Pacific Peacock Flounder – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The Kaneohe Sandbar can turn into a beach with the right tides! We were nearly three hours into a day of kayaking when we decided to hop out of the boat for a snorkel. Jill and I were paddling in Kaneohe Bay, which is home to […]
Leaf Scorpionfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern I saw three different species of nudibranchs between the two dives! This photo was taken while out on a dive off the coast of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. Despite having been to the Pacific dozens of times, this was surprisingly my first ever dive in the […]
California Aglaja – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Although it looks like a nudibranch, it is actually a headshield slug We are looking at a marine sea slug called a California aglaja. Its scientific name is Navanax inermis. I took this photograph in about fifty feet of water in the Channel Islands National Park. This particular sea […]
Florida Box Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable As the name suggests, the California two-spot octopus has two false eye spots This month we are showcasing photographs with the theme of “Light”. This California two-spot octopus was hiding in the dark canopy of the kelp forest. This photograph is from Catalina Island, off the coast of California. We […]
Green Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered Turtles can hold their breath for two hours before surfacing. Even if this photo was in color, you would not use the color of the shell to determine that this is a “green turtle”. The name “green turtle” actually comes from their green fatty tissue. There are other ways to […]
Hawksbill Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Critically Endangered Hawksbills only grow to about three feet in length. They will grow to 180 pounds on average. This month our gallery theme is “Turtles”! Ben and I are fortunate to have had many turtle encounters over the years. They are magical moments. When I was 13, I went snorkeling for the […]
Green Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered In Hawaii, green turtles are called “honu” As I glided my way over top the finger of a fringe reef off the coast of Oahu, I came across half a dozen green turtles. I knew that there are many green sea turtles in the water of Hawaii, but […]
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Their bodies have horizontal blue and yellow stripes This is the head of a snakefish, otherwise known as a blunt-nose lizardfish. This species is found in the Atlantic Ocean, and more specifically this photo was taken off of West Palm Beach, Florida. These fish live on the bottom (benthic) and tend to […]
IUCN Conservation Status: Data Deficient This little purple spotted sea goddess measures in at about an inch This wild creature is a species of nudibranch called a “purple spotted sea goddess”. These ornate sea slugs are rarely seen by divers. This little guy measures in at about an inch. This particular species of nudibranch is only known to […]
IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern In my time exploring the kelp forests of the Channel Islands, I saw sharks, snails, seals, nudibranchs, and many fish species. This interesting fish is appropriately named the “crevice kelpfish”. I took this photograph in the Channel Islands, amongst the kelp forests it is named for. Where are the Channel Islands? The Channel […]