Best of Mike #111

As the story goes.... on a perfectly clear day, at the exact moment that the last bit of the sun drops below the horizon.... you will see a momentary flash of green in the sky.

At the end of each day in the Caribbean, as that moment approaches, life just slows down and everyone.... tourist and local alike, find a way to turn to the setting sun to see if it's going to happen on this day.

Because of the cloud in the sky.... this was not a day that we were going to see that 'green flash" but we were rewarded with a pretty scene all the same.

Best of Mike #110

Giant Anemone, especially when you find one with the colored tips, are just plain pretty, in and of themselves.

But a closer inspection will always find them to be host to a bunch of activity.

In this case, there are Spotted Cleaner Shrimp and some Squat Anemone Shrimp hard at work.

Cleaner shrimp is a term applied to a number of varieties of shrimp that make their living by cleaning parasites from fish.

It's a win/win situation.... the fish getting rid of parasites they don't want and the shrimp getting some nutritional value.

Best of Mike #109

Can't you just here it saying.... "what are you lookin at?" 

He or she, is a Barred Hamlet.

Hamlets have both male and female sexual organs at the same time as an adult. 

They seem quite at ease mating in front of divers, allowing observations in the wild to occur readily. 

They do not practice self-fertilization, but when they find a mate, the pair takes turns. One acting as the male and the other acting as the female.... then switching roles, through multiple matings, usually over the course of several nights.

Best of Mike #108

I have reached the point with my Blog where I know I am posting repeat pixtures of some of the fish and critters that we see most often.

I'm ok with that and I hope you are too.... for a couple of reasons.

It is a little like meeting up with old friends.... when we dive a reef and find many of the "usual suspects".

I'm sure that some of your good friends show up in your pixtures more than once too.

Secondly, some of my fish and critter friends are a little shy or even down right reclusive. So, getting a better pixture of them is always a worthy quest.

I do look back a previous posts, to make sure I am not telling you the same stories over and over again.... I am old and us old guys do like to do that.

I did post a great story about Red Banded Shrimp in Best of Mike #75. So, you can pop back there to read the tale.... but this is a better pixture.

Best of Mike #107

A dive trip isn't all about critters and coral underwater.

We have often traveled in groups, with both family and friends.... and have never had anything but a great time.

This is young woman is now 17.... beautiful, amazing and quite a good diver.

But on this trip she was only 9, an avid snorkeler, quite cute, good shore support.... and great comic relief.

PS.... no one got naked during the making of this pixture.

Best of Mike #106

The energy level of a dive always rises when there is a turtle sighting. All the more fascinating, because turtle sightings aren't really that rare.

Maybe it's because they are such a blend of contrasts.... not beautiful but definitely interesting, not sleek but clearly graceful, not curious but not shy either.

A turtle is one of those marine creatures that allows you to be close enough to know you are interacting.... and yet is always just out of reach.

This Hawksbill Turtle was feeding on some of the reef vegetation when we approached.

Completely happy to ignore us, if we were good enough to leave him to his breakfast.

An adult Hawksbill can easily grow to be 3ft long and weigh 180lbs. The largest ever recorded weighed in at 280lbs.

Best of Mike #105

As the sun sinks ... at the end of another day in paradise.

The wind lays down and palms are calm.

A dive boat, in the distance, heads for home.

A group of divers surface near shore, at the end of their twilight dive.

A my beer was both cold and tasty ... how's yours?

Best of Mike #104

You know what a sucker I am for "fill the frame" close-ups, patterns, textures and color.

So, when I created this pixture, on our recent trip to Cozumel.... I just couldn't wait to put it up on the Best of Mike.

I started with a pixture of a Scrawled Filefish, that I purposely shot very close up.

Then got even closer with a little cropping in Lightroom.

Their laterally compressed bodies and rough sand-papery skin inspired the filefish's common name. It is said, that dried filefish skin was once used to finish wooden boats.

Filefish are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

There are a 107 varieties, with this one, the Scrawled Filefish, being the largest. Growing to as much as 43in in length.... although, I have never seen one even close to that big.

I promise future posts will give you better idea of what filefish really look like.... but for now I couldn't resist a little artistry.

Best of Mike #103

This member of the toadfish family, the Splendid Toadfish, is special for two reasons.

First, they are found only in the waters around the island of Cozumel.

Secondly, unlike other members of the toadfish family, they are know for their bright colors (particularly the yellow fins) and distinctive patterns.

Splendid Toadfish, are most commonly found tucked in under coral outcroppings ... as you see here. They are difficult, if not impossible, to coax out into the open.

A good way to find them is to look for the sloping sand patch at the opening of their den.

Best of Mike #102

This bad boy.... a Channel Clinging Crab, was hanging upside down from the roof of a small cave like overhang, when we came upon him.

Sounds almost impossible as I write that description... but he really made it look effortless.

They are frequently covered with.... encrusting organism, algae growth and debris.

Now many of you, especially those of you who are a fan of a good crab dinner, many know this guy be a different name.... King Crab.