The bulk of work on paper having moved back to England at the end of 2012, work has taken on a new pace with my Autobiography called "Sharks in the Runway" that documents a fifty year journey of a young schoolboy in 1960 who travels for the first time to the Bahamas. The journey describes the English Boarding School experience and the holidays during that time in the tropics.
The journal includes small smatterings of history and world events that affected us all during that time period. The work expands to my first years in the work force as a Scuba Instructor, losing working status in a foreign country and having to survive off the ocean for over three years. I was invited to shoot & direct film for the popular television series on Discovery Channel traveling all over the world; from the Red Sea to the slopes of Utah specialising in underwater video and snow ski production.
Finally being able to start my own business in the dive charter industry where seventeen successful years later making a radicle move with the investment of a new seaplane, not knowing yet how to fly!
I will update this page with some pictures being used in illustration.
Now returned to the Bahamas and another plane on its way. No more saltwater maintenance!
Check back here from time to time ....
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| Cameraman & Director of 'The International Outdoorsman' Discovery Channel series. |
The first shark film featured in the early days of the Discovery Channel in the USA was shot by myself while working with Producer, Jeff Hughes on his 'International Outdoorsman' series. We worked together on about 15 shows with subjects varying from my young daughter's first Scuba Dive, to featuring Stein Eriksen, the Norwegian Olympic Ski Champion up in the mountains of Utah.
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| Myself shooting 'The Sharks of Stella Maris' for Discovery Channel |
'Sharks in the Runway' will run through my two self-created careers. The first being the formation of my Bahamian Company 'Diving Safaris Ltd' in 1976. Out of this came the well renown day-charter service which I named 'The Out-Island Safari'. This tourist activity became a Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Award Winner which was presented to me in Rawson Square, Nassau by the deputy Prime Minister, The Hon Sir Clement Maynard. The business ran for 17 successful years entertaining an estimated 50,000 visitors before I suddenly changed gears and learned to fly seaplanes.
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| Teaching long-time friend Jim Schaafsma's son, Scott, how to Scuba Dive on 'The Out-Island Safari' |
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| The first Seaplane used for 'Safari Seaplanes' |
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| Ministry of Tourism Poster |
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| Working on a TV production about Miss Australia |
Present day photographic adventures take me to the wilderness of Alaska to film 800lb bears within mere feet away; reminding me of some past wild experiences, such as swimming in a 10,000ft deep part of the ocean to touch & swim with a 40ft Sperm Whale!
During my career I have become a freelance writer being published in aviation related magazines as well as featured in several travel & entertainment publications. Caribbean Travel & Life covered my seaplane flying as 'One of the Best 5 Jobs!'
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| A 'Safari Seaplanes' day-trip popular stop in the Exuma Cays with The Swimming Pigs! |
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| Working with Film Production companies ... |
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| ..... and Television Crews |
During my flying career I was privileged to work with many celebrities, flying them to vacation retreats, private yachts at anchor within the famous Out-Islands or to their own properties scattered through the Bahamas. 'Safari Seaplanes' still is in operation today under new ownership after my founding and flying for 23 years, accumulating some 14,000 hours in the air!
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| Flying friend & client Johnny Depp |
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| The last charter to Shroud Cay Cut in the Exumas, 2012 |
What a wonderful world! What a wonderful life!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bittu - publication due out Spring 2017! Stay well my friend. India one of these years?!!
DeleteAll's Well Paul?
ReplyDeleteI'm reading your book now and absolutely love the stories. Having spent a day on Powerboat Adventures (2001) in the north Exuma cays I found your descriptions of the water colors and sand bars spot on. So much so that I had to go look at my old photos and relive that amazing adventure. I WISH I had known about your Safari Seaplanes operation at that time.
As I read your stories I'm using google to find images of the places you traveled. Today, even though I am in Massachusetts and its 20 degrees outside, you took me to Cat, Long, and Crooked Islands and with the photos I found I escaped the Winter for a few hours. THANK YOU for taking the time to write the story of your life up to that point.
Take care and be safe !