I consider myself fairly lucky to have grown up in Lennox Head on the North Coast of New South Wales. It's a small town by modern standards with less than ten thousand people. It was a quiet little seaside town when I was growing up. Few people seemed to have heard of it and if I needed to describe to someone where I was from I would typically say Byron Bay. Everyone had heard of Byron.

Nowadays, Lennox Head is commonly known. This can no doubt be attributed to many things including better services, more shops and accommodation, and overflow from the tourist-trap of Byron Bay. I tend to think that the reason for Lennox's rapid increase in popularity is simpler than that. The secret's out.

An over-under split shot of the Lennox Headland from the water. Perfect clouds overhead.

Photographic Journey

I started my photographic journey in Lennox Head, and for those familiar with the area it's not hard to see why. It's rich in natural beauty. For me, the lure of the ocean attracted me the most. It's why most of my photography is centered around the ocean. I got into photography over a decade ago and have been enjoying it immensely over that time.

Covid Times

The past few years have brought many challenges, covid perhaps the biggest of all. Though I've been relatively lucky to escape the bulk of the lockdowns, Lennox Head still has had to deal with the chopping and changing of health restrictions. All the uncertainty around movement, travel and borders is rather demoralising. The natural beauty of the local area was my own personal escape.

I spent my time exploring the local area again and I found some absolute gems. I've tried to spend as much time as I can in the water and I've been snorkelling whenever, and wherever I can.

Marine Life

I've spent many hours in the ocean swimming with animals of all different shapes and sizes. If it's taught me one thing, it would be that the best wildlife interactions occur when you let the animal drive the experience. Most marine life will swim away from humans in the water. Only with patience and calmness can you hope to have a good experience in the water.

This is especially true with photography. You simply won't get good photos if you rush into every encounter at a million miles an hour. Instead of swimming towards an animal, let the animal swim towards you.

Split shot of turtle taking breath at Lennox Head, New South Wales, Australia
The secret to all good wildlife photography is patience. In the marine environment, more often than not, it is about letting the animal come to you. This photo is the culmination of many hours in the water, letting the turtle feel comfortable with my presence.

Turtley Good Winter

As a result of my patience I've been able to capture some pretty unique images of turtles in Lennox Head. It's a pretty special feeling when everything lines up like this and I'm absolutely stoked with the images I've been able to capture over the last year.

As most of the surfers know around here, the water is so much clearer in winter. I've been trying to make the most of the blue water while it's lasted, braving icy cold mornings and chilly evenings. As we move into spring and summer, the rains arrive, algaes bloom and water clarity decreases rapidly.

A green sea turtle rests on the sea floor in the sandy shallows at Lennox Head, Australia.
The water clarity in Lennox Head can be highly variable, but the best days in winter are unbeatable. I was lucky enough to spend the winter in the water.
An over-under split shot of a green sea turtle taking a breath at sunset in Lennox Head, Australia.
Braving a late afternoon swim in the freezing water can yield spectacular results, but it definitely requires a lot of effort.

Sharks, Rays and Octopuses

The beach is always changing in Lennox Head. As it changes, so do does the marine life. It's common to find different animals at different times in the year. Wobbegongs, stingrays and octopuses can be found all over the joint. They are just as much fun as the few turtles, but are far more plentiful and easy to find.

An octopus flashes white while hiding in it's den at Lennox Head, Australia.
The octopuses create little dens for themselves under rocks and crevices. They are often difficult to spot but if you look closely you might find the scattered remnants of crab shells and shiny rocks outside them.
A  camouflaged octopus roams around searching for it's next meal. Lennox Head, Australia.
The octopuses like to hunt in the late afternoon or early morning. If you're very lucky you might find one out of it's den and moving around. They are masters of camouflage though so it pays to move slowly.
A wobbegong shark flicks a slowly moving nudibranch of it's back at the Bream Hole in Lennox Head, Australia.
This wobbegong shark is resting on the seafloor. It's pretty common to find them like this. This photo is pretty special because the wobbegong is midway through flicking a nudibranch of its back. These sharks are pretty relaxed around humans, but still you wouldn't want to annoy one. They have a lockjaw and if they latch on to you, they won't let go.
A stingray hunts on the fresh sand mountains at the Bream Hole in Lennox Head, Australia.
There are seemingly thousands of stingrays hidden in the sand in Lennox Head. In many ways, standing on the sand can be riskier than standing on the rocks. They are able to make themselves almost invisible in the sand with only their eyes visible. Oftentimes it is only possible to see them when they are hunting on top of the sand like this one here.

Lennox Head Wildlife Photography

It's been a really fun time being able to explore the local area and I'm glad to have been able to experience the marine life here. It's pretty special and I hope that locals and tourists can continue to respect and look after the marine life for years to come. Healthy oceans make for a healthy world.

A green sea turtle dances in the shallow waters of Lennox Head, Australia.
A brilliant rainbow perfectly arches over the beachfront path in front of Williams Street in Lennox Head, Australia.
A perfect rainbow captured after a hailstorm whipped across Lennox Head. This photo was captured right in front of Williams Street.
An aerial photo of Lennox Head taken from above Lake Ainsworth and looking back toward the Point.
A drone aerial shot looking toward the Lennox Headland. For locals and tourists alike this is a pretty special angle of Lennox overlooking Lake Ainsworth.

Prints Available Now

I've made my Lennox Head photography available for purchase as prints. Click on any of the photos on this page, or head to my Lennox Head Photography page to see the full spectrum of my explorations.