Capturing the Moment

 Searching the walls and ceilings of overhangs and caves is a must at this scuba site known locally as 5 caves or 5 graves, or turtle town after the abundant reptile residents. While most scuba divers are watching for turtles and other mega fauna Heidi and I were on our typical hunt for smaller creatures like nudibranchs. 5 Caves is a stellar nudibranch dive, day or night. We get the usual suspects here of phyllidia, white margin, and fuchsia flatworms, but if you looks very hard the dedicated nudibranch diver can be in for a real treat. Today it was that and more!  After seeing a big octo on the kick out to the reef Heidi got the sightings started with a Tom Smith's nudibranch. As I was taking this picture of it I noticed just to the right a gold lace nudibranch almost perfectly blending in. That is usually the way of nudibranch spotting. Once you stop and really look at an area you will find more and more. Heidi also found another gold lace on the sand, two yellow noume...

a lone Imperial Nudibranch the dusky blues of a Gloomy Nudibranch Decorator Nudibranch ( Goniobranchus decorus) Kangaroo Nudibranch Trembling Nudibranch Tom Smith's Nudibranch Indian Nudibranch Porcupine Fish close-up 2 Imperial Nudibranchs trailing What a dive. Muck diving here in Maui has turned up yet another treasure trove of nudibranchs. On this dive at one of our favorite spots we found 20 nudibranchs! Here are just a few of them. Some people are calling this spot "Dai Mar's reef", although Dai Mar and Heidi's reef would be more fitting. I think eventually it should be named nudibranch heaven or 'Nudi Flats'. Sometimes all you have to do is put it in writing and its official.