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 Cyphoma
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 […]
Ormond Beach Sunrise
Ormond Beach has a special place in my heart I have been going to Ormond Beach my entire life. My family started going there before I can remember, and it has always held a special place in my heart. I love going and spending all my time on the beach. The waves there are excellent. […]
Mangrove Sunrise
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 […]
Moon Jelly
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 closely, you will notice a school of juvenile […]
Eastern Fence Lizard
Eastern fence lizards keeled scales are rough to the touch This month our theme is “texture”, and I believe this lizard’s keeled scales exhibit our theme quite well. If you were quick enough to catch one of these lizards, you would find their keeled scales rough to the touch. These lizards are masters of camouflage. […]
Northern Stargazer
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 […]
Hurricanes
74+ mph is when we start calling them hurricanes Before we get to hurricanes, you should be aware of tropical waves, tropical depressions, and tropical storms. A tropical wave is an elongated area of showers and storms that typically moves from east to west across the Atlantic Ocean, along the tropics, near the equator. As […]
Coupon Bight Aquatic Preserve
The storm did end up coming my way. This photo was taken on day 3 of a 4-day solo kayak/camp trip through the Middle and Lower Florida Keys. I was paddling south, and hammock camping in the mangroves each night. I remember looking out at this storm and thinking, yikes I hope that isn’t headed […]
Flash of Lightning Out at Sea
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 a “blackwater night […]