Reef Manta Ray

Reef Manta Ray Live

Reef Manta Ray – IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable This is a Vulnerable species according to the IUCN I was incredibly lucky to have been able to take this photo. Jill and I were snorkeling off the coast of the island of Hawai’i. What was particularly interesting about this snorkel is that it was in the […]

Cauliflower Coral

Cauliflower Coral Live

Cauliflower Coral – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern This was my first scuba dive in the Pacific Ocean, and I was overwhelmed by the beauty In 2022 I was fortunate enough to spend some time in the north shore of Oahu. While I was there I took a day trip down to the south shore […]

Hump Coral

Hump Coral Live

Hump Coral – IUCN Conservation Status: Near Threatened The tides and surf tend to be calm at Keawakapu Beach which makes for great snorkeling! This photo comes from a snorkeling adventure off the coast of Maui’s Keawakapu Beach in 2019. Keawakapu beach is great for snorkeling. You quickly find yourself in water that is ten […]

Finger Coral

Finger Coral Live

Finger Coral – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The scientific name of this species of finger coral is Porites compressa. This photo was taken while I was diving off the coast of Oahu. I was on my second dive at a site called the Nautilus. At this point I was probably in 40 feet of […]

Grooved Brain Coral

Grooved Brain Coral Live

IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN This grooved brain coral is from the Dominican Republic This photo of a grooved brain coral is one of my favorite underwater photos that I have ever taken. I took this this photo while diving on the Morales shipwreck in the Dominican Republic off the coast of Bayahibe. This was […]

Goliath Grouper

Black and White Goliath Grouper Live

Goliath groupers are my favorite to shoot in black and white With the incredible photography equipment available these days, it’s becoming less common to see black and white underwater photography.  I’m a big fan of black and white photography, on land and underwater.  Large subjects, like goliath groupers, are my favorite to shoot in black […]

Minnows

Black and White Minnows Key Largo Live

The minnows always seem to return to the same areas every year Come mid-summer every year in the Florida Keys, a unique but temporary frenzy of life occurs out on the reefs.  Silverside minnows school by the thousands at various sites, shallow to deep, reefs as well as shipwrecks.  Their presence draws in the whole […]

Spotted Eagle Ray

Black and White Overhead Spotted Eagle Ray Molasses Live

Each print on the back and wings of a spotted eagle ray is unique! Many divers would agree that spotted eagle rays are some of the most graceful and photogenic creatures in the sea.  Each with a unique print on its back and wings, similar to a fingerprint.  Reaching widths approaching 11 feet, these giant […]

Smooth Tooth Aeolis

Smooth Tooth Aeolis Live

Aeolids are a type of small sea slug This is a Smooth Tooth Aeolis (also known as Price’s Aeolid).  What is an “aeolid”?  An aeolid is a type of small sea slug (about one inch) that we also refer to as a “nudibranch”.  What is a nudibranch?  A “nudi” is a soft bodied marine gastropod […]

Honu

Green Sea Turtle Full

The reefs were teeming with green sea turtles! The three photos that I contributed to this month’s underwater album all came from snorkeling adventures on my honeymoon. Jill and I got married in November, and we quickly made our way to Maui. There we spent 10 days taking in the sun, the hikes, the waterfalls, […]