The minnows always seem to return to the same areas every year Come mid-summer every year in the Florida Keys, a unique but temporary frenzy of life occurs out on the reefs. Silverside minnows school by the thousands at various sites, shallow to deep, reefs as well as shipwrecks. Their presence draws in the whole […]
Each print on the back and wings of a spotted eagle ray is unique! Many divers would agree that spotted eagle rays are some of the most graceful and photogenic creatures in the sea. Each with a unique print on its back and wings, similar to a fingerprint. Reaching widths approaching 11 feet, these giant […]
True crabs use their claws to ward off predators, to grab items, to dig, and more! This month our gallery theme is all about getting weird and wild. This is a photo of a crab eating the head of a juvenile octopus. The photo was taken off West Palm Beach, Florida at the popular Blue […]
Aeolids are a type of small sea slug This is a Smooth Tooth Aeolis (also known as Price’s Aeolid). What is an “aeolid”? An aeolid is a type of small sea slug (about one inch) that we also refer to as a “nudibranch”. What is a nudibranch? A “nudi” is a soft bodied marine gastropod […]
The roots of a one-seed juniper can reach as far as 200 feet below the surface This is a one seed juniper tree (also called a cherrystone juniper). These trees grow 6-21 feet tall. As the name suggests, there is a single seed within the juniper’s cone. Although rarely there can be two or three […]
The third most common tree in Maine is eastern white pine I believe Maine to be the most picturesque state on the east coast. With our theme of “Trees” this month, the vast forests of Maine are a great place to feature. Maine has 55 species of trees (as of 2017). It is estimated there […]
At the top of Sleeping Giant, you are treated to a beautiful clifftop vista Just north of New Haven, Connecticut is a 739-foot peak called Mount Carmel, also known as “Sleeping Giant”. Why is it called Sleeping Giant? The large rock features resemble a giant human, when viewed from north or south (according to Native […]
The dwarf seahorse is the “slowest-moving fish”! Seahorses rely on camouflage as their primary form of survival. As if sea horses weren’t hard enough to find already, there is a type of seahorse called a “dwarf seahorse”. To find these, you need a sharp eye, patience, and luck. This photo is a dwarf seahorse that […]
Black rain beetles are typically found in California, Oregon, and Washington Just before the CV19 lockdown, I found myself chasing beetles around the southern Californian desert, trying to get photos. So perhaps I was a bit crazy before the lockdown. These black rain beetles are generally associated with the western part of North America (California, […]
Fingerprint cyphomas eat sea fans and sea whips “What am I looking at?” That is usually what people think when they see a fingerprint cyphoma. What is a fingerprint cyphoma? These are about one-inch long gastropods. Think of them like underwater snails. Many divers are familiar with a similar marine gastropod, the flamingo tongue. Fingerprint […]