USVI-On-Line

Very nice pics and video 2 boot! I really like the pic of trunk H2O.

I thought so! Very nice composition, angles and color in most of those shots. Loved the whimsical ones too. You even captured emotion and humor which is tough to do with just a point and shoot.

I'm not a photographer but I totally appreciate a "good eye" when I see one.

Absolutely love the frog! Very nice & reminds me of the frog that took up residence in the sink at Ambiance.

I would be willing to pay you for an 8x10 print of the "Road" one.

Sure, flip-flop...just PM me your email address, and I'll upload the file and send you a link where you can order a print....

Liked the videos too.
I can't wait to take some when I'm there.

Great shots! And thanks for sharing. I envy your talent. I tend to just carry my camera around and take 50 zillion shots and hope one turns out good. You've got a bunch of great ones on your flicker page. I had a good friend that was a photo/journalist for Life for almost 30 years and Ed always said that the camera itself had little to do with being a good photographer.Some of you just seem to have a 3rd eye, or something!

It is a talent to envy, but something that can be nurtured and improved pretty easily with a little practice. This is esp true nowadays with the instant feedback and almost unlimited # of shots you can take with digital.

Its always a little amusing to me when folks who admire a photographers work ask them what kind of camera they use, like that is the primary reason the photos look the way they do.

That might have been more true back in the film days, but most digital cameras today are pretty darn good, leveling the technical aspects of the playing field a lot.

I think it was Nat Geo Traveler mag that set some pros loose with point n shoot digitals and the results were pretty amazing.

Thanks for the report. We will have to see Francis on our upcoming trip.

The turtle video is really cool. Thanks for posting it!

Does anyone know why the turtle shell looks eroded towards its tip? I've seen other turtles with that kind of shell. Is it natural, or does it indicate something wrong with the turtle? Just curious...

DELETED

yes, it's very true: that poor shark wanted *nothing* to do with us!

Although I have to admit that I was a teeny bit spooked when my husband yelled 'shark!!' and then started swimming really fast (he was following the nurse shark, but I wasn't sure at first whether he was chasing or fleeing!)

You're so right. Sharks get a bad rap. Dolphins can be far more dangerous. I saw Barnako's video of the Dolphin in STJ yesterday.

In December we did "Dolphins in Depth" at Disney World for the second time -- a great program which teaches people about Dolphin behaviour etc. The instructor who is a Dolphin behavior specialist (PhD) told us that if she and her child were on a sinking boat and had wild dolphins on one side and sharks on the other and had to choose a side to jump out, she would choose the sharks. People always think about amiable Flipper, but the reality is far more different. They even showed several videos of dolphins being fed off the coast of Florida by tourists and Dolphins basically shredding people's arms and hands -- and they got fined to boot!

Another lesson is about the laws that protect creatures like dolphins, turtles etc. According to federal law you are not allowed to "alter the environment" of these wild animals. To do so can incur a fine and possible jail time. This means touching, feeding etc. They can come to you, but you can't go to them -- as tempting as it may be.

Sorry for the lecture guys, just think that most people don't realize that seemingly innocuous behavior can have a very negative impact on these animals AND humans.

Thank you for your quick report. Great pictures and love the video. We are going to have to tried that function next time we snorkel.

Hey Gromit,

Just wanted to make sure you knew that we were very respectful of all underwater wildlife -- we wouldn't dream of harassing or touching any of the beautiful creatures we saw! The turtle sort of hung around with us, until it swam away on its own, and when I say that my husband 'chased' the shark -- he was really just following the guy at a respectful (and safe) distance until it swam into an alcove, and then we left him alone.

Just wanted to clarify! Your point is a great one in general, though....

Thanks for the sweet photos, and especially the video! A video just seems to bring to life things that a photo can't. I've searched everywhere for videos of STJ, and there aren't too many. Anyway, I appreciate you sharing!