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The girls decide to meet up at La Jolla Cove for a nice dive and to meet some new dive buddies! It was a beautiful afternoon and the SDGs had a blast! Showing off their support for the DAN organization prior to the dive added to the fun of the day.

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The girls met up at La Jolla Cove for a twilight dive! We welcomed back Saeko who had not been diving in quite some time while also welcoming Jenny a new SDG! We had fun in the kelp forest and saw a 7 gill shark! Very fun dive!!!

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The girls go dive for Margo’s birthday and the birthday dives turn into ocean clean up dives instead! The girls found fishing line strung all over the Yukon and then when they got to the kelp forest for the second dive, they found a fishing pole! It is a small victory for the day! Please keep our oceans clean and safe for all the great critters in the deep blue!

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Written by Imogen Simpson-Mowday

Photos by Christopher Bartlett

June 2010

Photo by Christopher Bartlett

Darwin diving… would Darwin have taken the plunge and dived in the Galápagos?  I smiled thinking of Darwin clad in neoprene as we headed off on a week long Galápagos trip courtesy of Red Mangrove. The company operates a range of luxury lodges on the islands of Santa Cruz, Isabela, Floreana and San Cristobal. Our trip was a bespoke alternative to the usual diving live-aboard. A land based trip we would spend a few days on each island and enjoy wildlife trips, deluxe accommodation, top-class catering, diving and snorkeling. To dive in the Galápagos is to experience diving in one of the final frontiers of nature. I would dive with pelagic fish, huge shoals, large marine mammals, turtles, rays, plus a host of sharks.

Diving with Darwin: Day One

On the flight to Baltra Island I felt so lucky and kept pinching myself. At the pretty, secluded, lodge in Puerto Ayora spiced iced tea greeted us and we were shown to our beautiful room. A few metres away a couple of sunbathing sealions snoozed with marine iguanas on the decking as the azure sea lapped beneath: brilliant!

Cruising to Tortuga Bay we snorkeled hunting for baby whitetip sharks, turtles or rays but the visibility was too low. Instead we took a short stroll to marvel at the marine iguanas as they lay in convivial heaps absorbing the sun. We were welcomed back with a warming spicy hot chocolate, very appreciated as despite the high temperatures on land the ocean had been chilly at 20 – 21 degrees (centigrade). At our 7pm dive briefing I selected a 7mm full suit for the morning dives and arranged to take our breakfast in a box, as we would be leaving at 5.50 am. Dinner tonight was deliciously seared tuna served on the decking as the sea lapped beneath us. I am heading to bed now on bright white sheets in a deluxe room with air con, i-pod docks and wi-fi – not quite Darwin’s conditions.

Day two:  Diving at Santa Fé, Santa Cruz:

We slept soundly. Up at 5.30am for coffee and a 60-minute boat ride. Then I backwards rolled into the cool water for a buoyancy test with our great DM’s Luís and Simon. We were told to expect a pretty cave, swim-through, at Santa Fé, and perhaps some bottom feeders such as rays. It was also a chance for me to get back into diving after a six-month break. We swam through a very pretty and wide cave where the sunlight twinkled at the edges. During the dive I felt freezing so on our second dive, at La Loberia, I layered up adding a shortie over my 7mm wetsuit – much more snug.

Our second dive saught out a shoal of sardine-sized fish, called black-striped salema. Once we found the salema the sea turned black. It was like dreaming. Incredible quantities of salema meant it became difficult to judge your depth. There was no fixed point to focus on (hence the value of a dive computer). Fish swarmed like bees in summer and the independent French Canadian girl, diving with us, clearly loved every second. She and I excitedly pointed out yet more fish including some well fed-looking Galápagos Barracuda who drifted lazily around the outskirts of their densely packed larder.

Like swimming in living ink the sensation was deeply relaxing, but, despite my relaxation, my buoyancy was still negative. Practice makes perfect and I was out of practice today.

On our return we greedily ticked in to lunch, squid, plantain, tropical fruit….all exquisite. We transferred, via a two-hour local water taxi trip, to Isabela Island on the next leg of our multi-lodge itinerary. Our luggage was dealt with and in we hopped to a little boat to look at the world’s smallest and only tropical penguins. Afterwards, donning our wet kit, still shivering, we went snorkeling for whitetip reef sharks and rays. In the low visibility we saw a few small rays then slipped the lithe form of a juvenile whitetip reef shark (I saw my first shark today!). My partner smiled and told me later that 27 shark species dwell in the Galápagos Marine Reserve, which is also a World Natural Heritage Site, so many lucky divers and snorkelers get a glimpse of sharks.

