Geo Cloete
The pulse of the ocean has been running through my veins since the first wave took me on a magic carpet ride. For many years surfing was about my only connection with the ocean. The first few scuba dives were, dare I say, disappointing? It totally lacked the adrenaline boost I became so used to while surfing.
But soon the ocean taught me the enjoyment of diving. Being embraced by the ocean and having it shared its secrets and beauty in solitude and near silence is an experience so different, and yet, the perfect complementary opposite of surfing’s adrenaline rushes.
In 2004 I learned to scuba dive in the emerald waters of my hometown. Now, more than ever, I love diving in the temperate waters of Cape Town, South Africa, just as I love diving in the warm blue waters of tropical destinations. Experiencing the diversity offered between the temperate and tropical waters is a gem not to be missed.
Falling in love with the local underwater world is like falling in love with the barren landscape of the country’s West Coast. At first glance it’s hard to appreciate all its beauty, but as your eyes open and you learn its secrets, few will walk away from it without treasuring its splendour. Photography has always been a passion of mine and the desire to take a camera underwater with me followed soon after my first open water dive. Last year (2009) I upgrade to a DSLR setup after spending many satisfying hours taking underwater pictures with a compact setup. I now eagerly await the day to take the new gear to the tropics, but in the meantime I am spending a generous amount of time shore diving the waters of the Cape Peninsula, where most of the photos presented here was taken.
Visibility might not always be first class and have more surge and particles to deal with, I simply love the challenge and freedom shore diving has to offer. With a diversity of shore dive sites around the peninsula and diving possible through out the year, I feel very blessed to live here. To celebrate and promote what these shore dives has to offer, I have founded the Facebook group, Cape Town ~Just beyond the shoreline~.
Later this year a high quality calendar, showcasing some of the beauty these dives have to offer, will go on sale. My aim is to make this a yearly publication.
For more on Geo Cloete’s photography please visit: http://www.thebigpicturelibrary.com/FrozenPixels
Editors
- sangiro