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Cocos Island w/ Michele & Howard Hall

Cocos Islands is considered one of the most exhilarating dive destinations in the world. Join us as we learn about their famous work and their awesome trips. Check out NOVA Online's "Island of Sharks" site for a preview of what's waiting at Cocos Island!

Two people who know Cocos Island very well are world-renowned marine cinematographers Howard and Michele Hall. The Halls are considered among the top underwater filmmakers in the world. They have won 7 Emmys and numerous awards in the wildlife film business. Together they have decades worth of scuba diving, photography, and film experience between them.



Michele Hall talks with Charlotte of Dive Global about one of her favorite destinations, Cocos Island, the site of their award-winning IMAX® production "Island of the Sharks" and discusses the upcoming trips to Cocos in which you can participate!


Read NOVA's interview with Howard Hall during the making of the Island of the Sharks.

Charlotte: You are quite a celebrity, what is it like being Michele Hall?

Michele: Hmmm, am I a celebrity? That concept is so foreign to me — I'm not being coy, but it's just that I see myself as an everyday person who is going about the business of trying to do right by the world in which I live, earning a living, and doing my best to have a good time in the process. I guess I don't know what being a celebrity means — but if it means that I have some name recognition and a reputation that allows me to make films and get photographs published that have a positive influence on nature and the environment, then I'm pleased to be considered a celebrity.

Charlotte: What do you really like about Cocos Island, is it your favorite place to dive?

Michele: I can't really say that I have a favorite place to dive — that's like asking me what kind of food I like to eat (that would be a tough call between Thai, Chinese, Italian and a good old veggie burger!). But Cocos is certainly high on my list. The intriguing thing to me about Cocos is that it's so wild. I don't go to Cocos to see magnificent sea fans and vibrantly colorful soft corals. I would go to Fiji for that! I go to Cocos to see the large animals — schooling hammerhead sharks, white tip reef sharks, whale sharks, mating sting rays, Pacific mantas, schools of tuna, mobulas. Of course, I take my 60mm lens with me as well, because I can't pass up the opportunity of photographing orange and red frogfish, red-lipped batfish, lobsters feeding on sea stars, snake eels, … oh, the list goes on.

The convenience of diving at Cocos is also a big plus for me. Although it takes 30 hours or so to get to the island from the mainland — a time I happily use to get my diving and camera equipment set up, and to relax with a good book (something I rarely make time for at home) — once you get there, a variety of different dive sites are accessible from the Undersea Hunter's anchorage. Divers are transported to the sites aboard very comfortable wooden-hulled skiffs. If desired, the skiff can go to different sites, while the Undersea Hunter stays put.

Charlotte: Why did you pick Undersea Hunter as your liveaboard for the Cocos trip?

Michele: Our first diving expedition to Cocos was in December 1991 aboard the Undersea Hunter. I've spent about 11 months during the past 10 years aboard the Undersea Hunter, and an additional 3 weeks aboard its sister-ship the Sea Hunter. Undersea Hunter has become my home-away-from-home, and the crew members seem like family. The ship provides the comfort, space and amenities that we require to get the job done — whether it's for a television production, an IMAX production, or on a sport diving trip. We even chartered the Undersea Hunter to be our diving platform in Fiji and Tahiti for the making of our most recent IMAX film "Coral Reef Adventure." Yes, the ship traveled all the way from Costa Rica to the South Pacific to provide our logistical support! (You can read Howard's (my husband and partner) journal entries from this project at www.howardhall.com/currentpro.html)

Charlotte: What can guest divers on these expeditions expect to get out of time with the Halls in Cocos? You talk about informal discussions in the evening but is there more?

Michele: Our goal while diving at Cocos aboard the Undersea Hunter will be to capture behavioral sequences of the animals that inhabit Cocos' reefs, and establishing shots of the reef, using the high definition video format. Since capturing wildlife behavior is time consuming and requires intimate knowledge of the animals, we plan to spend more time than usual (usual for typical charter trips) at each dive site.