At our new lodge we were given a huge room overlooking the sea and met our thorough, friendly DM, Paco, during supper in Red Mangrove’s intimate restaurant.  He told us, over a hearty dish of crab and potato soup and a main dish of prawns, that we would be the only divers in the morning and would head to Tortuga Island, known for hammerheads.

I am off to sleep now happy after encountering my first shark, full of seafood, lying in a bed the size of a dinghy, listening to the Galápagos sea lap outside the balcony.

Day Three: Diving at Tortuga Island, Isabela

How I slept. I bobbed up and down dreaming of diving. In my dream there was someone unfamiliar in the water- but I could not make out his face. Bright and early we jumped into today’s boat and met the excellent boat crew. All our kit was ready and the captain, himself an expert local DM, took us on an exhilarating ride to our dive location at Tortuga Island. Both dives were drift dives with what felt like a medium current along the external rim of an ancient volcano. The visibility was about 15 metres on our first dive but less on our second. Sadly sharks stayed hidden. However, I was delighted to see green sea turtles, some stingrays and marbled rays resting in sandy nooks out of the current’s lure. We also saw a large shoal of Galápagos barracuda on our first dive. As a dive site we both thought it was interesting with bigger marine life the main attraction. As for pretty things to see there are few corals in the Galápagos although on the volcanic island wall we spotted a few horizontally positioned fan corals. In addition there are over 500 species of beautiful fish (25 % of which are endemic), 24 marine mammal species and 27 shark species n the archipelago so divers have a range of life, much of it unique, to enjoy.

Now we are retreating to our huge bed again. We have left the curtains open over the crashing shore ….

Day four: Volcanoes!

I dreamt of Darwin again…ridiculously diving in a straw hat with a butterfly net! In reality Darwin spent a month here and his discoveries and research led to his world-changing publication ‘On The Origin of Species’ in 1859. The islands have delighted and inspired many subsequent visitors and are also home to the Darwin Research Station and a branch of the conservation organization Sea Shepherd, who are helping the Galápagos Marine Reserve enforce its laws.

Today for our rest day we walked up the Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico volcanoes. The six-hour hike revealed vistas of the sea-horse shaped island and crazy Martian style landscapes of lava and cacti. After yet more delicious local dishes in a mountain finca we headed back and explored the exquisite white sand beach looking for marine iguanas this afternoon.

Day five: Snorkeling Sensations at Los Tuneles & El Finado

This morning just the two of us headed out early again with our usual captain Julio and his assistant. The sea was clear aquamarine in bright sun. Almost instantly we started to see the tips of manta rays. At least five reef mantas skimmed the surface of the sea alongside our small boat and every time we saw one we entered the water. I slipped in wearing only a bikini – too excited to feel the cold. Each manta however proved too swift and elusive to photograph.

After an exciting dash out to sea we cruised around the coast to El Finado where, despite the chilly water temperatures, we were back in hunting for giant Pacific seahorses, whitetip reef sharks and turtles. Here our captain turned snorkel guide where in the murky mangroves we were shown two large Pacific seahorses so clad in mossy materials that they resembled the mangrove roots. Only our guides’ knowledge led us to their secret habitat. Then, he led us through small swim-throughs in the shallows to where, incredibly, hidden under the lava-rocks, whitetip reef sharks snoozed. Each time we stuck our heads down, clinging on to the ancient lava with one hand, we could peek into the secret realm of these night-feeders. I was awestruck. Totally abandoning any previous fear I now felt the sheer splendor of these lean creatures. Lithe, at a maximum of about 2.2 metres, the sharks slept in the shade or circled clearly a little disturbed by our close scrutiny. Once out of the shallows a shark mesmerized me until I realized I had lost my snorkeling companions. So I retreated and left the whitetip reef shark to its kingdom. Rejoining the guys we saw a cornet fish and witnessed a few rapid ‘swim-bys’ of several large turtles.

Finally we snorkeled in a narrow channel in the harbor. This channel was about a meter or so wide and beneath us we saw many a resting white tip reef shark. The tide and our movements had stirred up the sand and the sharks perhaps felt some agitation at our inquisitiveness. So I swam curiously above them. One or two seemed a little spooked and we did not wish to disturb them further.

