This is another in a series of photo diaries meant to provide a brief respite from the anger and struggles of the day. Of course they may server to remind one of the undersea creatures that are currently being killed in the BP Gulf Catastrophe. I hope you enjoy your visit here.
Orange Cup Coral
Commerson's Frogfish
Here I go again trying to convey this creature in a photograph. Can you see it? I didn't think so. Here is a little help in finding its eyes and mouth. As adults they are incredibly well camo'ed.
A much closer look at its eye.
Commerson's Frogfish (juvenile)
Here is a look at a tiny young frogfish hidden down in a coral head. I can't believe my dive buddy saw it. When they are small they are ofen bright colors, red, orange or yellow.
Blue Dragon Nudibranch
You can see its rhynophores (those rabbit-ear-like sensory organs). The sea slugs eat hydroids but also get nutrition from algae living in their tissue.
Yellowmargin Moray and Banded Coral Shrimp
You often see these creatures living togther in holes.
Smile!
Octopus
These guys are so cool. I dig the psychedelic wallpaper too (mostly encrusting sponges on a cave ceiling).
Arches
This structure is the result of the collapsed ceiling of an underwater lava tube.
Wire Coral Goby
This poor little thing probably is getting sick of me blinding it with my strobes when I visit this dive site.
Imperial Nudibranchs
These critters are often seen in pair trailing each other head to tail. These two are cuddled up together.
Gold Lace Nudibranch
The lacey structures on the left are gills, the two "ears" on the right are rhynophores.
Spanish Rose
The eggs of the Spanish Dancer Nudibranch
Water
From above
From below
I will wind down here with an interesting sight. This is the lightest colored spinner dolphin I have ever seen. It is a young one a little over half grown and I do not know if it will darken as it ages but the other juveniles are much darker.
Spinner Dolphin
Thanks for visiting this non-essential diary. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to treat this as a community photo diary and please be good humans.
Something completely different (from Southern California)
If you have a problem with this diary I refer you to...
nevermind, the Complaint Department can't even pretend to care.
Aloha
So Cal Sunset