Indo-Pacific Rock-Boring Urchin – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data It’s also known as the burrowing urchin This photo was taken while on a snorkeling adventure with my wife off the coast of the island of Hawai’i. We were in the Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District, which is a marine protected area. We were with […]
Redbarred Hawkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They have a small number of teeth in the roof of their mouths While on a dive off the coast of Honolulu, Hawai’i in which I was searching for nudibranchs, I came across this interesting looking fish. It seemed to be on the lookout from its hovel […]
Redbreast Sunfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These fish were fearless Dropping under the water at Alexander Springs in Altoona, Florida, I was not expecting the water to be as crystal clear as it was. The visibility was easily one hundred feet, and the water was a crisp 72 degrees. Although this is a […]
Gray Triggerfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable If you depress the second spine, this will release the first spine This unique looking fish is called a gray triggerfish. It is a medium sized fish which will grow to be around nine inches long. Their coloration and pattern are hard to appreciate in the water, especially if it […]
Black Coral Shrimp – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data This shrimp can be found all over the world I encountered this semi-transparent shrimp while diving in Little Cayman. Confusingly this black coral shrimp is not on black coral in this photo. Instead it is on a sea rod which is attached to a vertical wall. In diving, we […]
Trunkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Varies They will hover above the sand and occasionally tilt their head down and blow water through their mouth This fish is only the size of a quarter, for now. It will eventually grow to be over a foot long and weigh up to seven pounds. It’s color and pattern will change. This […]
House Sparrow – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern House sparrows, like some other birds, use “grit” in their diets This is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world. It is native to the Middle East. It can also be found in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, and Australia. Some of this distribution is […]
Western Bluebird – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These birds have similar nesting habits to the house sparrow Only 30% of bluebirds make it past their first year of life. In the wild, they can live to be five years old. They do not have a very long life, but it is an interesting one. There are three […]
White Ibis – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The bill is bright red orange I took this photo while staying on Longboat Key on the Gulf Coast of Florida. There were thousands of birds wading on the shore each day here. It was a birdwatcher’s paradise. The American white ibis was one of the many […]
Willet – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern There were hundreds if not thousands of birds This photo was taken on the beach at Longboat Key in Florida just off the coast of Sarasota. I took this on the same trip that I took the photo of the American white ibis. There were hundreds if not […]