Best of Mike #182

If you could add eyeballs and gills to a feather, you would end up with.... a Juvenile Spotted Drumfish.

They have to be one of the most graceful things you can find underwater.

This is the not yet grown up version, of the fish that was the subject of the BoM #179.

They are very tiny, shy and nervous.... which makes them a challenge to photograph.

But they are very territorial, confine themselves to a small area and like to swim in repetitive patterns.... so it you are patient, you can usually get a pixture.

Best of Mike #181

A little fish love.... probably not.

A peck on the cheek before the mister heads off to work.... probably not.

Actually, the small yellow and black fish you see in this pixture.... is operating a "cleaning station.

His job is to remove parasites from the larger fish (a Creole Wrasse).... and what he takes off, he calls that a meal.

The white that you see is the Creole Wrasse's mouth.

They have the ability to extend it, as you see here, to filter plankton from the water.... and make a really great pucker.

Best of Mike #180

They may not be the mightiest fish on the reef.... typically only about 6in long.

But Hamlets have to be a contender for the fiercest.

They are carnivores that specialize in feeding on crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp, and occasionally eat other fishes. 

They are very territorial.... spending all day, every day defending their little patch of the reef.

They see no reason to back down when something even as big as diver gets in their space.

On more than one occasion.... I have had one make a run at me.

 They have even nibbled on the knuckle.... when I didn't give them space as quickly as they thought I should.

Best of Mike #179

This fine fellow is a Spotted Drumfish.

Drumfish, you say.... this looks nothing like a drum.

And that is true, because they are named for the sound they make.... not the way they look.

This is an adult Spotted Drum but even so, they are not large.... typically 6-9 inches long.

During the day, you will find them under ledges or near the opening of small caves.... swimming in repetitive patterns. 

They are a nocturnal feeder, leaving the protection of their ledge or hole only at night.... to feed.

Best of Mike #178

My heart did a little skip and jump.... the first time I saw one of these underwater.

I was thinking sea snake and that had to be all bad.... at least it always was in the Tarzan movies.

But as it turns out, I was diving in the Caribbean.... and sea snakes live only in the Pacific.

So what I was really looking at was.... a Sharptail Eel.

They are most commonly encountered swimming near the bottom, in clear water.... and can be found, anywhere from harbors to reefs.

Best of Mike #177

I don't keep the bad pixtures.... but I do keep the mediocre ones.

Here's a pretty good example of why.

If this was a better pixture.... you would see clearly the Red Snapping Shrimp, hiding under this Corkscrew Anemone.

Although it's the Anemone that's in focus, I'm sure that my intended subject was the really the Shrimp.... for two reasons.

I've seen lots of Corkscrew Anemones.... and have some good pixtures of them.

But I have never actually seen a Red Snapping Shrimp.

Doing  the research, to figure out what that "red thing" might be, I figured out what it is.... and also learned that they live in symbiotic relationships with this kind of anemone.

So when we see a Corkscrew Anemone, in the future.... we will be looking underneath with much more interest and care.

Then, it's just a matter of being patient enough to get the right subject in sharp focus.... and you end up with a good or great pixture.

Best of Mike #176

It's kind of amazing.... and one of the reasons that I really love her.

You put a mask on her face, a regulator in her mouth.... take her down to 57ft.

And when you look over, there it is.... a smile that will light up your world.

Priceless!

Best of Mike #175

Downtown St Maarten.... on a bustling Saturday afternoon.

Now.... that's a pace that I could get used to.

Best of Mike #174

The last dive day of this liveaboard trip.... we spent off the island of Saba.

We did five dives that day, to finish our trip with a flourish.

The boat then anchored for night.... and this is the scene the next morning as we weighed anchor and headed for St. Maarten.

That's a pretty big boat that you see in the lower right corner of the pixtur .... probably holds 20-25 divers.

But it's a bigger.... and very rocky island.

