Barred Hamlet – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Barred hamlets have a continuous dorsal fin that has ten spines This beautiful tropical fish is called a barred hamlet. There are several other species of hamlet in the waters of the tropical western Atlantic, including the indigo hamlet, butter hamlet, shy hamlet, golden hamlet, yellowbelly hamlet, yellowtail […]
Queen Conch – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Queen conch move very slowly This is the flagship creature of the Florida Keys, otherwise known as the “Conch Republic”. Conch are a popular food. Unfortunately, years of overharvesting has led to a crash in their population. These days, the Conch Republic must import their conch. Spotted Eagle Ray This […]
I took more than 50 photos here as the sun was coming up This photo was taken on a multi day kayak trip in the Florida Keys. I was paddling past this small red mangrove tree at sunrise. I probably took 50 photos here as the sun was coming up. Of those photos, this is […]
There is a flurry of activity… This photo comes from a coral spawn dive off the Upper Keys in Florida. Once a year staghorn coral reproduces by broadcast spawning, generally after the full moon in the late summer months. This simultaneous release of eggs provides a feasting opportunity other reef species. This Acropora coral crab […]