TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Naturalizing in the BVI

I recently discovered the iNaturalist website (and phone app)... a 503C organization that collects crowd-sourced nature observations.
It contains a fairly sophisticated database of computerized species identification, like reverse image search but quite a bit better.

Beyond that, there is a user base of millions, including experts in all sorts of biological organisms, who will confirm or correct the submitted observations to a high degree of accuracy.

This has added another whole dimension to my visits and photography! I had such an amazing time just a few days ago traipsing barefoot on Prickly Pear, stalking and photographing the scarlet Ibis and other birds. Learning the names and other facts about the BVI wildlife makes them that much more interesting to me.

In case anyone is interested, if you follow this link it will show the (so far small) set of observations I have made in the BVI:

MrEZgoing's BVI wildlife observations

The website is free and has no advertising. Highly recommended!

This is cool! Your photos are amazing. You'll have to give me a class someday 😎

Thanks Matt!

I'd love to learn how you get your great drone shots!

I used to get annoyed by the little birds at Setting Point that hunt for scraps and foul the deck.
Now, I'm like "Behold! the Ruddy Turnstone!"

Also, for years I've seen those weird upside down jellyfish in the mangrove shallows of Biras Creek.
I loved finding out they carry the awesomely celestial scientific name of Cassiopea andromeda.

Wow that is very very cool. Love your photos .

Really great photos...thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing- what a cool website!
What camera are you using for your underwater photos?

I'm using an OM Systems "Tough" TG-7 in a OM housing. My first setup, I'm finding it a challenge!

Like this:

Link to Backscatter.com product page

I have that camera so I am partway there! It does OK (great above water) but my pics aren't crisp. Do you think the housing or the light is the key?

I haven't tried using the camera underwater on it's own, but I used to have a couple Nikon Coolpix's and they never lasted very long.
On this last trip, I didn't use the strobe at all, but used the M52 120 degree wide angle lens.

The camera should take sharp pictures underwater without the housing, but the built-in flash is probably not ideal from a backscatter perspective, and the 24mm equivalent lens underwater makes it tough to get close enough to reduce the amount of water you are shooting through.
I'm definitely working on all this myself, just getting started on UW.

I haven't had issues without the housing (yet) and this I am going on trip #3 with it. That said, it's great for not worrying about it with sand and water at the beach but hasn't been the best at UW. I think you nailed the reason being the lens. I will look into the wide angle. Thanks! Look forward to more of your pics.