ALLIGATOR GAR – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Alligator gars are “living fossils” What am I looking at? This strange shaped fish is named after what it looks like, an alligator. It is in fact a fish. However, this fish can breathe both air and water! In addition, this type of fish is actually able […]
The American Lobster resonates with vibrant colors When I took this photo, my hand’s were as cold as can be. Matt and I were diving off the coast of Maine near the Nubble Lighthouse, and the water temperature was about 42 degrees. I myself am susceptible to the cold, especially in my digits. My fingers […]
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 […]
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 […]
I was on a liveaboard dive board off the coast of Catalina Island This was my first “west coast” sunrise photo. This photo was taken from the top deck of the boat I was on. I was on a liveaboard dive boat out in the Channel Islands National Park, off the coast of southern California. […]
Moon Jelly – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Notice the school of juvenile fish in the mantle of the moon jelly This month our theme is “light”. What you are looking at is a moon jellyfish, with the sun in the background. These jellyfish are common throughout the Caribbean and South Florida. If you look […]
The northern stargazer buries itself and then ambushes its prey! You are looking at a northern stargazer partially buried in sand. Seldom seen by divers, this fish is a master of stealth. Sometimes the only thing exposed above the sand are its eyeballs. If you look closely, even the skin around the eyeball is dotted […]
Lightning Fun Facts I was out on a “blackwater night dive” Capturing a flash of lightning in a photo can be pretty challenging, even in Florida (the state with the most lightning strikes every year, ~1.45 million strikes). This photo was taken about 5 miles offshore of West Palm Beach, Florida. I was out on […]
Arrow Crab – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Arrow crabs don’t seem to mind divers This is a photo of two arrow crabs fighting. During this dive, I remember watching the arrow crabs battle, presumably over territory. When the one arrow crab grabbed the other arrow crab’s blue claws, I took the shot. Arrow crabs […]
This shrimp can be found among anemone. Believe it or not, this beautiful shrimp is less than one inch long. Spotted cleaner shrimp are found among certain species of anemone, in this case a corkscrew anemone. As the name implies, this shrimp actually “cleans” the parasites, dead tissue, and algae off of fish. If you […]