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| Peacock Mantis Shrimp |
Crabs, shrimp, and lobsters can all be big finds for an underwater macro photographer. Some of these crustaceans can give nudibranchs a run for their money when it comes to bold colors. Take this peacock mantis shrimp for example. It has so many shades of colors that it is named after a peacock!
Other crustaceans rely on small size to escape notice. Luckily our local divemaster had a great eye for some of these tiny critters that I would have swam right by.
Still others rely on camouflage. This tiny wire coral shrimp was the same exact color of the wire coral until I flashed him with light from my strobe. Even then it would be hard to pick him out unless you zoom way in like this.
Alot of the reefs here are covered in soft coral. This soft coral waves back and forth in the surge and give the reef alot of movement which we don't see in Hawaii. I always think the soft coral would be a great place for creatures to hide but for the most part they remain void of hiding critters. Anemones are the big exception, housing anemonefish like Nemo. And sometimes if you are lucky you can find a commensal shrimp perfectly matching the color of the soft coral.
On one of our last dives in Puerto Galera I came upon our divemaster, Amil, looking intently at two long, white antennas sticking out of a small hole. As we watched a body soon followed the white antennas but changed from white into the most beautiful deep blue and purple color you could imagine. Out came a 4 inch lobster! Its the only one we have see here in the Philippines.
Other crustaceans rely on small size to escape notice. Luckily our local divemaster had a great eye for some of these tiny critters that I would have swam right by. 
Still others rely on camouflage. This tiny wire coral shrimp was the same exact color of the wire coral until I flashed him with light from my strobe. Even then it would be hard to pick him out unless you zoom way in like this.
Alot of the reefs here are covered in soft coral. This soft coral waves back and forth in the surge and give the reef alot of movement which we don't see in Hawaii. I always think the soft coral would be a great place for creatures to hide but for the most part they remain void of hiding critters. Anemones are the big exception, housing anemonefish like Nemo. And sometimes if you are lucky you can find a commensal shrimp perfectly matching the color of the soft coral.
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