After thanking our expert crew we sat down dripping with salt water to a solo very late lunch. Tonight, after a stroll on the beautiful white sand beach, we were given a romantic meal alone of perfectly prepared wahoo, octopus, prawns, squid kebabs, a delicious salad and some plantain before packing our wet kit under a new moon in preparation for our transfer to San Cristobal tomorrow (I hope all this seafood is local and sustainably caught!).

Day six: A Tiny Plane!

This afternoon we flew to San Cristobal in a tiny plane. Seating only eight passengers the flight was an exquisite 45-minute trip across a beautiful sea. I even saw a whale. The other great aspect of the flight is that for divers you get a glimpse of the dive site at Kicker Rock.

Yet again on arrival our hosts were cheerful, helpful, taking care of our every need. We were driven to a lagoon in the islands highest crater to gain a great view of the green isle followed by a short stroll to watch the sun set over sealions. Our Gálapagos National Park Guide explained that really it is not sharks but male sealions that are the most likely aggressor towards people here but only in protective defense of their mates and offspring. Keeping a safe distance we spent a delightful time photographing them as they went about their evening.

Day seven: Diving at Kicker Rock, San Cristobal

Today was our last day of diving with Red Mangrove and we headed out to Kicker Rock (shaped like the famous shoe-brand). Kicker Rock is actually riven in two so the first dive was through the channel between the twin towering pinnacles. This site is a favorite site for shark sightings and we hoped to see hammerheads. Unfortunately today these creatures eluded us but instead we were blessed with Galápagos sharks and my partner saw stingrays and turtles as well. My dive was cut short by a problem equalizing, and unfamiliarity with wearing a dive hood due to the temperature, but I had a great day and ended up snorkeling in the channel between the rocky divide and seeing two Galápagos sharks, five blacktip sharks, some turtles and marine iguanas. My partner’s second dive followed the wall to the left of the first dive. Again no hammerheads came into view so instead he enjoyed the delicate sponges and beautiful array of colour on the vast wall, accompanied by some large green sea turtles.

Back on land I knew I had someone to pay a visit to. All week I had thought of him daily – Darwin. We headed to the Interpretation Centre where enjoying the walk through incense trees to find the man. There he was in the sunset – a huge sculpture of the incredible thinker flanked aptly by a turtle, marine iguana and a sealion. He stood there proudly high over the shoreline looking out to sea. I knew, gazing at this image, that he would not have hesitated for a second had he had the chance to delve into the mysteries of the Galápagos seas. Despite all the challenges I faced this week diving in these waters, as a relatively inexperienced diver, I realized just how fortunate I was to have had the chance.

Day eight: Puerto Ayora

Returned by boat to Puerto Ayora and I ran and swam – got to keep fit!

Day nine: Galápagos Sub Aqua – sharks and manta!

Today we dived with Galápagos Sub Aqua at two dive sites at North Seymour. This took over an hour to get to by boat as it is close to Baltra Island. Luckily on our trips to and from the dive site a whale and Risso’s dolphin graced the view. I was feeling nervy, after my last problem equalizing, so was taken care of fantastically by DM’s, Simon and Arisa. Our first dive had pretty strong current but with our expert guides we were briefed on exactly how to handle the site. A multi level dive we stayed close to the bottom beneath the pull of the current for most of the dive (NB really heed your dive briefings at these dive sites). On the dive we saw a baby sting-ray, several sting rays in the sand, the haunts of garden eels, the by now ubiquitous turtle and sealions and some great puffer fish. The dive ended in a section of very strong current. This was excellent fun, done properly, as we did our safety stop in the speedy flow whilst looking at an array of bright starfish below. On exiting the water we were pleased to see two large reef mantas too flanking the boat.

The second dive, around the corner went in the opposite direction, and was a lovely drift-dive again in low-vis (it was sad to think that a girl has died diving here and I thought of her throughout). Magically we were joined by a large reef manta overhead as we looked at a miniscule blue nudibranch and a host of fish: blue and gold snappers, wide-banded blenny, hawkfish and a lone turtle. Snuggled up in a series of small caves we discovered resting whitetip reef shark where two pairs dozed in semi-secrecy. How exciting! I now had actually dived with reef mantas and sharks (having snorkeled with both) this made my day.

