REEF TODAY – Moore Reef 26th March 2025

TO BE UPDATE TONIGHT
At last the water is clearing up to reveal a spectacle of even brighter coloured corals, some fluorescent, some stark white.
Freshwater run-off along with slightly elevated water temp has caused some coral stress in top 3m depth. The response, corals release their symbiotic algae, or zooxanthellae to become pale or white. The fluorescent colours is due to protein pigments within coral tissue.

Overall reef health visually ok in most areas and diversity of fish, usual large populations of damselfish, parrotfish, etc

Species effected varies. Hard Corals Primarily Acropora branching and plate varieties, Soft corals, the majority of Spaghetti corals

Many smaller Acropora plates exhibiting fluorescence, and varying stages of bleaching

Swallow blue branching Acropora exhibiting fluorescence, certainly a-lot paler than usual deep blue colours

Robust Isopora sp? showing partial bleaching, with either non-effected parts of colony, or recovering? Guesses anyone?

While some of these images maybe confronting, we hope to see a return of normal colours, or darkening, once water temperates begin to drop this month/ April. Unfortunately there is always some mortality, which remains to be seen. Reports from other areas on Moore reef are placing mortality around 20% of effected corals in shallowest areas, while most corals below 5m remain less effected by.

Good news is that water temp should be decreasing with now prevailing SE winds and cloud cover.

Introducing the DJI Osmo ACTION series

Calypso is excited to add the DJI Osmo ACTION 4 and ACTION5 PRO to our arsenal of rental cameras.
It offers a great alternative to the popular GoPro HERO series. Try it for yourself, and rent one today from us!

Here is link to a test I did on reef 2 days ago, which one do you think is best?

DJI vs GoPro video comparison

Capture Cairns Post

Introducing Capture Cairns

An exciting new service from Calypso Productions is about to be launched!

All the gear and no idea …. Sound familiar ? Most photographers wouldn’t like to admit it, but not many use their cameras to their full potential.
As photographers we are bombarded with the latest and greatest gadgets everyday.
Today’s  most innovated models become superseded tomorrow.
Many photographers are driven by the idea that if they buy the best equipment, their photography will auto-magically improve.
THE most important part of improving your photography, it’s not the speed of your lens, how many megapixels you have or even that exotic location you have just flown halfway around the world to see.  It’s your eye!
If we spent as much in developing our skills as a photographer as buying new equipment, we would all be (well many )  Ansel Adams!

The beauty of photography is everyone (even the pros) keep learning and improving their technique.  For a gifted few, this comes naturally.  But for most of us, we need to develop our skills learning from others, finding our our style and practice, practice, practice!

Enrolling on a photography course or photography tour/trip will be the best value your money can buy, on improving your photography, period!

Capture Cairns, Calypso’s new and innovative service will do just this. Aimed at all levels of photography, from beginner to advanced. Landscape, portrait, macro, wildlife, even underwater and aerial.

Our professional and award winning photographers deliver you with personalised, one-on-one tuition to take your photography to your next level.

So, if you spend time behind the lens on holiday, create master pieces rather than happy snaps, images you hang on the wall, not store on your long lost hard drive.

Remember capturing the moment often means you’re not  in the moment, so make it count or leave your camera in your bag! (or use your iphone)

Further info on next photo tour

Flying high over the Great Barrier Reef

Underwater Photography Course May 2014

Our popular underwater photography course commences next month

We have 1 Spot remaining

The maximum number of participants is four (4) All participants must hold an Open Water Diver Certification. The course is suited to beginner to advanced photographers, wanting to take their underwater photography to the next level.  Hosted by award winning professional photographer Stuart Ireland, the course includes a day tour to the Great Barrier Reef .Book Now

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GoPro VS Intova HD video comparison

We get alot of people in our shops asking for GoPro to use underwater and what I recommend
Unfortunately for many entry level customers, they are getting too expensive once you add an LCD, extra batteries (which you need as the battery only lasts 1 dive if you use LCD)

So I went looking a camera which was half the price, had an LCD included and the battery lasts longer than 1 dive!

The INTOVA SPORTS HD2 comes in at $259 retail, includes an LCD, so I thought I’d test the GoPro VS Intova HD on video comparison, which has similar specs.
I shot both in HD 1080p, with no red filter (dive was to 10m, averaging 5m), and rigged them side by side with twin SOLA 2000 LED lights each side.
Both action cams were used in out of box mode, full auto, however I did set GoPro lens from super wide to normal to closer match the Intova.
The footage has been unedited, pretty much straight from camera, both mp4 files were dropped onto FCP timeline, then converted to mov file, there is no colour correction etc.
Visibility was really bad, about 5-8m, on Moore Reef of Cairns, due to seasonal rainfall/sea conditions.
After the 90 minute dive, I let the cameras roll to gauge battery life.

So sit back and watch, you can be the judge… (please remember to like or comment on video)

SPECS
GOPRO HERO3 Silver, LCD backpack, RRP (with LCD) AUD$529, battery life 80 minutes
INTOVA Sports HD2, LCD built in, RRP AUD$259 battery life 180 minutes +

Photography Course Cairns starts February 2014

Do you need a helping hand with your photography? Have you purchased a new beaut digital SLR but have no idea how to drive it?  Our monthly photography course cairns starts Tuesday 4th February.
The Cairns Better Photography Course includes over 14 hours of group and personalised tuition, spread out over one month. The maximum number of participants is six (6) and the photography course is suited to introductory / intermediate first time SLR users

Book now, only 2 spots left.

For full details see our better photography workshop page

To view some great images from our previous workshops, click here (more…)

Cairns Underwater Film Festival 2013

Celebrating the Great Barrier Reef and beyond.
Local and International film makers, David Hannan, Dean Miller, Stuart Ireland, Leandro Blanco, Howard Hall, Shawn Hendrichs, Simon Spears, John Boyle and more.
Cairns Underwater Film Festival is Australia’s Premier Festival which is totally non-profit. This year (2013) we raised AUD $20,000 which was donated to local marine research, rehabilitation projects. Cairns Turtle re-habit Centre on Fitzroy Island ($7500) http://www.saveourseaturtles.com.au, Minke Whale Project ($7500) http://www.minkewhaleproject.org, Tangaroa Blue ($5000) http://www.tangaroablue.org/
To donate or enter films in our 2014 Festival goto http://www.cairnsunderwaterfilmfestival.com/

Turtle shot on iPhone5

Hi, how are you? Yes? Look sorry I’ve gotta go, there’s a green turtle, in front of me,bye! How good is this? I must say, these iphone’s are putting out some great images these days. This was shot in one of our dicapac housings. Not broadcast quality, but hey, it capture’s the moment. (Of course there’s a bit of technique involved) This footage is unedited though, straight from the iphone 5