Two Spot Snapper gracing the reef at Mioskin Island in Raja Ampat.
A pair of Cuttlefish who propel themselves by fins that span the circumference of their bodies. You just make out their fins near their rear ends.
Another pair of Cuttlefish. They each have two of their eight arms raised.
A Cuttlefish parked in from of me apparently wanting her picture to be taken.
A Blenny sticking out of a hole in the hard coral. Blennies stay recalled in openings for protection.
This Peacock Mantis Shrimp is looking toward the camera. Her eyes are on independent stalks and purple colored.
A Snowflake Moray Eel popping out of her hole.
A Decorator Crab atop a flower-like soft coral. The crab is facing away from the camera with golden yellow eyes visible.
A Thornback Cowfish--see the thorn on her back? Also thorns above each eye? They feed by blowing the sand around looking for invertebrates. Talk about adaptation, with the vacuum cleaner mouth pointing down and the flat bottom belly to get close to the sea floor!
A tiny Porcelain Crab on an anemone. Note the diamond-shaped iris' in the eyes near the top of the head.
A Boxfish getting a cleaning from a Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (above her left eye). Note the hexagonal scales visible on her belly.
A Saddleback Anemonefish showing her teeth to protect territory.
A very colorful Nudibranch. The plume of red and white at the rear are her gills for breathing.
A proud and super tiny Red Striped Cleaner Shrimp looking for some work.
A pair of Cuttlefish looking like mirror images.
An underwater pass-thru in Ambon, Indonesia, December, 2023
Divers exploring an underwater passage in Ambon.
Interesting effect of the clouds visible thru the water in the passage.
Divers coming thru a passage.
Banda Sea full of Red Toothed Triggerfish, large sponges hundreds of years old and orange soft corals.
A Giant Moray Eel popping out of the reef.
A colorful seascape in the Banda Sea.
A large beautiful sea fan in the Banda Sea.
A lovely coral tree on this outcropping from the reef wall.
This Black Coral Crab has a pouch of eggs under her chest apron.
A White Spotted Hermit Crab out during a night dive in the Banda Sea.
My first time seeing a Mandarinfish. Amazing pattern and colors! (Photo not so great as she was hidden in the rocks. )
A gorgeous orange sea fan from Banda Neira area.
An attractive young Blue-Spotted Ribbontail Ray. Malole dive site in Banda.
Stunning whip coral from the colorful Bands Sea.
Orange on orange with sea fan and soft coral.
A large soft coral resembling a jade tree in bloom. There are orange and yellow-green damselfishes in the foreground and Red-Toothed Triggerfish in the background.
A small group of Bumphead Parrotfish floating above. These girls are big--two to three feet in length, and can get even bigger.
A graceful Manta Ray appeared for just seconds out for the poor visibility. I was lucky to get a photo.
I can never pass up Anemonefish. These two are False Clown version.
With polyps bright white, this Gorgonian look like a tree of cherry blossoms. West Papua, Indonesia, December 2023.
A Oval Spotted Butterflyfish fronting a contrasting red sea fan.
All real estate is valuable underwater. Sea fans and hard corals loaded with fish seeking their protection.
A Clown Triggerfish pausing for some spa work by a Blue Streaked Cleaner Wrasse.
False Clown Anemonefish are always entertaining darting in and out of their protective anemone.
Another favorite--Ornate Ghost Pipefish hovering amongst the Gorgonian arms. It looks like this a male transitioning to a female evidenced by the pouch on her belly to hold eggs.
A Spinecheek Anemonefish nestled in her host anemone. Note the spike on the cheeks.
A school of Blackfin Barrracuda swimming by during our safety stop at My Reef in Raja Ampat.
A smaller Tasselled Wobbegong Shark around 4' in length. Her eye is southwest of the white spot on the forehead.
An Emperor Angelfish hiding a pocket of the reef.
Not so much a great picture, but a first sighting of a Fox Faced Rabbitfish. Love the name.
A Steephead Parrotfish swimming above to check me out. Note the teeth used to crunch hard corals.
This is the initial phase of a Humphead Wrasee. See following picture for the mature and larger sister. This one is about 2' in length.
The classic Raja Ampat photo and pictures on their currency.
OMG, the design and colors. This is a Saddled Butterflyfish, which I haven't seen since 1991 in Truk Lagoon.
An Yellowmargin Eel and Clear Cleaner Shrimp perfectly posing.
I love love angelfish. Here is a Regal and Six-Banded together with a Coral Grouper.
A little Blacktip Grouper playing hide and seek.
A group of Longfin Spadefish at a cleaning station. They are tilted, i assume, to make themselves more visible to the cleaner fish below.
Photogenic Ribbon Sweetlips hanging out at around 100' in Raja Ampat.
More Wobbegongs! A Tasselled Wobbegong Shark swimming during the day--most likely annoyed by us.
The Wobbegong at rest and appears to have an injury on her mouth.
Always have to photgraph a turtle if encountered!
A pleasant seascape at the Sawandarek dive Site in Raja Ampat exploding with fish.
A Yellow Mask Angelfish swimming under the reef overhang. Raja Ampat, Indonesia. January 2024.
A swirl of Yellowstripe Goatfish going one way and Longspot Snappers going the opposite direction.
We were annoyed when our dive site was swarmed with Jellies, but I found they lit up nicely for photographs.
We were annoyed when our dive site was swarmed with Jellies, but I found they lit up nicely for photographs.
So Many! We were annoyed when our dive site was swarmed with Jellies, but I found they lit up nicely for photographs.
A Glasseye and Redfin Bream pose on the steep incline.
Yet another first, a Crocodilefish! its mouth is to the left with big marble-like eyes just behind.
I can't resist--another shot of Anemonefish (Spinecheek).
This map shows the route of the trip.
This map shows the route of the trip.
