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Written by Rob Keeler
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Wednesday, 08 October 2008 |
As you may have heard through the Koh Tao grapevine, seen on Facebook or on the ACE website (www.acemarineimages.com), we at ACE Marine Images have started a whale shark ID database. The hope is to collect as many images as possible of these beautiful creatures in order to learn more about these illusive fish. We are working in conjunction with several leading worldwide databases including ECOCEAN, to try and track their migratory patterns and breeding habits, which to date little is known of still. Ultimately, it is whale shark conservation that is our priority and we want you to be involved.
We are asking each dive operator on Koh Tao (and beyond!) and also any instructors, DM's, DMT's, students or fun divers to assist us by sending in photo's they have of whale sharks either from around Koh Tao or elsewhere. Now, before you all go searching through your albums and hard drives for photo's, it needs to be said that we need photo's of specific parts of the whale shark so they can be identified properly. Ideally, we need images taken at right angles to the shark which clearly (or as clearly as possible) include the following areas, top and bottom of the 5th gill slit and the inner trailing edge of the pectoral fin. It is these area's that contain large distinctive spots and include suitable reference points for comparison between images. Ideally the images need to be of the left side although the right side is acceptable, both sides would be fantastic! Include any photo's of scars or other distinguishing marks and if you can a photo of the pelvic fins in order for us to determine sex. With each individual submission we also need to know the location of the sighting, the date and a measured or estimated length. Lastly, we would appreciate a good "normal" photo of each whale shark so we can post those on the site and not have hundreds and hundreds of images of the left and right sides. It is also worth mentioning that each positively ID'd whale shark photo that gets posted in the database on the ACE website will be credited to individual diveshops and divers. If you like you can also include a quote about your experience for inclusion on the website. Go to the whale shark photo ID page of the ACE site for examples.
Please feel free to send photo's of as many individual whale sharks as you like from wherever and whenever you spotted them. You can do this by bringing them along to ACE's studio next door to Choppers in Sairee either on CD/DVD, hard drive, flash drive or straight from your camera's flash card or memory stick. If, like us you are a VDO and film person dont despair! Identifiable images can be obtained from VDO and film "grabs" or stills. So if you have tapes and tapes of whale shark footage, get looking!
If your still unsure of the exact area needed please either check out the front page of the ACE website, www.acemarineimages.com where it is explained with images, email enquiries can be sent to
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or come by the studio and speak to us....we don't bite, despite what you may have heard!
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 October 2008 )
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Ribbed, For Your Pleasure. |
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Written by Rob Keeler
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Monday, 06 October 2008 |
One of the best ways to dive here on Koh Tao is on the Master Divers rib, Valiant. Especially if your looking for that illusive dive with a Whale Shark. Fifteen minutes to Chumphon Pinnacle and your in the water long before any of the regular dive boats arrive, or long after they have left!
ACE has just had the pleasure of a wee trip out to our shark "hotspot", and it was awesome. Great visabililty, no current, slight thermocline at 25m but more importantly....NO OTHER DIVERS! Just the job if your a little weary of sharing the dive site with 200 other divers most mornings.
We went out filming for the Whale Shark documentary which ACE is currently producing for TV broadcast. Did we see a Whale Shark?? You'll have to wait to see the film for the answer.
Thanks to Peter and Phanee of Master Divers for a wonderful experience. If you haven't had the ribbed pleasure already, then get on it!
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Written by Rob Keeler
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Tuesday, 30 September 2008 |
No not a reference to us listening to the latest offerings from the
awesome Kings Of Leon, rather an observation on the number of U/W film
students and interns we have lining up right now. I am about to finish
David's course and he will be joining us on his internship straight
away, we also have Sylvie waiting patiently in the wings ready to begin
tomorrow and looking to join us long term also.
In addition to this we also have Lisa doing her Advanced Open Water
Course at Phoenix before coming to us next weekend, again specifically
for the U/W film course but likely the internship too. Further proof
(if needed) that ACE is the only place to come to for proffesional
level training, if you wanna be the best you have to be trained by the
best...simple really! See you in the water...
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 30 September 2008 )
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Written by Chris Clark
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Saturday, 30 August 2008 |
Yes, podcasts, coming soon to acemarineimages.com, I have just done an interview with DJ Octo in Bangkok, after being whisked off a motorbike taxi and frisked by police, weird but true. Check out his website at www.djocto.com and subscribe to his podcasts, they are awesome, well all except the last one with me on it anyway!
So, the next step is acecasts which will feature video pocasts from the rock with up to date news and reviews, plus some of the finest images known to man, stay tuned...
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Promoting Koh Tao to the Max |
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Written by Chris Clark
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Saturday, 23 August 2008 |
Focusing on the promotion and conservation of Koh Tao and Thailand has always been a priority at ACE Marine Images and with Save Koh Tao Now making its way to broadcast, the Calendar Launch party at Q Bar in Bangkok, we have never been more active.
Furthermore, before the completion of the film we are currently producing about Koh Tao we are hoping to leave behind the random politics which is typical of any small community but we will be peeling back the layers and exposing what lies behind this exquisite tourist destination, it should be fun and will definitely be a captivating show!
There are some world class opportunities and operators for tourists on Turtle Island, but like everywhere there are also some to watch out for; with the help of 2 of the world's biggest television broadcasters we aim to help Koh Tao move forward in this time of environmental issues and give the tourists the information they need to avoid making bad descisions! Thanks to local community conservation groups the island is definitely in good shape and on the up, clean and well managed, thanks to all of you who are helping in this effort!
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 August 2008 )
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