Whilst diving today all the while, out of the corner of my eye, I swear I saw a shadow of a man…diving in a straw hat! If you find the chance, and can afford to go to the Galápagos, look out for a shadow down there in the deep. It might be the shadow of a hammerhead or perhaps you will encounter the faint impression of a lone explorer questing in the brine.

Photographs courtesy of Christopher Bartlett where credited the others are the author’s.

Details:

We were superbly hosted by Red Mangrove for our first week – see: http://www.redmangrove.com who have a range of off the shelf itineraries, and who also do tailor-made trips and can cater for a mixed group of divers and non-divers.

Diving:

Red Mangrove can organize your diving requirements even if you don’t stay with them – diving@redmangrove.com

We also dived with the very professional, and with several female DM’s,

Galapagos Sub Aqua: http://www.galapagos-sub-aqua.com/

Phone 593-5-2 526350/593-5-2 526633/cell phone:

Email: divecenter@galapagos-sub-aqua.com

Other classic Galapagos dive sites:

Gordon Rocks, off Santa Cruz for experienced to advanced divers, Wolf, Darwin.

Other places to stay:

Top End:

La Casa Marita on Isabela, http://www.galapagosisabela.com

Hotel Sol y Mar on Santa Cruz doubles $200

Mid range:

La Casa Del Lago www.galapagoscultural.com doubles at $84 who also make the best breakfasts in town for $5.50, fruit salad, fresh juices, wholemeal bread, veggie omelets and Ecuadorian coffee.

Email: casadellago@galapagoscultural.com

Budget:

Hotel Espana on Santa Cruz www.hotelespanagalapagos.com

E-mail: hotelsgalapagos@yahoo.es Doubles at $30, wi-fi, breakfast $3.00, hammocks in nice communal area. The lovely hostess, Ester, is a diver and tour organizer and she can book highland tours, diving, snorkeling and island trips for you at great prices.

Casa Rosada on Isabela on the beachfront – claudiahodari@gmail.com doubles $20 to $40

Volcano Hotel on Isabela – volcanohotelisa@hotmail.com – doubles $40

Places to eat (try local seafood and patacones -fried green plantains)

Puerto Ayora:

La Garrapata: fish $7.80, starters $4.00, desserts from $3.40, real coffee, plus taxes

K.T. Williams: fish in coconut sauce with rice $5, calle Charles…

Café del Mar: grilled fish and plantain $8.00

El Jardin/The Garden: try the fish of the day and they sell great ice cream too.

Notes for less experienced lady-divers:

Diving in the Galapagos poses some challenges such as:

1. Temperature: The Pacific in the Galapagos in June was cool. Expect to dive in waters between 17 and 22 degrees. A 7mm suit was not sufficient for me so I added more layers. The cold affects people differently and if you feel too cold your thoughts and actions can be unfamiliar. If you dive and feel too cold, then alert your buddy and if you rise a little you may find warmer waters to continue your dive, if not and you decide you have to finish the dive earlier than expected do so safely and layer up for subsequent dives.
2. Sea surface conditions: you will be taken to dive sites in a range of small boats and you will need to be able to enter backwards using the standard roll. Once in the water you may enter quite rough surface conditions and you must be aware of the tides and the strong currents around the islands and dive sites. Once surfaced you exit wearing all your kit, bar your fins of course, by utilizing the small boat ladders then this makes entry easier for the boat crew who may be close to rocky shores, it is efficient and helps to ensure that all divers return quickly to de-kit and get warm.
3. Below the surface conditions: the dives that I did were mostly drift dives and or included some areas of medium current. Other sites have strong currents and you will be given details in your dive briefings.
4. Buoyancy: if you end up wearing more neoprene layers you will most likely need more weights on your belt or in your BCD pockets. Your DM or Instructor will make you do a test dive with full kit, to test your weights and buoyancy. Don’t forget that once at depth you may need to add a little more air to your BCD to achieve neutral buoyancy.
5. Sharks: if you have never dived with sharks before then a trip to the Galapagos could be a great opportunity to see these magnificent creatures. There are 27 species of around the Galapagos Islands. The most commonly spotted sharks whilst diving, and frequently snorkeling too, are whitetip reef sharks, blacktip sharks and hammerhead sharks. A less common species is the endemic Galapagos shark, and occasionally whale sharks. All can be dived with safely. However this does not mean that you should be complacent. We are their guests and we cannot predict exactly how they will react to our presence in all situations. So although there is no need to be frightened you might feel nervous and you should always be alert to their behavior and the conditions. Awe usually replaces fear with time and familiarity. Follow the dive briefing advice on what to do, as this will help you to make the most of your experience safely.
6. Pride, experience, and limits: divers of all genders can let pride come before a fall. Don’t ever feel too proud to admit if something is outside your experience. If you are not comfortable and or need more time to refine skills then don’t feel disappointed. I am the first to admit that I found the conditions a challenge as a relatively inexperienced diver. There is a range of dive sites suitable for all levels – so do your research and book the right sites for you, heed the dive briefings, follow good practice and don’t forget there are some awesome snorkeling sites too!

