learmonth (about 1,200Km).
More of that wonderfully weird green!