Maui Tide Pools at Night

Red margin spanish dancer nudibranch

swimming Spanish Dancer and reflection

Sometimes you just get lucky, but it helps to know what you are looking for. Even though this nudibranch is bright red and yellow it can still be easy to pass right by. Heidi and I have come to look for these after the sun has set. And if we are lucky enough we might even get to see one dance its way through the water like we did this night. With a very fast shutter speed and a bit more luck we got some shots of this Spanish Dancer nudibranch mid-action. When it would swim up close to the surface of the tide pool I could capture its reflection as well.

fits right in the palm of your hand

 While this spanish dancer could easily fit into the palm of your hand it will someday grow into the largest nudibranch in the world. Adults lay eggs attached to rocky reefs in the shape of a rose...which are bigger than this juvenile. Of course thousands of babies even smaller than this will emerge out of that rosy egg patch.