His passion for photography started in college, where he worked in the darkroom developing rolls of film. Since then, his image-making skills have taken him to all corners of our planet from chasing supercell storms across the USA to Kenya, photographing the “Big Five,” and to Northern Canada, documenting the lives of beluga whales.
A Few Kudos for His Images
He says, “I am a photographer who loves being out in the middle of nowhere, observing our wild earth in its purest form, capturing the forces of nature in a moment in time. I have a deep respect and admiration for wildlife, whether it be humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean, or a lone leopard in Africa. My work has been featured in Nature’s Best Photography, MontPhoto, Memorial Maria Luisa, the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), reFocus Awards, Share The View International Photography Contest, and The Greatest Maasai Mara.”
Brett holds NAUI Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certifications. He hasn’t strapped on a scuba tank since his first encounter with a whale while snorkeling off the coast of Tonga, but he’s had close encounters with a variety of whale and dolphin species.
An Ocean Geographic article on Beluga Whales will be published soon.
He and his wife had a dive-themed wedding cake.
A trip to Tonga snorkeling with humpback whales changed everything; he hasn’t dived since 2013.
Three snorkeling locations presented:
1) Town of Churchill: He and his wife journeyed to the Beluga Whale capital of the world, on the northern edge of Manitoba, Canada, on Hudson Bay. Also known as a Birdwatchers’ Paradise, Polar Bears, and Aurora Borealis.
- You lie on a raft, towed by a SkiDo, and the whales come to you, but only at high tide.
- Belugas are called the Canaries of the Sea b/c they sing underwater. See his YouTube link:
- You can also kayak with them, and the Belugas like moving objects.
- The rest of the time, you’re looking for polar bears.
2) Puerto Piramedas on Golfo Nuevo, Argentina – Where Southern Right Whales give birth to calves in 50-degree water. The Argentine Government is strict with permits and only allows one boat at a time with four passengers.
- The SRW are very curious b/c they like to come in very close.
- One out of every 100 calves is born completely white (albino).
- They also love to breach.
- He shot some breaches with his drone.
3) Dominica The Whale Watching Capital of The Caribbean
- Sperm Whales can dive down 4,000 feet to dine on giant squid.
- Guides use hydrophones to listen to their clicks to determine where they are in the water column.
- They also like to come in close.
- They have very thick tails which are very powerful for navigation.
Other epic locations for snorkeling are:
- Humpbacks in French Polynesia, Tonga, the Cook Islands, or Norway.
- Orcas off Baja California Sur, or Norway.
- At the Sardine Run off Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, you can watch them being
- hunted by striped marlins, sea lions, dolphins, and skipjack tuna
- Pygmy Blue Whales off Timor Leste, Indonesia, near Australia.
Wild Frame Images
Youtube Site
