The Anthrozoos Journal has published a study into the “gift giving” behavior of a group of wild bottle nose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) at Tangalooma Island Resort in Australia. The “gifts” were freely given by the dolphins to center staff and have included eels, tuna, squid, an octopus and an assortment of many other types of different fin fish. Scientists are not entirely sure of what is motivating their behavior although theories include an urge to play, a desire to reciprocate food sharing or the belief that the recipient of the food is an incompetent hunter. Based on their detailed observations, the scientists think that gift giving among the wild dolphins at the Tangalooma Island Resort was likely a form of play behavior. Interspecies food sharing is very rare amongst wild animals.

Continue Reading

As much of the Wetpixel community prepares for the holidays, we hope that everyone’s holiday season will be relaxing and enjoyable, surrounded by those that you care about. May 2013 bring you great diving, amazing photography and much happiness.

2012 has been another fantastic year for underwater imaging, and there are already many amazing images being shared in the “Favorite Image of 2012” thread now active in the forum. If you haven’t done so yet, please go on over and share your chosen image (or images as most people cheat and add more than one) to it.

Happy Holidays!

Continue Reading

Ikelite has announced a mid-January release date of their housing for the Canon EOS 6D SLR camera. It joins housings for the Canon EOS 60D and Nikon D600 that are available now. Common features include wired TTL flash control, with push-button strobe output controls on the back of the housing itself, access to the bulk of camera controls, externally visible o rings and a glass optical viewfinder as standard.

The Ikelite housing for the Canon EOS 6D will retail in the USA at $1,600.

Continue Reading

As of today, California has created a series of 19 underwater parks or Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along its coast. These include marine habitats found at Point Reyes, Big Sur, and in the north Point St. George Reef which is home to the second largest nesting seabird colony south of Alaska as well as estuarine waters at the mouth of waterways like Ten Mile River that are critical for salmon and steelhead populations. The MPAs are all close inshore, leaving coastal waters open for fishing.

Continue Reading

Sea & Sea has announced the release of a housing for the Nikon D600 SLR camera. The MSX-D600 is a compact, lightweight design with access to all the camera’s essential controls. It has two fiber optic ports, as well as two additional bulkheads for the possible installation of electronic flash triggering, HDMI or other bulkheads. It is supplied with a leak detector as standard and is compatible with Sea $ Sea’s NX series lens ports.

The MDX-D600 will be shipping from mid-January at an US retail price of $3,399.00 or $3,499.00 with a 2 pin wiring harness (for electronic strobe triggering).

Continue Reading