The underwater world is a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that dazzle, mesmerize and surprise.
The picturesque ocean and its inhabitants are amazing, beautiful and captivating.
My desire is to educate and inspire others to respect and protect our oceans by giving them a glimpse into the mysterious domain of the deep, blue sea.
Delicate and beautiful, these amazing fish are like
something out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale. Take a look at this wonderful photo essay on the
Project Seahorse website for interesting facts as well as some impressive
photos.
These graceful creatures careened past me while making eye
contact. They seemed to peer deep into my very soul. I was in awe and mesmerized by these
gentle angels of the sea. They hovered and glided over the divers, frolicking in
the bubbles that percolated up and onto the ventral surface of its smooth skin.
The Manta Ray (Manta birostris) is the largest of the rays
and has an average wing span of 22 feet.
These filter feeders are closely related to sharks. The
cephalic lobes unfurl to direct nutrient-rich water towards the mouth. The
lobes are rolled into a spiral when swimming.
The various color patterns on the Manta serve as a unique identifier
for each ray.
Tucked into the reef to sleep, this Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) hides its scent from predators with a mucus bubble. The mucus, which is secreted from glands in the gill cavities, protects the Parrotfish from parasites. The mucous cocoon might also serve as an early warning system if a predator approaches. The most common predators include groupers, eels and sharks.
It takes about thirty minutes for a Parrotfish to secrete its mucous bubble and if the bubble is destroyed, it can secrete another one that same night.
The clip is quite short, as the Parrotfish was trying to sleep! Sweet dreams...............
If Jim Henson created Muppets who lived in the ocean, this is what I would imagine them to be like. This Green Moray Eel shared this crevice with some juvenile Whitetip Reef Sharks.
