Capturing the Moment

Tiny free swimming bobtail squid   While searching for nudibranchs in the waters off Tulamben, we found a lot of other wondrous creatures to keep the camera firing. Our local dive guide Tisnu spotted a tiny swimming speck which turned out to be a baby bobtail squid. I fought for a few minutes trying to focus on and snap a picture. I will say it was a hundred times easier when the squid landed on a nearby hydroid. Pipefish Camouflage Crabs blended in with their surroundings and shrimp found interesting homes on the underside of sea stars and on a single piece of wire coral. While most of these methods of camouflage are for defense, the giant mantis shrimp needs no such thing. Sea Star Shrimp   The giant mantis shrimp looks like a medium size lobster when totally out of its hole. But usually prey won't get that chance to see that. This giant shrimp sits deep within its burrow, with only its two complex eyes poking up, stalking the possible prey nearby. G...

An Ornate Octopus on the hunt  Wow. Check out the reef at night and have a totally different experience. Tonight we saw a squid that can fit in your pocket, a poisonous octopus with 2ft long arms on the hunt, and the holy grail of nudibranchs all in one dive.   Checking out one of our favorite muck diving areas at night provided a treasure trove of picture opportunities. This ornate octopus to the left hunted for small fish and crustaceans by spreading out its arms into all the nooks and crannies of the rocks. After about ten minutes of following him he stopped, brought all his arms under him, quickly dug a hole by shooting water straight down in the sand, then totally disappeared under the sand. Incredible. a tiny  Hawaiian bobtail squid about the cutest creature ever, bobtail squid Juvenile Milletseed Butterflyfish watch where you put your hand! The next big find was actually a tiny one, this Hawaiian bobtail squid. It is hard not to put this litt...