Video Contest – December 2021

Description: This video was filmed in December 2018 at a dive site named Christmas Rock in Triton Bay, West Papua, Indonesia. The dive site is a rugged rock formation that sits at the narrow southern mouth of the bay and is naturally bathed in nutrient-rich currents that promote rich underwater life. It is covered in a thick growth of feathery, silver black coral trees that harbor dense marine life, both large and small and is reminiscent of a forest in winter, even looking like Christmas trees adorned with living ornaments. I hope you will forgive me for slipping into unabashed maudlin sentimentality as we enter the Christmas Season! As I watch another cold front coming in, I am thinking of the day I shot this because underwater, it looked a little like winter. The water is so rich in nutrients, it looks like snow is falling, which gave me the idea to make a winter fantasy at Christmas Rock, even though I was diving near the equator. Dedicated to children of all ages, I hope that the quiet serenity of this beautiful dive site will bring a little peace and happiness to our chaotic world, if only for a few minutes. Merry Christmas!