I bet you already guessed what all that white stuff on the rock is.... yup, it's a whole lot of bird poop.

Best of Mike #173

I am definitely a sucker for a a good pixture.... and an even bigger sucker for a better pixture.

You get one that's pretty good, then you want it to be really good .... the next time, you have the chance to shoot that same thing. 

When you get really good, you start a quest for great.... and on it goes.

Or 

It's a subject that makes you feel good.... every time you see one. 


Orange Cup is one of those subjects for me.... in fact, it gets me on both counts.

Now here's an interesting twist.... this is an invasive species.

But, an invasive species that has the good taste to grow only on artificial reefs. Things like dock pilings and oil rigs.... that quite honestly, could use a little beautifying. 

Best of Mike #172

Linda has this great saying that she often uses in conjunction with entertaining.... "It should appear to be effortless". 

I live there, so I know how hard she works before hand and behind the scenes to make it appear that way once the guests arrive.

I share that same philosophy when it comes to photography. 

You capture a moment representative of all that went on.... and you get to delete  the mistakes and near misses that it took you to get there.

This pixture is a great example of that. 

I took it in shallow water where there was a lot of wave action.... reaching down from the surface.

The Hermit Crab was very co-operative, standing out in the open and posing nicely.... which they often will not do.

But I was bouncing around like an empty cup, caught in the surf line. 

That of course, made framing the shot an adventure. But the even bigger challenge was me.... stirring up the sandy bottom and ruining my own visibility.

I bet I shot 20 frames before I had one I liked. 

More than once I had to just lay down on the bottom and let the sand that I had stirred up settle.... before it was clear enough for me to shoot again.

Even then.... if you look closely, you can see some sand particles floating in the water, in this shot. 

This whole circus must have been hugely entertaining for the Crab.... don't you think?

Best of Mike #171

Some of the things that we see over and over again, underwater.... fascinate me every time.

Flamingo Tongues are one of those things.

You may remember that way back in BoM #93, I had a pixture of one of these guys.

And a fairly long description of exactly what they are.

To review, they're a snail.... that's just one step removed from a slug. 

If you grew up in a rainy climate, like I did.... you've seen all of those ugly slimy creatures (slugs) that you ever need to see.

When I see one of these beauties underwater.... that's the dialogue that is running thru my head as I move in for the pixture.

Because you can never have too many memories.... of fascinating things.

Best of Mike #170

Kind of  a nice smile.... for a guy who has such a reputation for being vicious.

Spotted Morays are solitary by nature.... usually seen in holes, often with just their head protruding.

They are active during the day, feeding at the sea bottom.... on crustaceans and other fish. 

Their bite can be dangerous to humans. 

But to get one.... usually requires sticking your hand somewhere it really shouldn't be.

Best of Mike #169

Spiny Lobster are a lot like your "nosey neighbors".

They always seem to be standing there.... on their porch or in the front window.

Occasionally they will wave.... but for the most part, they just watch.

Making sure that you're not doing anything.... that they need to tell your Mother about. 

Best of Mike #168

This is a story that I should have written, when it was fresh in my mind.... because I realize that I have lost a lot of the details, in the years since is was told to me.

The gentleman in this pixture is holding in his hands a copy of the United States Declaration of Independence.... one of the original signed copies.

I am afraid that I have forgotten his name but he is well into his 80s.... and for maybe 50 of those years, it has been his responsibility to keep this document. 

And, to bring it for display on the tours that he conducts of the old fort on St Eustasius.

As the story goes.... part of the process for declaring your independence, as a country, is to get other countries to recognize your claim.

So America, created a number of copies of that original Declaration of Independence, for that purpose.... for some reason I want to say 6.

One of those copies was in the possession of the Captain of an American warship. On the day that the declaration was made.... that ship was in the harbor of the island of St. Eustasius. So the Captain presented that document to the Governor as part of America's efforts to legitimize their claim.

Some years ago, the document had begun to darken with age.... to the point where it was becoming unreadable. 