Having made 2 films at Cocos — "Mountain in the Sea" for television and the IMAX film "Island of the Sharks" — we have a pretty good idea of what we want to capture on HD tape and in our still photography. Passengers will be welcome to dive with us, observe our work, and will be encouraged to scout for subjects that are on our shotlist. But because the dive sites at Cocos are relatively close to each other, we will have the flexibility to dive one site while other divers can go to another site if they wish.

We also try to be opportunistic in our filming, meaning that if something of interest presents itself that isn't on our shotlist, we take advantage of the opportunity to film it. But because we get so focused on a single subject at a single location for hours, it's possible we'll miss seeing these 'new things' and opportunities. Very often it's the other divers with their "scouting eyes" who are out doing their own thing, who bring back very valuable information to us. We love it when that happens!

Between dives during the day Howard and I will be available to answer questions or engage in discussions. In the evenings we plan to show some of the films we've made, and will encourage discussion about wildlife film production and underwater photography. We'll also be able to look at the video footage that we captured with the HI Definition camera during that day.

Charlotte: What's the most amazing underwater experience you've ever had?

Michele: After more than 26 years of diving, it's a little difficult to site one experience as being the MOST amazing. But if I was pushed to do so, I'd have to say it occurred on August 30, 1980. Now, the fact that I can remember the exact date should be a clue to it being a very special experience.

I'd accompanied Howard on an underwater filming expedition to the Sea of Cortez, Baja California. He was producing a film about the hammerhead sharks that school in great number over the Marisula Seamount. Underwater cameraman Stan Waterman and author Peter Benchley were along as hosts for the show. Although they both have since become good friends, at the time I was in absolute awe of meeting these two icons. As we set out on the expedition, I didn't know that, beyond working with Stan and Peter, I was about to have a life-changing experience.

Returning from a dive on the seamount, I saw one of the cameramen, Marty Snyderman, perched on the back of a Pacific manta ray. It was an enormous animal flying over the seamount with wings that spanned more than 18 feet. I couldn't believe my eyes. Marty was trying to cut loose a fishing net that was wrapped around the manta's mouth. As the manta flew by, Marty signaled to me that he was almost out of air and needed to surface. Just then the manta turned in my direction and stalled beneath me. In my mind at least, there was no mistaking its intent for me to pick up where Marty had left off. I settled down on the ray's back and succeeded in removing the last tangle of fishing net embedded in its mandible. I can still feel the ray's twitching body as it reacted to my patting the mangled tissue back into place. Whether this behemoth thought me Androcles, or what, I'll never know. But it took me for the ride of my life.

It's difficult to explain what I felt during those next moments. Awe, trust, exhilaration, tranquility... these words are barely adequate. With no effort on my part, the ray and I flew around the seamount. My sense of time was altered, as it seemed we were moving in slow motion. Or maybe I just wanted it that way; I didn't want the experience to end. At one point we glided past Howard, Stan and Peter as they returned from a dive. Howard later told me that upon seeing me perched on the ray's back he'd halted dead in the water, marveling in disbelief as the ray swept me away, helplessly thinking he might never see me again!

When I saw my exhaled bubbles splayed behind me instead of rising directly to the surface, I realized how fast we were moving. As I experienced the need to equalize the pressure in my ears, I knew we'd begun to descend. But I was on a magic carpet of my very own, and I was ready to be taken away. When I checked my pressure and depth gauges my senses returned. I knew I had to ascend and head for the boat. If the ray had taken me too far away I could be dealing with an impossible swim back. In the late afternoon light, the boat crew would surely have difficulty finding me. Just as I began to worry, I realized we were at the boat's anchor line. The ray had taken me full circle and was depositing me where we'd started!

For several days following my removal of the net from the giant manta, Grand Dad (as he became known) returned to the seamount. Before the trip's end, he'd taken us all for a "ride" and Howard had added a manta ray segment to the film's storyline. Grand Dad had also inspired a new story for Peter, which became his novel, "The Girl of the Sea of Cortez."

