Bull Shark Smiles!

This is just awesome - click for detail!

What can I say but, Vinaka Christian!
 

Sasha in Fiji!

Sasha and the BAD boyz - didn't know that Silio was such a poser!

The man is back!

That would be Alexander Safonov, proud Best of Show winner of the 2010 iDiveSharks Imaging Festival.
He is here to cash in on the prize, sponsored by you-know-who, and to upgrade his portfolio - with 30-40 Bulls and scores of smaller Sharks on each dive, timing could not be better!

Sasha is of course a repeat customer, friend, co-blogger and multi-awarded photographer and as such, we will always make a special effort to try to put him in the best position for the next stellar shot.
And lemme tell 'ya, I've had a peek at some of his raw files and I can confirm that he has already bagged some absolutely spectacular stuff! His laptop screen is not calibrated and we shall thus have to wait til he gets back to HK - but we're all in for a treat!

So far, he's published the one below - and he tells me that it's actually not so good. Right...

The comment being, courtesy of Babelfish (sic):

Bula of from Of fiji!
In Pacific Of harbour cost extraordinarily remarkable weathers, and practically each day in me is a possibility of [semki] in the rip shoal, which is accessible only into the calm. A quantity of rip sharks from last year as me seemed as the minimum it was doubled, to [beloperok] of those being attempting to get in armpits and constantly giving out slaps by my tails I no longer turn attention. Much I ex-changetar with light and [semki] technique [fishaem]. Excellent company here was gathered, [vrochem] about this I perhaps will describe only later. But thus far one of the photographs on which is imprinted not only swift [beloperka] (its snout it is found in 10 cm from the port) but also the legend of [dayvinga] in Fiji Of [manasa] of " [Papa]" To [bulivu] - one of the founders of [akulego] preserve into [Benga] of lagoons.

I couldn't agree more!

Anyway, Sasha, great that yer back!

DaWolf!

This is about as brilliant as it gets! Pic by Wolfgang Leander (click to enjoy).

We've met - finally!

And no, don't worry, I'm not about to venture writing a laudatio, well deserved as it may be, after just one short lunch.
The more as all you need to do, is to google "Wolfgang Leander" to discover who he is and what he does - along with the biggest endorsement of them all, a dishonorable mention by the anonymous scumbags over at CDNN!

Thing is, we've had our initial run-ins.

But what became immediately apparent was that the man, on top of being a true gentleman, was passionate, highly intelligent and willing to engage in constructive dialogue instead of resorting to the usual petty bickering which is so typical for our sharkophilic circles. Being short tempered and petty myself, I could not but admire and above all, respect his restraint and eventually, his positions - and I have no doubt that this is also the principal reason why he is so universally revered among Shark lovers, to the point where everything he does and says is inevitably being defined as iconic.
Not bad for a self-professed nutter!

For my part, I just sensed that we were kindred spirits and was eagerly awaiting the chance to meet face-to-face in order to die Paar kleineren Missverstaendnisse auszuraeumen, which is German for kiss and make up, or the like.
And I'm happy to report that we have made up and that ever since, we've been kissing like crazy!

But as I said, this is not a laudatio.
This is personal, and all I wanted to say that I'm deeply impressed by the person I'm starting to discover, and that I like him very much. Yes he may indeed be iconic - but above all, to me, he is a true Mensch - culture, passion, quirks and all.

The lone Wolf travels farther, faster.
In diesem Sinne mein Lieber - Machetjut!

Whow!!!

What a picture!!!

Click on it: just awesome!!!
по-моему просто лучшее фото с акулами, что я видел!

Sasha is in Fiji and I just had a glance at his blog.
Must have been yesterday's dive because today, they had a visit by Scarface!

Talking of which - will anybody venture giving an answer to that question about Tiger Sharks?

Anyway, can't wait to see what he's gonna be posting next!!!