JULY 5, 2009: WING BEACH DIVE
Read MoreTwo Moorish idols (Zanclus cornutus) look on as their realm is invaded by the bubbling aliens.
John and Dawn float above the whip coral. Does sound kinky, doesn't it!?
Look closely and you can see some Cornetfish (Fistularia commersonnii) in front of Ron.
"Anyone want to do some bowling?"
John and Dawn approach an anemone with a pair of Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarksi).
John DouglasDawn HammermeisterAnemonefishClarksAmphiprion clarksi
Twinspot snapper (Lutjanus bohar). Gee, Ron: That almost looks like it HURT!
As I was all engrossed in attempting to get a great shot of this Banded cleaner shrimp (Stenopus hispidus, also called Banded coral shrimp), I noticed some movement just to my right.....
...and right there in the shadows (he is illuminated here by my flash) was this Giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus)!
Here you see the shrimp from 2 photos back (to your left) and the moray from the last photo. There was a third shrimp to your right from the furthest right shrimp you can see here. These are among the many shots which make a photographer wish for a dome port. Even with my 28mm wide angle, a flat port just did not allow me to be close enough to get the dramatic lighting that this scene needs.
Looking straight up at John and Dawn, with the "sky" in the background.
The video of my current camera is of quite poor quality. Still, I do enjoy placing some in among the stills. If you decide to watch this, please make sure that your sound is on.
Sharing the ocean with some Teardrop butterflyfish (Chaetodon unimaculatus).
We now start our second dive of the day. I guess this is my present favorite "dive destination." For lack of a better name, I call it "Twin Sunroof Cave."
After most everyone else had left the water, Mary spent some time cleaning up some of the fishing trash which was choking the coral.
A Red-speckled blenny (Cirripectes variolosus) comes up to say "Thanks, Mary!"