"South Point 3" Finish:Satin Taken 5 miles off Oceanside

Taken 5 miles off Oceanside

I fought to maintain equilibrium and make the photo

as I intentionally kept the island in the background to give the impression that this paradise is the "forbidded fruit"

It’s mid-morning in the kelp forests off San Clemente Island - a peaceful stirring of the local reef fish breaks the stillness as the lobster emerge from their rocky caves and carry on with life in the forest

"South Point 3" Finish:Satin Taken 5 miles off OceansideAt South Point on Sipadan Island its hard to photograph a turtle without a turtle getting in the way. Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles abound in the pristine coral reef environment along with White Tip Reef Sharks, Big Eye Jacks and hundreds of species of coral and reef creatures. Jim Hellemn has made a career out of inventing ways to capture the spectacular colors and details of coral reefs. His images have appeared in National Geographic magazine,