So, this gentleman made a photocopy. The photocopy is mounted in the front of this frame. 

The original, which you are seeing here, he taped to the back of the frame.... so we could be sure that he was not making this up.

Best of Mike #167

A group of boats, working boats .... on the island of St Eustacitia. 

A very ordinary sight, for the people who live here.... I'm sure.

But for a visitor like myself.... colorful and just a little bit exotic.

I guess that's what travel is all about.

Best of Mike #166

Believe it or not, this is one of the better pixtures that I have ever taken.... of a Southern Stingray.

When motionless.... they are kind a crummy brown/grey diamond shaped disc, laying on a featureless bottom.

Or as is often the case, burrowed partially under the sand.

But when up and swimming they are the very definition of poetry in motion..... flying thru the water with a effortless grace.

I live in hope.... of a well taken pixture of a Stingray in motion.

And when I do get it..... you will see it too.

Best of Mike #165

I'm thinking Green Sea Turtle.... but to tell you the truth, I struggle a little with my turtle identification.

So, if any of my many scuba diving friends see that identification as wrong.... please let me know.

There is a lot of similarity between the Green Sea Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle. 

I  look to the beak for the definitive identification. 

In this case, I don't see the longer and hooked beak that is characteristic of the Hawksbill.

The common name, for the Green Sea Turtle, does not come from any particular external coloration.... but instead refers to the greenish color of the turtles fat, which is found in a layer between their internal organs and their shell.

Like other sea turtles they migrate great distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Many islands, worldwide, are know as Turtle Island due to the green sea turtles that nest on their beaches.

Females crawl out on the beaches, dig nests and lay eggs during the night. After incubation, hatchlings will emerge and walk into the water.... often running a gauntlet of predators.

Green Turtles that reach maturity, in the wild.... may live to be 80 yrs old.

Best of Mike #164

When you boat dive, you almost always want to find your way back to the boat .... the exception would be Cozumel where you drift dive and the boat follows you.

In the cases, today, where the boat is waiting for you.... the boat is tied to a mooring buoy, that has been attached to the bottom in a place that will not damage the reef.

 Such was the case on this dive we made on St. Eustatius.

If you have one, it is common for divers to use this mooring line.... as they make their way to the surface.

On this day, just a few feet from the surface, we came upon these Sea Pearls, which were attached to that line.

These are not the kind of pearls that are produced by Oysters and are worth money.

These are the kind that are a form of algae, inhabit most reefs.

They must have a purpose.... but I have no idea what that purpose might be.

Best of Mike #163

Look very closely and you will see the subject of today's pixture, a Gobe.... peaking up from the hole in this sponge.

There are over 2000 species of Gobes.... making it one of the largest families of fish.

Gobes are among  the smallest vertebrates in the world.... some of them only growing to 3/8" long.

They have a disc-shaped sucker on their pelvis.... that enables them to cling to rocks, coral or even the side of an aquarium.

Gobies sometimes form symbiotic relationships with other species.... such as as burrowing shrimp. 

The shrimp maintains the burrow, in the sand, which both the shrimp and goby live in. While the goby makes up for the shrimp's poor eyesight.

The shrimp uses uses it's antennae to feel the goby.... and the goby will flick the shrimp with it's tail when alarmed.

Together they have a safe home and a place to lay their eggs.

Best of Mike #162

In past posts, I have shown you pixtures of anemones (BoM 74, 96, 110, 118,124)

Some plain, some with brightly colored tips and some with interesting critters climbing over them

I thought this one interesting.... because the color is not confined just to the tip but extends well down each arm.

Most sea anemone attach themselves to the bottom by way of an adhesive foot. 

Their mouth is in the middle of the disc like body, surrounded by tentacles.... with stinging cells that act as both a defense mechanism and a way to capture prey.

Each stinging cell is made up of a small vessel filled with toxin, an inner filament and an external sensory hair.

