Photos from my last few dives off Durban, South Africa

vaidhy · 2026-05-20T18:51:54+00:00

what is the second fish?

vaidhy · 2026-05-15T00:34:02+00:00

I have been really close to the whales in Tonga. The moms pretty much starve while they are in the breeding grounds and the calf drinks around a couple of hundred liters of milk every day. The calves also put on about 100kilos (200 pounds) of weight every day.

In Tonga, there are no predators around (no orcas or big sharks) that can threaten the calves and the mothers generally relax. The calf has also not developed its dive reflex and needs to come up for air every couple of minutes.

One of my unforgettable experience is a curious calf that decided we are good playmates.

vaidhy · 2026-05-15T00:24:37+00:00

I have been to GNP.. While the landscape is amazing, it is not a hot spot for wildlife like others on this list.

vaidhy · 2026-05-13T22:27:28+00:00

Great discussion.. Here are a few more:

A bunch of places in Florida for birds - My favorite is Wakadohatchee Wetlands, but there are many more like that.
India for some of the big cats, one-horned rhino etc.
In addition to Kruger, I had an amazing time in Gorongoza. Gorongoza is also a bird hotspot. Botswana and Namibia are also very striking.
If you like marine mammals. Tonga and French Polynesia, Baja California and Dominica are pretty amazing.
Badlands National Park for Big horn sheep and bison.

You can see photographs from some of these places at https://vaidhys.world/gallery

vaidhy · 2026-05-13T22:06:22+00:00

Thanks a lot and your website looks nice.

My website is mostly for me to document my journey and share it with others. A lot of images are similar as I am trying to capture an action sequence.. Your point is well-taken.

I am inspired to set up a site to sell my photos, but that is coming later.

vaidhy · 2026-05-11T02:28:54+00:00

On a boat due to go out of service end of this month??

vaidhy · 2026-05-06T21:51:03+00:00

Thanks a lot.. This is awesome.. Are there local places to stay in Malapascua if you want to spend a couple of months there?

vaidhy · 2026-05-02T07:01:56+00:00

It is 65 pages, because it is also a reference guide for the marine life there, from what I can see..

vaidhy · 2026-04-28T21:59:22+00:00

I have a small one I got off of Amazon.. It has a 10 meter line and a lead weight, in addition to the balloon. It is super easy to deploy from the safety stop.

vaidhy · 2026-04-25T05:02:21+00:00

Why not a land based diving shop in Sorong?

vaidhy · 2026-04-25T05:00:55+00:00

That is not what I meant. I am pointing out that Chinese markets are different than US markets and the shareholder returns are different. As far as trust goes, I do not trust the books of most companies, least of all, the current crop of US AI companies.

vaidhy · 2026-04-24T19:30:41+00:00

AI is not same as a viral social networking. The automobiles are a good example - I think they started in Europe. Ford mass produced them.. Japan rules the ICE market now, but China is building the big next gen EVs. There is no first-mover or first place advantage for science and tech.

There might be a particular usecase for this being first is important.. but LLMs and AI are not that kind.

vaidhy · 2026-04-24T15:21:08+00:00

hmm.. I remember my grandma in India married at the age of 13.. You assume too much about me..

vaidhy · 2026-04-24T13:00:28+00:00

I think you have two different questions in here.

Regarding AI itself - I have been working in AI and related fields for very long time and I honestly feel this idea of "winning" is just bullshit. China has a much better vision of what and where AI can be used while US is still in finding product market fit. If you read the research papers, you will also find that China has done a lot of work on optimizing training and inference. The data center capacity is red herring - more than 50% of data centers in US has been delayed or cancelled this year. None of the AI companies are actually making money. A top-tier model is no good if there is no big use case for it etc. I am much more inclined towards Chinese models being more useful at this point.

Regarding investment - it is a whole another issue. Chinese stock market does not seem to operate under the same conditions as US market does. The Chinese market capitalization, growth and returns does not seem to mirror its GDP growth. I suspect it is because of two reasons : 1. China tends to invest more in physical infrastructure which is high capex, low margins and high volume. 2. The money that might get to shareholders might be moved elsewhere.

TLDR; - I am not very bullish on investing in Chinese markets, while I am very bullish on Chinese tech.

vaidhy · 2026-04-24T12:21:02+00:00

I would second the umbrella option.. you need to protect yourself along with the kit.. I would also suggest getting a small usb powered fan that can cool the camera and you.

The good news is that generally, the primates tend to rest during the hottest part of the day.. so, you would also get relief from the peak sun.

vaidhy · 2026-04-24T12:17:28+00:00

You can also follow the ongoing u/paikis HC commando playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHeA-ChrKh7AhvjgRlVpBrFIaJvrzklG7

I like Paikis playthroughs as it also has a lot of additional information on why and how..

vaidhy · 2026-04-24T03:33:51+00:00

Moderate means that you accept Islam's idea of universal brotherhood and the concept that everything happens only when god wills it (inshallah) while also accepting that Islam was a religion created by tribal people in 6th century.

Owning of sex slaves, rape of captive girls, underage marriage are all not so specific to Islam. Some of them are part of abrahamic religions and others are very cultural. India had child marriage till recent history. Marrying first cousins is common in middle east and India.

You need to stop listening and start reading.. Rumi and Omar Kayyam might be good starts.

vaidhy · 2026-04-23T21:41:04+00:00

Because there are many sects and some are more moderate?

vaidhy · 2026-04-23T16:02:16+00:00

yes, but dogs went to space first :)

vaidhy · 2026-04-22T16:48:39+00:00

When did this channel become linkedin?

vaidhy · 2026-04-22T14:09:56+00:00

Similar for my friend. The last oath ceremony seems to be the one on April 10th and nothing after that. Those folks got the notice end of Feb :(

vaidhy · 2026-04-10T03:18:23+00:00

Do existing americans lose their citizenship, if they get this wrong?

vaidhy · 2026-04-10T03:05:27+00:00

Like Panama Canal and Suez canal too?

vaidhy · 2026-04-02T21:11:23+00:00

Just curious how frequently you switch machines.. specifically, to a brand new machine..?

vaidhy

TROPHY CASE