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Day Time Dives

We got up for our first day in Riviera Maya and what was on the schedule?  Ocean DIVING! We are really excited because it had been a long time since we wore anything less than a 7mm wetsuit to dive. We packed our gear in our mesh transport backpack style bags provided by Aqualung and headed down the dirt road to Akumal Dive Shop!

The shop was about a 3 minute walk from our hotel but it was very hot and humid. We looked longingly at the crystal blue ocean wondering how long it would be before we were descending into the deep blue!

When we arrived at the shop, Luis, the Dive Master, had all the gear set up. Their rental gear looked like it was in good shape, but Steph and I informed them that we had brought our own.  They quickly removed the rental BCDs from the tanks allowing us to get all set up. Luis tried to talk us into wearing one of their shorty wetsuits, but we decided to stick with our full 3mm that we brought along. The water temperature was 81F on our dives, however, we did get a bit chilled on our second dive so this was the right choice.

Deciding how much weight to use was a bit of a challenge. We normally dive with 8mm wetsuits and steal tanks in cold water and we wear 8-10 lbs. We finally decided to go with 8 lbs…well…that was the first dive…which is when we found out that we needed 10!  We ended up stealing 2 lbs each from Luis the DM during that first dive.

Photo by Mike Stratton

Once everyone was ready we were waiting around for the dive briefing. Well we got so hot and that water looked so inviting, we just could not wait. So Steph and I ran over and jumped in…wow did that feel great! We got into our wetsuits as Gonzolo, the shop owner, told us some history about Akumal Dive Shop and gave us a briefing of the two sites we would visit. Both guides spoke English very well so there was no communication barrier at all. We split into two boats and carried our gear on our backs aboard. Of course Luis offered to carry our gear for us…which was very nice service.

Our two dives were the following sites:

• Lobster Condo
• The Nets, (las redes)

Once on the boat, the guys offered us water to drink and off we went. We all did backward rolls off the boat and into the water. We were surprised by the current at the surface as it was pretty strong but once we dropped down, the current seemed to disappear.  We were so impressed with the visibility! Later we heard someone say it was not that great…and we laughed. Coming from San Diego where a good day is 15 feet, anything above 25 feet is spectacular!

Dive Video #1: Arrival at Hotel Akumal Caribe and first ocean dive

We were diving along beautiful coral and numerous fish. The lobsters were similar to what we have in California except their markings were much more decorative.  We saw a large barracuda and what someone said was a remora…later we saw tons of these on the backs of sea turtles. The expectation to see sea turtles while diving was set but by the end of the second dive, no sea turtles!  But we did find a motorcycle standing upright as if you could hop on and drive away…that made for some good SDG fun!

Dive Video #2: Second ocean dive

Luis did a nice job of keeping us all together and helping out when needed. He pointed out interesting things along the way. Overall the service and quality presented by the Akumal Dive Shop was very good. We did take a little longer than expected to get going for the first dive, however, once we did get moving, everything went like clockwork. We had to return to the shop in between dives for new tanks, which is different than what we expected, but it was actually pretty nice to have the shop to go back to for the surface interval. Great dive day!

Night Dive

Our third ocean dive was the same day but this time we headed out around 7:30pm to enjoy a night dive with Akumal Dive Center.

We all gathered at the center where our tanks were waiting for us. We decided to go with 3mm again and save our 5mm for the Cenotes dives the next day. We were greeted by our guide, Jose Esquiel Orozco or as everyone calls him, Chepo. He helped everyone set up their gear and Steph and I set up our own. This time we knew how much weight to use which was nice! Chepo then told us we would be diving the same dive site we had done earlier in that day called, The Nets, (las redes) but promised us it would be totally different at night!

