PHOTOSPECIAL
A large crayfish on Black Rock shows off its long antennae
Where do you go for great visibility? Mayo and Donegal are top for viz. The coast is close to the continental shelf there, and when cooler oceanic water pushes in, you can get 30 to 40 metres of visibility.
You make a point about the effects of light on Ireland ' s marine eco systems. When it comes to your photography, do you have a favourite time of day to shoot? Different things happen at different times, so it’ s good to vary your dive schedule. That
A John Dory off the Aran Islands
32 said, I love a good night dive— especially for spotting John Dorys.
You also dive in tropical waters. Is it a totally different appeal? Yes, I love the freedom of a 1mm wetsuit and long shallow dives on a reef, but recently I’ ve been drawn to cooler waters too. I’ ve recently been visiting Vancouver and southern Australia. This was stunning diving. So different, and so beautiful.
You say that Ireland has some of the best diving in the world, and your book makes a persuasive case. I remember the filmmaker Howard Hall saying something similar about California, because he had dived it so much, he had come to understand its rhythms and subtleties. Do you think that’ s part of your love for diving home waters? Yes exactly, that’ s a really good way of putting it. No matter where I am, I always look forward to diving back at home.
Your book is clearly a labour of love. What keeps pulling you back to the sea? The challenge of making photographs that I’ m happy with. It’ s definitely the photography that keeps me in the water. I’ d thought about doing a book for years, but I wanted to wait until I had a collection I felt happy to share.
If you had to choose one final dive in Ireland for your‘ hang up the fins’ moment, what would you like to do? I’ d love to photograph a porbeagle shark, and I’ d really love to capture basking sharks mating— no one’ s got that shot yet, but they will. Last year, we found a basking shark aggregation at 30 metres. I’ m sure if we keep diving deep, we’ ll see it happen. Actually, I’ d love to photograph a great white in Ireland too … I might need more than one last dive! �