Wakatobi Photo Gallery from Wakatobi Dive Resort

Wakatobi Photo Gallery

Images from Wakatobi Resort
Tukang Besi Islands, S.E. Sulawesi, Indonesia

Island Dreams' Ken Knezick has now made eleven in-depth visits to Wakatobi Resort in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Ee holds the record for return trips; more than any other guest or tour guide. After 400+ dives and at least as many hours underwater at Wakatobi, and the opportunity to expose a few thousand images there, both underwater and topside, he has gained a genuine love for this unique destination. Here is what Ken had to say on the subject of photography at Wakatobi:

"I've been shooting underwater for more than 25 years. Wakatobi's diverse environment has offered me as wide a range of photo opportunities as any dive destination yet encountered. There are limitless opportunities for fish and invertebrate pictures, but the soft corals and huge fans are so inviting that it's hard to resist setting up just one more wide-angle op. The hardest part for a photographer at Wakatobi is deciding what to shoot first.

"I've also been glad to have handy a good topside camera with telephoto lens. It can be a full time job just to photograph the strange assortment of native dugout canoes, hand crafted sail boats, and bizarre tramp supply vessels that sail around the point in front of the resort. There are also some fine opportunities to photograph the local people, villages, and traditional ways of Indonesian life. Bottom line - bring your creative eye to Wakatobi, plus a variety of camera options…and plenty of film or memory cards!"

Please note that this entire Web Site, and all photos and text contained within are Copyrighted. We hope you enjoy these pictures -- but please do not use any of these images or text without prior written permission. © Ken Knezick - Island Dreams

Island Dreams' owner Ken Knezick has just returned from conducting his tenth group dive trip to Wakatobi. The resort and diving conditions were better than ever, and Island Dreams' group of 22 divers had an excellent experience. While there, Ken had a chance to continue working with a new camera system, the Nikon D2x digital camera in a Nexus submersible housing. The photos in this gallery are the result of Ken's first attempts with this new equipment. We hope you enjoy them.

Clown Fish	Sea-Whip Goby	Soft Coral Crab
Juvenile File-Fish	Dottyback	Trumpet Fish
Gallery photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Do not copy these images without prior explicit written permission.

Bridled Anemonefish	Crab with Eggs	Butterfly and Wrasse
Goby and the Blue	Volitans Lionfish	Red Fire-Goby
Gallery photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Do not copy these images without prior explicit written permission.

Hexabranchus Djibouti - Copyright Ken Knezick, Island Dreams

This amazing version of the dorid nudibranch Hexabranchus sanguineus was first described in the Red Sea, off the coast of Djibouti. It is reported to grow to at least 520 mm (20 inches) in length. I was very fortunate to find the individual pictured here strolling along the dive site called Inka's Palette, at Wakatobi during my September 2005 visit. At first glance, I thought the gills were just some pretty soft coral. Then I noted that this particular soft coral was making its way along the reef!

This beautiful individual was certainly 18-20 inches long, though I note that its length expanded and contracted as it moved over the various strata. The amazing creature was host to at least six different Emperor shrimp along for the ride. Certainly it is one of the most delightful underwater photo subjects I have ever encountered, and I spent a good 30 minutes with it, to the end of my air supply. Best of all, I note that this big nudibranch eats one of the underwater photographer's main nemesis, hydroids! Ken Knezick

First Glimpse	Emperor Feeding	Devouring Hydroid
Glorious Space	Emperor's Throne	Djibouti Departs
Gallery photos are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Do not copy these images without prior explicit written permission.

As you can see, Wakatobi offers great photo opportunities. Not surprisingly, I'm going back for more!

Follow this link to learn about: Island Dreams' September 2008 Wakatobi Group

Or continue viewing plenty more Wakatobi photos just below. Cheers, Ken