Charlotte: How do you deal with being underwater for hours on end?

Michele: With a good breakfast of Vegimite!!! All kidding aside, underwater is where I most want to be when I'm on location. Well, maybe except at night. I tend to protest making night dives ... for me, there's something contrary to crawling into a 'wet' wet suit after watching the sun set and enjoying a nice dinner. Yet experience has shown me that once I make the effort, night diving can be great fun.

But back to day time. Certainly, the right gear helps — it goes without saying that I research the expected water temperatures for my intended location, bring the appropriately thick suit. On really long trips, I sometimes get colder as the days progress. So I also pack a shorty and or vest to layer with, in case I need them. And staying hydrated is a must. The occasional brownie or chocolate chip cookie helps keep me fueled, too!

But I guess my biggest motivation is always being on the look-out for what's around the corner — or above, below or just beyond my site! Unfortunately, I'm not yet diving a closed-circuit mixed-gas rebreather, so the lengths of my dives are limited to what I can get out of a Nitrox tank. But while filming in Fiji for "Coral Reef Adventure" I managed to make one tank last for 2 hours and 5 minutes!! We'd found an octopus tent feeding on a shallow reef, and stayed with it while Howard documented the behaviour with the IMAX and I photographed it with my still camera. Even in 82 degree water, after over 2 hours in the water, drinking a cup of hot tea felt awfully good!

Charlotte: What's it like working with Howard?

Michele: Howard was my best friend when we got married in 1981. When I left my nursing career nine and a half years later to join him in the film business, he became my mentor. It was on January 25, 1991 that our company doubled in size, from one to two! I knew a little about the business before that; but I really needed to learn a lot more, and quickly. Howard is a very patient teacher, and was very willing to turn over many of the office responsibilities to me. This freed him up to focus on what he's really good at: the creative aspects of film making.

Now we feel that we're really working together towards common goals. One of the huge advantages of working together is being able to collaborate on projects and travel together. Our skills and talents compliment each other, so we've dealt with the division of labor, so to speak, pretty easily. One of the keys is that we respect each others talents, so there's little bickering. And when I get in a bad mood, I can always count on Howard to make me laugh and cheer me up!

I saw an early sign of how Howard's good-naturedness would carry over into our working relationship. When I officially began my work with Howard Hall Productions, he gave me a present: he'd had business cards made for me, with "Boss" printed as my job title. I think that shows not only his sense of humor, but his wisdom in knowing how to treat a partner!

Seriously, Howard is the only partner I would want to have in this business, or in life, for that matter.

Charlotte: You live in Del Mar, do you still dive locally?

Michele: I love living in Del Mar. Del Mar is a coastal community 25 miles north of downtown San Diego. I can see the ocean from my office and living room windows, and from the decks. I walk along the cliffs and/or ocean as often as I can, and run there 3 times a week. But I don't dive locally as much as I'd like to. With all the traveling for film production, I find that my time at home is filled with other obligations. Still, a good day's diving off the coast of California, whether it's at the Channel Islands or off Monterey, is hard to beat.

I learned to dive at San Diego's La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores in 1975 — my certification dive was in the kelp beds of San Clemente Island. There's a very special and enchanting feeling being surrounded by the quiet of a kelp forest, watching garibaldi, kelpfish, and sheepshead going about their business. I'm always on the lookout for a harbor seal or a sea lion. A closer look at the rocks on the sea floor can reveal colorful nudibranchs, impish sculpins, black-eyed gobies, or who knows what. The colder water requires wearing more protective clothing, so for comfort's sake I wear a DUI dry suit. There's an added degree of challenge to cold water diving, but it's worth it.

Charlotte: Can you tell me about your upcoming projects?

