Gemma Molinaro Photography

Gemma Molinaro Photography Capturing inspiring moments and telling ocean stories.

An impressive giant moray ( Gymnothorax javanicus) viewing passing divers from the SS Yongala. These impressive morays c...
21/06/2022

An impressive giant moray ( Gymnothorax javanicus) viewing passing divers from the SS Yongala. These impressive morays can often be found in tropical waters in reef crevices or free swimming. They can grow over 2 meters in length and hunt around dusk and dawn.

Have you ever seen a Queensland Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)? They are one of the largest boney fish found on the r...
05/10/2021

Have you ever seen a Queensland Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)? They are one of the largest boney fish found on the reef along with Marlin and Swordfish. They can grow up to 3 metres in length and 600kg!
They have seven rows of teeth and can extend their jaw to engulf their prey. They prey on a variety of marine life including small sharks, turtles, fish and crustaceans. There have even been reports they have been involved in fatalities of people ( although not confirmed).
Around the Indo pacific, these amazing fish are in fast decline due to fishing pressure and are classified as vulnerable by the ICUN.
This individual is one of the residents on the SS Yongala shipwreck. Every sighting is awe inspiring!
Where have you had an encounter with this giant fish?

Recently I was on a trip up north and I visited the Cod Hole (a sight where I have spent a lot of time over the years). ...
21/07/2021

Recently I was on a trip up north and I visited the Cod Hole (a sight where I have spent a lot of time over the years). This site has been hit by cyclones and bleaching and was looking pretty sad the last time I was there so I was pretty excited to see lots of new coral cover! Reefs have natural impacts and recovery but in last few years, impacts from climate change have been increasing so it's good to see that last year we did not have a bleaching event to give it a chance to recover. The Australian Institute of Marine Science has a new report which explains things well: AIMS LTMP ⁠⁠
Have a read, download the report here: https://www.aims.gov.au/reef-monitoring/gbr-condition-summary-2020-2021⁠⁠
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After of long day of anticipation, staring into the white caps on watch for minkes, we spotted one in the late afternoon...
27/06/2021

After of long day of anticipation, staring into the white caps on watch for minkes, we spotted one in the late afternoon. The snorkel lines were deployed behind the boat and drifted in the waves. We were fortunate to have the minke whales come and interact with us. The water was not clear and the light was low so not great conditions for photos, however, moving with them in the waves was an amazing experience. In the second image, the whale hovered just below me, making it feel like I was swimming with them. It also gave me an up-close look at tiny shark bite scars. Cookiecutter sharks latch on to minkes and rotate, removing a plug of flesh that leaves prominent scars. Along with the natural markings of the minke whales, scars are another way to identify individual whales.⁠⁠
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I've just been lucky enough to have truly incredible ocean encounters with dwarf minke whales in the northern Great Barr...
22/06/2021

I've just been lucky enough to have truly incredible ocean encounters with dwarf minke whales in the northern Great Barrier Reef on their annual winter migration from southern Antarctic waters. So fantastic that the Minke Whale Project collects data to study these incredible whales and works with the tourism industry to provide sustainable encounters with Minkes. I have heaps more photos to sort through that can contribute to identifying individuals to increase knowledge on their populations and movements.

Happy world ocean day! Im very excited to be a part of a project planting corals at the Museum of Underwater Art. Reef E...
08/06/2021

Happy world ocean day! Im very excited to be a part of a project planting corals at the Museum of Underwater Art. Reef Ecologic will be monitoring and conducting both ecological and social research. We will study the newly planted corals on the artwork, coral recruits that settle naturally, marine life that is drawn to the structures and also peoples expierence and aesthetic evaluation. Looking forward to monitoring these changes over time. ⁠

After finishing our marine research and monitoring yesterday we are making the most of this weather and heading out for ...
07/05/2021

After finishing our marine research and monitoring yesterday we are making the most of this weather and heading out for a day of ocean exploration with the Reef Ecologic team! Investigating islands to the north of the Whitsunday Islands and keeping an eye out for manta rays and other marine life that may visit us underwater 🤞🌊🐠🦈⁠. Have you spent time in this part of the world? Any tips of spots for diving & freediving?⁠⁠
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Amazing day in the beautiful Whitsunday Islands doing research and monitoring for a variety of reef restoration projects...
07/05/2021

Amazing day in the beautiful Whitsunday Islands doing research and monitoring for a variety of reef restoration projects. Love watching these small fragments grow on both the floating disk and rope nurseries. ⁠⁠
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Having never ventured into temperate waters before, I have never had the pleasure of encountering a Weedy Sea Dragon (P...
11/04/2021

Having never ventured into temperate waters before, I have never had the pleasure of encountering a Weedy Sea Dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)in the wild! A relation to the seahorse, they lack pouches and the male caries eggs on the outside of their body. They have unique leaf-like appendages and colour patterns for camouflage and they are an endemic species meaning they are only found in Australian temperate waters. If you get the chance to brave the cooler waters, they are an amazing animal to try and spot!⁠⁠

Exploring common kelp (Ecklonia radiata) forest ecosystems found in Australia Great Southern Reefs. Kelp not only provid...
10/04/2021

Exploring common kelp (Ecklonia radiata) forest ecosystems found in Australia Great Southern Reefs. Kelp not only provides habitat and food for marine life, but it also plays a huge role in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and storing it. Kelp forests around the world are declining rapidly due to warmer and more acidic waters. Let's work to reduce our carbon footprints so underwater landscapes like this exist long into the future. ⁠⁠
Diving into this blue cold water and floating above the swaying kelp, watching marine life emerge and take refuge in its canopy was a surreal experience. A highlight was seeing the incredible Giant Australian Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) in the kelp and another under a rocky ledge. ⁠⁠

Deciding to brave the temperate waters for the first time ever to dive in Melbourne Port Philip Bay, top on my list was ...
09/04/2021

Deciding to brave the temperate waters for the first time ever to dive in Melbourne Port Philip Bay, top on my list was to swim with Australian Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). These amazing animals did not disappoint! These agile swimmers can dive to 200m with streamlined shape and strong flippers. Despite working against silly amounts of super thick neoprene to avoid freezing, it was incredible to free-dive with the seals and have them play, dart around us and generally interact with us in the wild.

Just a chilled out moment watching underwater life happen in the deep blue of the SSYongala.
31/03/2021

Just a chilled out moment watching underwater life happen in the deep blue of the SSYongala.

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