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Serena Bowles | profile | all galleries >> Travel >> Underwater >> Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, British West Indies >> Chimney & Thunderdome, North West Point tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Eagle Ray Pass, Pine Cay | Boneyard, Pine Cay | Amphitheatre, North West Point | The Crack, North West Point | The Gully, West Caicos | Magic Mushroom, West Caicos | Aquarium West, Grace Bay | Cathedral, Grace Bay | Eel Garden, North West Point | Chimney & Thunderdome, North West Point | Two Step, North West Point | Boat Cove, West Caicos | Tons of Sponge, West Caicos | Double D, French Caye | French Caye Gardens

Chimney & Thunderdome, North West Point

The Chimney is named after a small hole in the coral, but the part of the site that really interested me was the Thunderdome.

The metal structure was built for a French reality TV show in the early 90s. Contestants free-dived (i.e. take a breath, hold it, and dive down under the water) through a hole in the top of the hemisphere to search for "pearls" which they could exchange for food once the game was over. They could also give the pearls to women dressed as mermaids, who would give them a breath of compressed air from scuba apparatus to allow them longer underwater.

Great idea, hey? Er...actually, NO! As anyone who knows anything about diving (or physics) can tell you, air (or any gas) compresses as you descend under the surface due to the pressure exerted by the water, and consequently expands again as you ascend. This is why the golden rule of scuba is to never hold your breath - just imagine a balloon filled with compressed air under water, that is tied off & sent to the surface...it will get bigger and bigger until it bursts...and this is what can happen to your lungs were you to take a breath of compressed air, hold it, and ascend to the surface. Needless to say - after some serious injuries - the idea was axed.

The frame collapsed after being damaged by a hurricane, and is now a cool collection of twisted metal which provides shelter for schools of fish. It's a great site, and I was lucky enough to dive here three times. On the second occasion I got to hang out at the dome for most of the time, snapping away as happy as a sandboy.

Some of my photos are now available to buy in a variety of sizes and finishes, or as digital files, at SerenityPhotography.co.uk. Search through my entire library of stock images here.

You can keep abreast of my travels by visiting my website underwater-girl.co.uk.


You can see all my diving stock images here - over 1500 to choose from.

Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome 4
Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome 4		 Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome 3
Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome 3		 Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome 2
Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome 2
Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome
Yellow Sponge on the Thunderdome		 Yellow Barrel Sponge
Yellow Barrel Sponge		 Two Flamingo Tongue Cyphomas Eating
Two Flamingo Tongue Cyphomas Eating
Swimming Through the Thunderdome
Swimming Through the Thunderdome		 Swimming Catfish
Swimming Catfish		 Swimming Around the Thunderdome
Swimming Around the Thunderdome
Steve at Thunderdome
Steve at Thunderdome		 Squirrelfish From Front
Squirrelfish From Front		 Sponge Soft Coral at Thunderdome
Sponge Soft Coral at Thunderdome
Small Wrasse Brittle Star on Barrel Sponge
Small Wrasse Brittle Star on Barrel Sponge		 Sheltering Grunts at Thunderdome
Sheltering Grunts at Thunderdome		 Sheltering Grunts and Parrotfish
Sheltering Grunts and Parrotfish
Schoolmaster Fish with Diver in Background
Schoolmaster Fish with Diver in Background		 Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering 4
Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering 4		 Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering 3
Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering 3
Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering 2
Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering 2		 Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering
Schoolmaster Fish French Grunts Sheltering		 Queen Angelfish at Thunderdome
Queen Angelfish at Thunderdome
Pistol Shrimp Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 2
Pistol Shrimp Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 2		 Pistol Shrimp Pederson Cleaner Shrimp
Pistol Shrimp Pederson Cleaner Shrimp		 Peacock Flounder 5
Peacock Flounder 5
Peacock Flounder 4
Peacock Flounder 4		 Peacock Flounder 3
Peacock Flounder 3		 Peacock Flounder 2
Peacock Flounder 2
Peacock Flounder
Peacock Flounder		 In Amongst French Grunts
In Amongst French Grunts		 Hard Coral Foundation
Hard Coral Foundation
Group of Grunts Sheltering Under the Thunderdome 2
Group of Grunts Sheltering Under the Thunderdome 2		 Group of Grunts Sheltering Under the Thunderdome
Group of Grunts Sheltering Under the Thunderdome		 Group of Grunts plus Schoolmaster Fish Sheltering Under the Thunderdome
Group of Grunts plus Schoolmaster Fish Sheltering Under the Thunderdome
French Grunts Sheltering at Thunderdome 7
French Grunts Sheltering at Thunderdome 7		 French Grunts Sheltering at Thunderdome 6
French Grunts Sheltering at Thunderdome 6		 French Grunts Sheltering at Thunderdome 5
French Grunts Sheltering at Thunderdome 5
French Grunts at Thunderdome 4
French Grunts at Thunderdome 4		 French Grunts at Thunderdome 3
French Grunts at Thunderdome 3		 French Grunts at Thunderdome 2
French Grunts at Thunderdome 2
French Grunts at Thunderdome
French Grunts at Thunderdome		 French Grunt From Side
French Grunt From Side		 Framed Parrotfish
Framed Parrotfish
Divers Hanging Around by Mooring
Divers Hanging Around by Mooring		 Dive Instructor at Work
Dive Instructor at Work		 Collapsed Thunderdome 2
Collapsed Thunderdome 2
Collapsed Thunderdome
Collapsed Thunderdome		 Catfish Feeding
Catfish Feeding		 Catfish French Grunts Sheltering 2
Catfish French Grunts Sheltering 2
Catfish French Grunts Sheltering
Catfish French Grunts Sheltering		 Camoflagued Trumpetfish at Thunderdome
Camoflagued Trumpetfish at Thunderdome		 Black Seahorse
Black Seahorse
Two Cleaner Wrasse Yellow Barrel Sponge
Two Cleaner Wrasse Yellow Barrel Sponge		 Two Flamingo Tongue Cyphomas
Two Flamingo Tongue Cyphomas		 Striped Parrotfish Feeding on Hard Coral 2
Striped Parrotfish Feeding on Hard Coral 2
Small Boxfish
Small Boxfish		 Soft Coral Fingers
Soft Coral Fingers		 Small Boxfish 2
Small Boxfish 2
Sheltering Grunts 5
Sheltering Grunts 5		 Small Blennie
Small Blennie		 Striped Parrotfish Feeding on Hard Coral
Striped Parrotfish Feeding on Hard Coral
Sheltering Grunts 3
Sheltering Grunts 3		 Sheltering Grunts 4
Sheltering Grunts 4		 Sheltering Grunts 2
Sheltering Grunts 2
Sheltering Grunts
Sheltering Grunts		 Selection of Coral at Chimney
Selection of Coral at Chimney		 Resting Coral Grouper
Resting Coral Grouper
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp and Anemone
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp and Anemone		 Resting Coral Grouper 2
Resting Coral Grouper 2		 Pederson Cleaner Shrimp Hiding Pistol Shrimp 3
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp Hiding Pistol Shrimp 3
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp Hiding Pistol Shrimp 2
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp Hiding Pistol Shrimp 2		 Two Flamingo Tongue Cyphomas
Two Flamingo Tongue Cyphomas		 Pederson Cleaner Shrimp Hiding Pistol Shrimp
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp Hiding Pistol Shrimp
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 4
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 4		 Hermit Crab with Glowing Eyes 2
Hermit Crab with Glowing Eyes 2		 Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 3
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 3
Queen Angelfish From Side
Queen Angelfish From Side		 Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 1
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 1		 Hermit Crab with Glowing Eyes
Hermit Crab with Glowing Eyes
Hard Coral Cluster
Hard Coral Cluster		 Flamingo Tongue Cyphoma Clinging On
Flamingo Tongue Cyphoma Clinging On		 Flame File
Flame File
Fairy Basslet on Hard Coral 2
Fairy Basslet on Hard Coral 2		 Feather Duster Worm
Feather Duster Worm		 Fish Being Cleaned by Cleaner Shrimps
Fish Being Cleaned by Cleaner Shrimps
Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 7
Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 7		 Collapsed Thunderdome 4
Collapsed Thunderdome 4		 Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 6
Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 6
Fairy Basslet on Hard Coral
Fairy Basslet on Hard Coral		 Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 5
Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 5		 Collapsed Thunderdome 2
Collapsed Thunderdome 2
Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 4
Coral Grouper Being Cleaned 4		 Cleaner Wrasse Resting on Hard Coral
Cleaner Wrasse Resting on Hard Coral		 Collapsed Thunderdome 3
Collapsed Thunderdome 3
Collapsed Thunderdom
Collapsed Thunderdom		 Cleaner Wrasse and Hard Coral 2
Cleaner Wrasse and Hard Coral 2		 Barracuda Side View
Barracuda Side View
Cleaner Wrasse and Hard Coral
Cleaner Wrasse and Hard Coral		 Barracuda Looking
Barracuda Looking		 Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 2
Pederson Cleaner Shrimp 2
Barracuda Head 11
Barracuda Head 11		 Barracuda Head 10
Barracuda Head 10		 Barracuda From Above
Barracuda From Above
Resting Coral Grouper 3
Resting Coral Grouper 3

comment | share
Duncan Bristow25-Jun-2008 04:42
Your underwater shots are amazing!! I just tried it for the first time on holiday, snorkeling, but was instantly hooked!! Just have to learn how to SCUBA dive now...
Ted Chappell18-Jun-2008 09:22
Wow! What a stunning gallery! I am about to look more closely at each image, and enjoy.
Beautiful captures.
Voted
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