When the hair is touched it triggers an explosion within the cell.... that attaches a small harpoon to the subject and injects a dose of poison into the flesh of the aggressor or prey.

It's this that gives the anemone it's characteristic sticky feeling.

All very aggressive stuff, that I am sure the anemone finds very useful.

But each time I see one, I think more of the beauty they provide. 

The word anemone is derived from Greek.... and translates to "daughter of the wind". 

Seeing them swaying gently in underwater currents always makes me think.... well named.

Best of Mike #161

I am a fan of shellfish, as a meal.... but crab has never been my favorite.

I enjoy the taste.... but all that leg cracking to get at the meat, just seems to be a whole lot of work.

Crabs are often like that when it comes to pixtures too.

Tucking themselves back into some hidey hole.... making it just really hard to get the light where you need it.

Best of Mike #160

There is a trip that doesn't show up anywhere in my underwater photography files.... because I don't have any pixtures from that trip.

We took that trip after Christmas 2006.

It was Danielle's first dive trip and it was the trip during which I flooded my housing .... and ruined both my camera and lens.

They say, amongst underwater photographers, that flooding a housing isn't a case of "if", it's a case of "when".... and that was my when.

This pixture is from the trip we did in May 2007,  on the Explorer Adventures Liveaboard.... it was the 1st trip we made with the camera that replaced "old soggy".

I got a much better camera when I did the replacement....  but that means some trial and error while we get to know each other.

And, a lot of bad or mediocre pixtures.... the kind of pixtures that don't survive my editing process. 

So long story short, I don't have alot of pixtures (especially underwater pixtures) from this trip either.

But I do have some.... this of course is a Spotted Moray Eel, looking much fiercer than he really is.

Best of Mike #159

Just outside our hotel room on St Kitts were some very fresh bananas.

Bananas actually grow from the ground up.... but because the very sturdy stem can grow 20 - 25 ft tall, they are often mistaken for trees.

Each stem grows a single "banana heart".

That is the the male part of the plant.... and you are seeing it here, partially open at the end of the stem.

The female flowers grow farther up the stem.... and are the part that turns into the fruit.

Best of Mike #158

This was the year that Linda turned 50 and we celebrated by doing the kind of diving that she likes best .... a liveaboard.

This was a different kind of trip.... in that it departed and arrived at two different places.

We flew into St Kitts, to board a boat for a trip that would end in St. Martin.

Like most liveaboards, we boarded the boat on Saturday afternoon. But because of the flights available, we had to fly in the day before. So, we spent Friday night and most of Saturday at a very nice hotel on St Kitts.

They had a small beach that overlooked the bay .... and we spent a lot of time there. Even thought the the wind blew hard and a lot.... you can see it here in the waves breaking over the rocks.

But thank goodness for that.... because when the wind laid down the humidity was unbelievably brutal.

Best of Mike #157

And so ends another beautiful trip to Bonaire.

Made all the more beautiful by the fact that my short lived, but intense, bout with cancer is over.... and I won.

We ended this trip as we so often do.... dining on the deck of "Richard's Caribbean Dining".

I think that might be Richard's own sailboat.... that so often shows up in my final Bonaire sunset pixture.

Best of Mike #156

Like many Caribbean islands.... Bonaire has a history that is both long and colorful.

It is believed that the Caiquetios (a branch of the Arawak Indians).... sailed from Venezuela to inhabit the island 1000 years ago.

The name Bonaire is thought to have originally come from the Ciaquetio work "Bonjay" a name that meant low country.

The early Spanish and Dutch modified it's spelling to Bojnaj and then Bonaire.

You may hear that the name is French and means "good air".... but the French influence while present at various times, throughout the history of Bonaire, was never strong enough to account for the name.

After the arrival of the Europeans, homes on the island were often built using the colors that you see here.

Part of the colorful Caribbean culture, your thinking.... perhaps, but also rooted in the very practical.

