Cabbage Tree Bay: Ian Donato’s incredible underwater photos

If you duck your head under the water at Cabbage Tree Bay you will come across all manner of cool seas creatures, says snorkeller Ian Donato. Here’s his tips for taking the best underwater snaps.

Manly Daily reader pictures – What you lookin' at in Cabbage Tree Bay. Picture: Ian Donato

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From the point of view of an underwater photographer Cabbage Tree Bay is a treasure trove.

What it may lack in size it more than makes up for in a concentration of cool sea creatures.

Different seasons bring in different critters. My favourite season is winter.

The water is clearer, the people are fewer, and that happens to be the time of year when the giant cuttlefish are out and about and the Port Jackson sharks come into the bay to breed.

A Port Jackson shark at Cabbage Tree Bay. Picture: Ian Donato

Ian Donato's close encounter with a banded wobbegong.

Nevertheless, I find there’s something wonderful to photograph in the marine sanctuary all year round.

Unlike some underwater photographers I keep my approach simple, primitive arguably.

For starters, I’m a snorkeller not a scuba diver and seldom get any deeper than five or six metres.

Often the photos I take are in water just a couple of metres deep.

I can dispense with lugging around lighting rigs and use only natural light.

The tip here is to have the sun at your back the best you can or as much as your subject will allow.

An easter blue groper at Cabbage Tree Bay. Picture: Ian Donato.

Going toe-to-toe. Two giant cuttlefish in a stand-off. Picture: Ian Donato.

A giant cuttlefish on the hunt. Picture: Ian Donato

Meanwhile, my other sacrifice to truly serious underwater photography is that I use a compact camera.

The camera I use fits into the palm of my hand. I keep it tucked up my sleeve if nothing seems to be about. But, as soon as some cool creature shows itself, the camera is in my hand and I’m diving down as casually as I can to avoid spooking the subject.

The other tip here is getting closer and getting lower.

I try to get at eye level with the creature and aim to fill the frame with it as best as I can. When a shot turns out I’m stoked – it’s nothing short of a rush.

I can honestly say underwater photography, for me, is an addiction.