Once again, we donned our gear and walked down to the boat. This time we were all together on one boat since not everyone in our group decided to do the night dive. By the time we pulled away the sun was set and the sky was getting dark. As they navigated through the buoys, they set glow sticks on them to help guide their way back through the buoys after the dive.

Once we got to the site, we all geared up and sat on the edge of the boat. We did backward rolls into the water. Again the current was strong so Steph and I held onto each other and encouraged the other divers to hold onto us until Chepo got in the water. We dropped down and it was absolutely magical! It was so amazing to be diving at night in great visibility! I was immediately entranced and looked over at Stephanie, who I could tell was sharing the exact same feeling!

Chepo was an amazing guide. He would call us over by tapping his tank and each time it was something extraordinary to see. We spent much of our time watching an octopus who was just hanging out in the open. I know Stephanie wanted to pick him up and hug him but she restrained herself! The octopus turned this amazing color of blue…he looked like cotton candy!

We saw so much on this dive. Lobsters, octopus, eels, tuna, and tons of other types of fish. When we went to do our safety stop before ascending, we all turned off our flashlights and that was a mystical scene! The phosphorescence in the water created a beautiful green color with your movements in the water.

Then the unthinkable…all of the sudden we were surrounded by what I later found out was worms! They were everywhere and when you hit them with your hands they felt hard. It was so gross! When we finally submerged we were laughing so hard because Stephanie thought they were in her ears! We held our lights over our heads and the boat came to pick us up.

Dive Video #3: Night dive with Akumal Dive Center

This dive was most definitely the highlight of the three ocean dives. We were extremely pleased that it was added to the itinerary at the last minute. Chepo went on to guide us on our Cenotes dives the following day which is in a separate trip report. The Akumal Dive Center was impressive and Chepo should be requested if you dive with them!

That evening we ate at La Cueva del Pescador after our dive. We were lucky that the owner allowed the kitchen to stay open to wait for us because it normally closes at 9pm and we just arrived to order at 9:15pm.  This place is owned by local fishermen and seafood is their specialty! Of course there are items other than seafood on the menu that looked equally delicious. They served us a Mexican style soup in a tomato broth with chicken which was fantastic with a little lime and hot sauce. For dinner we had the local catch which was pan seared in garlic…very tasty! The most interesting part of the meal was their desert. They had natural ice cream that was out of this world. Stephanie tried the coconut flavor and it actually was served in a half coconut shell, very creative and delicious.

We all slept well that night in great anticipation for our next days dives in the Cenotes!

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The girls take part in the underwater games! There is freestyle swimming, crab races, kelpball, and surge control!!! It is never ending fun…

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Hello Conservation Friends!
My Name is Abbey Nichols-Callaway, better known as just ‘Abbey’. I am a fine artist who paints marine life with a  special passion for sea turtles. Having been surrounded by Floridian wildlife since birth, I’ve grown into an avid spectator of both flora and fauna native to the area. One of my most favorite past times was going to the beach at night to watch for sea turtles nesting and little hatching making the journey to the sea for their first swim.
In the last few years I have taken my art work to the next level with efforts to use proceeds from my art towards funding conservation efforts for marine life organizations. You can view one of my sea turtle paintings that I donated to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) at my website www.AbbeyArt.com. The LMC hosted their annual fund raiser/auction to the public and was able to sell my sea turtle painting for $500. This money went back to funding their mission to help saving sea turtles. I have two paintings up for sale on my online art store. I do commissions for people as well. If you are interested in having an original sea turtle painting of your own, I would be glad to paint them! Any of my Sea Turtle Art that sells, I will be taking 20% from the earnings made on each piece of art to donate to the National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation supporting their mission for sea turtles.
My recent marine life artwork has taken on a new style of mixed media that has become the focal point of my portfolio. The artwork I create is a mixture of modeling paste, acrylic paint, and watercolor painting. The secret behind my effort is the precise handling of the materials and the visual effects created, which give my art a realistic yet abstract appearance. I have been working with imagery of marine wild life, primarily various species of fish and sea turtles. I tend to make my sea creatures animated but use realistic details to capture specific species of which the work is based. My finished work exhibits lifelike, fluid motion due to the optical illusion created by the abstract colors and textured canvas. This personified approach results in unique pieces that represent my passion and respect for all aquatic life.
Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Abbey Nichols-Callaway
Fine Artist and Designer
ArtByAbbey@yahoo.com
www.AbbeyArt.com

http://twitter.com/AbbeyART

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