Things are pretty crazy right now. We have to keep our heads up and be careful to avoid crowds above the water, but things under the water seem better. Here at Richelieu Rock you can spot tons of fish, coral, anemone, giant clams and so much more. The massive amount of life and crazy colors on this dive really blew me away. Absolutely one of the best I’ve ever been on!
Last week was all about the big sharks, this week is all about a tiny seahorse. I was very lucky to see multiple seahorses during my dive at Blue Heron Bridge. This orange seahorse was happy to stay still for his photo op, which I greatly appreciated! The eyes are very interesting, it almost looks as if they are completely hollow.
Why would I go diving with sharks? To dispel the myth that they are interested in biting people. These sharks were very curious and wanted to check out all the divers around them, but they are very aware of what type of food they are looking for, and it isn’t us. The chance to be up close and personal with these impressive animals was a very exciting opportunity and something I’ll never forget. You can see two other divers with cameras doing the same thing I was, trying to get clear photos of these amazing creatures. Long live the sharks!
These little clownfish, or as they might be more affectionately known as Nemo, love to hide in anemones. They love it so much in fact that it took quite a while for me to catch them lined up just like this and grab a photo.
The details of this Dendronephthya, or Carnation Coral can really draw you in. The shades of pinks and purples are a strong contrast to the fine glowing white streaks in the base. A perfect opportunity to get the camera up close and personal to capture all of the intricacies.
This christmas tree isn’t a tree at all, it’s a worm living under this coral. It will keep its delicate blue crowns exposed like this to catch food and breathe until it detects something nearby, and then will quickly retract into the coral. This one let me get close enough for a shot with my camera before deciding I was too close and going away to hide.
I love the sea, I love the fish, but I’d go on an entire dive trip just to watch the anemones slowly wave in the current.
I love nudibranchs. Very tiny, hard to find, hard to photograph, and full of so many crazy colors when you get the photo right. I could spend a whole dive getting a good shot but normally have to move one after taking a few pics. Some would call this a sea slug, but I think the proper name for this one, Dermatobranchus Ornatus, rolls of the tongue much better!
One of my best dives in Thailand was at Richelieu Rock. This reef has a crazy amount of life, both fish and corals, and in this spot they all swirl together to make a very busy but very intricate pattern. The rock itself barely sticks out of the water, and is pretty far from other islands. This isolation must make it a safe place for all this life to exist.
