My Artworks

One of the camouflage master in the ocean

Ghost pipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus Bleeker, 1854).  This species is found in weedy areas. So that body shape is like a leaf, it is difficult to find out this fish. Fortunately, this guy was floating around rocks in shallow water. So, I could shoot him easily. And then, as I left my eyes from him only one second, he has vanished out from my sight like a ghost. But he was in front of me. His body was too thin like a paper to see in front of the colorful rocks. Location: Osezaki, Izu, Japan. -9m

one of the largest wrasse in Western Pacific

The Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus)
This species is one of the largest wrasses in the Western Pacific. Distribution in Japan, South Korea, and the South China Sea.
I shoot this photo at the artificial fish reef in Hasama, Tateyoma, Chiba, Japan. This fish size was about 80cm. This species is said that can reach 100 cm in total length.

Shark or Ray サカタザメ

Brown guitarfish

Brown guitarfish, Rhinobatos schlegelii (MÜLLER & HENLE, 1841), is a kind of the ray.
However, They have common names like ‘ Sand shark ‘, ‘ Sand skate shark ‘. In Japanese, they are called ‘ Sakata Zame ‘ also. Zame=Same means the shark.
The body shape of brown guitarfish is like the shark. The wings like fins of chest is too small as the ray. But gills are located at stomack side. The gills of the shark are located at both side of its body behinde of its mouth.
This Brown guitarfish was shooted 2years ago, at Kajika, Mie, Japan. Although, this point is famous of Japanese bullhead sharks, fisies what I often see are Brown guitarfish, or Sepia stingray

Banded houndshark (Triakis scyllium Müller & Henle, 1839)

According to Shark Database, Banded houndsharks feed on invertebrates and can grow to a maximum length of 150 cm. Off the coast of Japan, male Banded hound sharks mature between 93 to 103 cm at five to six years old. While females mature between 106 to 117 cm at six to seven years. They can reach 150 cm long. Most of the sharks I saw there are about 1m. So they are average size or a little small. They may be young. I can’t wait the are grown up.

Banded houndshark

ドチザメ 奴智鮫 Dochizame

Banded houndshark Shark
The banded houndshark is a species of houndshark in the family Triakidae. It is called “Dochizame” in Japanese. This shot was taken at Ito, Tateyama City, Chiba in Japan. Ito is now a very famous Shark diving spot. We can enjoy diving here with a lot of Banded houndsharks and Stingrays.

For more information on hound shark diving, see the following articles・・・
”Can you believe that you can dive with sharks near Tokyo?”

This video is about diving point of Owase, Japan. Hitotsuishi point. It is point inside of Owase Bay. You can enjoy a lot of colorful soft corals.

This video is about the diving point of Japan. Owase, Mie.
There is the artificial fish reef covered with colorful soft corals.

Tim Rock and Noriyuki Otani are happy to announce the new book: The 50 Best Dives in Japan. Probably the most varied and possibly the very best scuba diving in the world is found in the waters of Japan. This is the first ever comprehensive look at Japan’s amazing seas from north to south and east to west.

Lonely Planet の著者でフォトジャーナリストのTim Rock と私(Noriyuki Otani)が共同執筆したダイビングガイドブックが出版されました。北海道から沖縄まで50カ所を紹介しています。

Amazon JP: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/1090371535
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PRJT8PG
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1456060024
Blurb: http://www.blurb.com/b/9348757-the-50-best-dives-in-japan
http://www.blurb.com/b?ebook=691392

Mugisaki cape. Shima, Mie, Japan.
The white tower is Mugisaki lighthouse. Located at the southernmost tip of Shima Peninsula, Mie Prefecture.This lighthouse is known as a place where can be heard ” Iso bue ” (Iso flute) sounds. Iso bue is the sound from Ama (woman diver), when she comes up to the surface of the sea, and blows out the air from her lungs slowly with the mouth closed. The sound at this time is similar to the sound of the whistle. #mie #ise #shima #japan

Two uninhabited island floating on the Pacific side of Hirono-hama beach of Shima Peninsula. Oshima (behind the photo) located 2.5 km off beach. Although, Oshima means Big island, the area is only 0.02 km2. The festival is held that participants splashing seawater together early summer here. The picture is in front is Kojima, about 2km from the beach. #mie#ise#shima#japan

伊勢・志摩空中散歩

三重県ドローン協会が主催するドローン教室に参加しました。プロ映像カメラマンが指導する動画の撮影技術が中心の講習です。志摩半島南岸三か所で様々なテクニックの指導を受けました。