Last Update : Thursday 9 August, 2001 10:14 PM
Last Update : Thursday 9 August, 2001 10:14 PM |
|
Combat Manta ray
BEGINNING
ME (3)
“Up…up…up”
I looked at the Editor of ATG magazine exercised by doing the push-up with one arm and two. The “Sea Papa” group was cheering him on.
“En core…en core…Now you know why the magazine is always delayed in issuing? The Editor spends his time doing the push-up.”
Khun Sakonpun lifted one side of his eyebrows quickly, pointing to his upper arm muscles, then began his trick by jumping down to do the push-up. Looking on interestingly are Khun Vinij Raung-Paung and Khun Nat Sumanatemeeya, in case they would copy this editorial technique to be used in the production of T.O.T magazine.
M.V. Dive Master II stopped afloat in the middle of Burmese Sea, above the pinnacle called Dive Master Bank, the new diving spot found last year. Khun Panya the Boat Manager told us that here is the number one in Andaman Sea, sharks, eagle rays, soft corals, frogfishes, ghost pipefishes are all here. For us, underwater documentary producers, this is the spot we want when the Thai Sea is almost ended.
I was ready to enter the sea once more. My aim was to prepare for next year “Nauticus”. It might be a documentary about cuttlefishes which had been in the pipeline for two years. There was also a story about camouflage creatures which I had been collecting photographs, waiting for the right time.
I received photographs of frogfishes from Burma, beautiful seahorse, funny-looking shrimp in Basket Star and other small crustaceans from Khun Vinai Saunsalee who was willing to lend the photographs for any good cause.
But for large creatures, apart from hawk-bill turtles which I happened to pass by, I had not have anything yet. The sea was quiet that year. I would really like to see whale shark or manta ray.
Manta…Really…Give me a chance…one chance to take her photograph, even one photograph. I had met her four or five times before. Several times it was a glance. There were twice I had the honor of swimming with her in the sea. Both times I had a camera with macro lens in my hand. Every time there seemed to be some obstacles preventing me from taking her photograph.
I opted for taking wide-angle lens with me this dive, believing that there might be large animal waiting. Maybe…Maybe it would be manta ray. I could take one or two of her photos.
I had not thought that, that dive was the beginning of the production of Nauticus’s greatest documentary. It was the documentary that Sea Papa spent the whole resources and equipment to produce.
The documentary about…Manta Ray.
Copyright © 1999-2001 TalayThai.com All right reserved.