The mustard yellow was made from the clay in the earth. The orange, for the roof tiles, from dyewood pigments. And, the white is a whitewash made from limestone.

In addition to being colors that could be made from local ingredients.... that combination of colors was used to honor the Netherlands' Royal House of Orange.

Best of Mike #155

Even in paradise.... some really good ideas never catch on.

On the windward side of Bonaire, is an area called Lac Bay.... world famous for as a windsurfing destination.

And.... maybe a little bit famous for the nudist colony next door too.

We like to drive over to that side of the island on our last day or each trip.... our non-diving day.

Just around the corner, from those resorts, on the road back to town is a cool little restaurant.

Right across the street from that restaurant is this seating area with a great view of the bay.

But in all the times we have been to Bonaire.... I have never seen anyone seated there.

Just a little too far around the corner for any windsurfing action.... or natural viewing, I guess.

Best of Mike #154

On the windward side of Bonaire.... the really windy, man it's blowing, holy crap it's windy over here side.

You find these trees.... not a lot of them, always standing alone, on a barren piece of ground.

We read a series of books (The #1 Ladies Detective Agency).... that is set in Botswana.

In those books they are always talking about the Acacia tree.... the shade it provides and the thorns it carries.

These are Bonaire's thorn trees.... I don't know if they are Acacia trees but they always make me think of Africa.

Best of Mike #153

The Flamingo is a protected species on Bonaire.... and is the islands signature bird.

Found in the salt pans around the island, the algae and insects they feed on.... are rich in the pigments that give them their pink color.

It is said that the Caribbean birds have the brightest color of all Flamingos.

There is a Flamingo Reserve on the southern tip of the island.... that is one of the few breeding grounds in the Southern Caribbean.

On most evenings, around sunset, you can see small flocks leaving the southern tip of the island, near the Willemstoren Lighthouse.

Contrary to popular belief, they are not all flying to Venezuela.... although some undoubtedly will reach the South American Coast, which is about 60 miles away.

Other flamingo facts.... they lay only on egg, chicks are born grey and white, in order to take flight they need to get a running start and they have absolutely no sense of smell.

Best of Mike #152

Pretty much the whole north end of the island of Bonaire is a National Park.

Over a century ago, two plantations stood on the land that is the present day park. They were called Washington and Slagbaai.... their owners exported goats, cattle, aloe, salt and charcoal.

Both plantations had harbors that welcomed boats from nearby islands, such as Curacao.... and from as far away as Holland. 

The original park was formed in 1969 from the land that had been the Washington plantation. In 1979, the land from Slagbaai, was added. You can still see the fence that once separated the two plantations.

Visitors will notice a dramatic difference between the landscape of Washington, in the north, and Slagbaai in the south.

Vegetation is sparse in Washington, mainly cacti and low shrubs.... due to soil that is predominantly limestone and the salt laden trade winds that blow over the area. Any seedlings that do land here and take root.... are soon eaten by the goats that still forage freely in the northern part of the park.

Slagbaai, however is closed to goats (a fence keeps them out), is protected from the wind by a series of hills and has a more fertile soil.... so the vegetation there is more lush. 

Slagbaai, means slaughter.... in the past cattle were slaughtered here before the meat was loaded aboard the ships, giving this area it's name.
Pictured above is the flower of an aloe plant.... or at least part of the flower of an aloe plant. I was standing a good distance away on a hill and still couldn't get the whole thing in my pixture.

They grow straight up from the center to the plant to enormous height.... I would say 20 or 30 ft isn't out of the question.

Best of Mike #151

Linda and I are not big fans of night diving.... but every once in a while we do one.

This was one of those times.

Right at the end of the dive, just as we came to the ladder for our exit, we spotted this Orange Cup Coral.... in full night bloom.

Each time I look at this pixture.... I think happiness.

This was the trip we made to replace the one we cancelled.... when I was diagnosed with cancer.

I won.... and get to dive again and again and again.

