Capturing the Moment

Giant Mantis Shrimp Orangutan Crab  Even though I am partial to nudibranchs as my go-to favorite tiny marine creature to look for in Bali, the crustaceans are not that far behind. They also come in a wild variety of colors and patterns with wild adaptations that allow them to survive on the rich reefs of Indo. From the incredible fast mantis shrimp to the sea star eating blue harlequin shrimp, to the little boxer crab that carries anemones in its claws like tiny pom poms, these animals are a macro photographers delight. Boxer Crab Boxer Crab Harlequin Shrimp Harlequin Shrimp eating a sea star Best Camouflaged Crab Ever Purple Squat Lobster

  This morning I grabbed my macro setup to try and find some small underwater wildlife to photograph. Sometimes when you slow down and really look it can be amazing how many little creatures start showing up. I went to a dive site called five caves, aka five graves. It is a spot very famous for sea turtle encounters which means these little animals get passed over even more often than most.   Nudibranchs, harlequin shrimp, scorpion fish, and even peacock flounders showed themselves on this dive. It wasn't until I saw a couple of neon yellow juvenile frogfish that I knew who was going to steal the show. Surrounded by a cloud of tiny plankton the frogfish would open its mouth and gobble up some of the goodies.   These are Commerson's frogfish and will grow to about the size of a volleyball if they get old enough. Right now they could easily fit into the palm of my hand. Once they get bigger they will graduate from eating plankton to eating fish. They are one of th...