Robert Coelen

Robert started diving in 1975 when he joined the La Trobe University Underwater Club (Melbourne). He received his first certification in that year under examination by his instructor Dr. Bob Montgomery. Diving in those days was without BCD, carefully times using dive tables and two-piece diving suits in the cold waters of the Bass Straight and Port Philip Bay. Sometimes Piccaninnie Ponds was substituted for the salty waters of the sea. Years later he moved to Perth in Western Australia making the WA coast his dive territory from Rottnest Island to the warm waters of Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef. Leaving his single life and raising kids became a replacement for his diving until his youngest daughter expressed a desire to also become a scuba diver. Just for fun, he joined his daughter’s lessons to assist the junior instructor (was not born when Robert started diving) with the course for two German novice divers who spoke little English. He received his PADI Open Water Certification! Followed later by AOWD, RD and EAD.

His first underwater camera housing was built by himself with the assistance of a technician at the Charles Gardner Hospital in Perth. It housed an Olympus OM10 camera with a motor drive modified to be operated with a magnetic reed switch fixed on the outside of the housing (so no hole), so 36 exposures of a slide film was all we got on a dive. Fast forward to 2010 when an Olympus EP-L 1 and housing mated with INON flashes became his underwater gear. A year later upgraded to the category of underwater photographers who drowned their camera, having quite successfully been a member of the group who were going to drown their camera. The Olympus was replaced by a Sony RX100 (pictures coming) and now is waiting to dive with a Panasonic Lumix GH5 set up. Yes, waiting since the Corona virus struck him down for a 23-day comatose visit to the IC stuffing around with his lungs. Specialist assessment is required, even though Robert enjoys regular sporting activities. He seriously hopes to be able to continue to photograph and take videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKJdTnRSIAgof) these wonderful nudibranchs. Chapeau to Erwin for restarting Nudipixel!