So, it's just fitting that the last underwater pixture, on the last dive or this trip.... is a pixture of happiness.

Best of Mike #150

When you dive in Bonaire and we do.... a lot.

You see Eels.... a lot.

This Spotted Moray is one of my favorite eel shots.

Because.... I always imagine that he is saying "this is my good side".

It's also the pixture where I noticed that all Spotted Morays are not the same color.

This one follows the usual pattern of brown spots on a white body.

But on him, the spots are much smaller, than say the Spotted Moray that was the subject for Best of Mike #146

As an added point of interest.... check out the green tint along his pectoral fin.

Best of Mike #149

I don't know about you but I thought the only fish that isn't swimming constantly is the one that is floating upside down at the surface, dead.

Turns out, that is not the case.

This is a Porcupinefish.... also known as Balloonfish and sometimes called a Blowfish.

Then are kind of slow moving and tend to hover a lot.... and sometimes see them taking a break, altogether, from the work of swimming.

In this case, he has found a nice soft bowl shaped sponge to sit down on.

They have the ability to take in water or air to blow themselves up to about 2x their normal size.... if threatened.

Once inflated the sharp spines that cover their body point straight out.... making for a first line of defense.

And last but certainly not leas.... some species, in this family, are also poisonous. Having a neuro-toxin in their internal organs that is at least 1200 times more potent than cyanide.

So make a note .... while diving, you should never bite a Porcupinefish.

As a result of all these defenses, these fish generally get left alone.... although adults are sometimes the prey of sharks and orcas and, juveniles can be a meal for tuna and dolphin.

Best of Mike #148

Scuba diving is a hard, hard life.... a terrible way to take a vacation.

All day in the water.... with amazing creatures and colors.

Lunch together.... on the beach, in the sun.

And then, as you walk along the seawall, on your way to dinner .... you see this view.

Best of Mike #147

A Clam is a pretty simple animal.

There are a number of different species, that get referred to as "clams" in different parts of the world.

Some or rather plain looking (but tasty) while others are delicate and colorful.

Clams don't have heads and only Scallops have eyes.... but they all have a heart, kidneys, a mouth and an anus.

Their shells are made up of two halves that are connected by a hinge of ligament.

Some burrow into the sand, while others (like mussels and oysters) attach themselves to the surrounding substrate.

They open their shells to feed....  drawing water in thru a siphon filtering out the food, conveying it to their mouth via a layer of mucus and then expelling the water thru a different siphon.

They can snap their shells shut for protection.... and some even use the  "opening and closing" of their shell to swim.

Best of Mike #146

When we are in Bonaire.... we often make the last dive of the day a late afternoon, twilight dive.

You can fall off the dock right at the resort.... a short swim of 90 ft or so over a sandy bottom takes you out to the reef. Then over the wall and you are on a great dive.

On this particular day.... Linda and I were doing just that when we noticed a lot of commotion around a Tube Sponge up on the shoulder of the reef.

The first pixture in this post is what we found when we got over to that spot.

Except that the tail was wiggling.... and the sponge was flat out vibrating, as a result of  whatever was going on inside.

After just a few seconds, out popped the front end of that eel.... looking pretty happy.

At least, I'm thinking .... that's what happy looks like, on an eel.

If I had to guess.... I would think that a good meal was had, inside the sponge.

Best of Mike #145

Barracuda are kind of like that old man that lived down the block.... when you were a kid.

First off, they just seem to suddenly appear.... when you least expect it.

Once there, they aren't really doing much of anything .... except eyeballing you.

But they still manage to look all grumpy, scary, mean and creepy.

I still get goosebumps thinking about a big one.... just floating there watching me.

I was all by myself, on the safety stop, at the end of a night dive in Turks and Caicos.

I won't lie.... I only made it about 2 minutes and then I was so freaked, I got out of the water.

And that whole time.... he didn't do a thing.... except eyeball me.... and lurk..... and be all creepy.