Michele: We're currently between projects, having completed field production on "Coral Reef Adventure" in June 2001. While we're negotiating future projects with potential executive producers (the people who bring the money to the table) we'll be returning to some of our favorite marine wilderness environments to continue rebuilding our stock footage library with our new high definition camera. We're incredibly excited about the quality of image this camera captures. And one of the fun things about employing this format, vs film, is that we can return to the boat and look at the footage right away. No more waiting until we return home to have the film developed and a print made. No more sitting through tedious and expensive video transfers!And we can share with the other people on the boat what we saw during our dive.

Charlotte: Do you have any plans for projects involving the Web?

Michele: We maintain our own website at http://www.howardhall.com with updates the beginning of each month. Included on the site are stories/articles written by Howard and myself, updates on our current projects and productions, and information about diving/filming expeditions we're going on that are open to passengers. We're also on the board of directors of Ocean.com, a site that's dedicated to being a comprehensive and centralized resource for education, conservation and ocean news, and entertainment.

Charlotte: Is there a dive destination you haven't been to yet but are dying to explore?

Michele: Oh my, there are so many places I'd like to go! I just saw a film that our friend Norbert Wu made in the Antarctic that will air later this year on PBS' Nature, and it really re-sparked my interest in diving those crystal clear waters. But I'm not sure I'm tough enough to deal with the extreme conditions and length of time that would be required to get the job done properly.

I'm sorry I missed seeing the Maldives when the reefs were alive and vibrant. I'd love to visit Indonesia (yes, the food would definitely be part of the draw!). I'd like to have the opportunity to explore the African coast. I'd love to revisit the Philippines, PNG and British Columbia and the Gulf of Mexico. So many places to go... so little time!

Charlotte: What's your favorite animal to photograph/film and why?

Michele: Sea stars are pretty appealing, because they don't move very fast! But sarcastic fringeheads showing their threat display have much more character. Actually, once again it's impossible for me to name a single favorite "something." I love capturing behavior and an animal's personality on film. Point me in the direction of a curious octopus, playful sea lions, hammerheads being cleaned by butterfly fish, or any number of other creatures revealing their natural behavior, and I can be kept amused indefinitely!

Charlotte: What is your experience with digital photography?

Michele: I haven't entered the age of digital still photography, although I find the prospects intriguing.

Charlotte: What do you suggest guests bring on the Cocos trip in terms of diving equipment like rebreathers or photography/film equipment?

Michele: It's most important to bring enthusiasm for adventure. And bring a flexible attitude, because when venturing into the wilderness, you never know what you'll encounter. If you're going to join us on the Undersea Hunter at Cocos, you should bring your usual array of diving equipment, including a dive computer. If you aren't Nitrox certified, I highly recommend taking a course before your arrival. Diving Nitrox adds a measure of safety to your diving profile, as well as increasing your bottom time. If you have a rebreather and want to bring it, check with the Undersea Hunter office staff prior to the trip to verify their ability to handle your needs. In the past at Cocos I've experienced water temperatures ranging from the low 70's to the mid-80's. So, be prepared for almost anything! As on any dive trip, bathing suits, sun screen, shorts and t-shirts, and sweats in case the sun doesn't come out, are the preferred attire.




The best time to visit Cocos Island is during the dry season from January through April.

Trip price: $3,595 per person

Price includes ground transportation from San Jose to Puntarenas and return, 11-day/10-night cruise with all meals and nonalcoholic drinks, divemaster service, three to four dives per day with tanks and weights, Cocos Island National Park fee and 7 full days of diving.

Participants will be given an autographed copy of their book, Secrets of the Ocean Realm, as a thank you for helping make the expeditions possible.

Please contact the Undersea Hunter for more information and reservations today.




Check out http://www.howardhall.com/expeditions.html to see what other diving/filming expeditions they have planned, besides Cocos!

Don't miss the Howard and Michele Hall information on our Famous Divers pages too.

Lonely Planet Costa Rica :: Costa Rica/Cocos Island| Buy

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