Underwater Scenic
This gallery is dedicated to the many beautiful faces and places I’ve encountered around the world – under the sea…
(click to launch larger images)
Neptune’s Pride

Energetic Bottlenose Dolphin who came to play with me – Cayman Brac 

First Day of School
Blue Tang swims through a school of yellow Grunts – Key Largo
Stingray Family

Southern Stingrays – Grand Cayman 

Flamboyant Scorpionfish
Poisonous Scorpionfish blends into the reef – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Colorful Clowns
Clownfish playing in their host anemone – Wakatobi, Indonesia
When Turtles Fly
Hawksbill Turtle flies high over a reef wall – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Butterflies are Free
Raccoon Butterfly Pair and their bejeweled coral kingdom – Cayman Brac
Night Visitor
Night Dive – Octopus flashing colors – Cayman Brac
Hot Hydroid
Golden Damsel with Hydroid –
Wakatobi, Indonesia

That’s A Moray

A Moray Eel has his eyes trained on a school of French Grunts – Key Largo
Cuttlefish Colors

The cuttlefish changes color to communicate and to camouflage – Indonesia

Captivating Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are the most intelligent of the invertebrate species – Indonesia
Lion’s Mane

Lionfish are highly venomous and have become an invasive species worldwide – Wakatobi, Indonesia

Table Coral & Damsels
This shelf of table coral protrudes from the sea wall and is home to Humbug Damsels – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Humbug Damsels
A closer look at the cute Humbug Damsels residing in the Table Coral (left) – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Spotted Eagle Ray
An Eagle Ray ‘flies’ gracefully over the reef –
Palau, Micronesia
Parting Shot
The largest Eagle Rays can have a wingspan of up to 10 feet = Palau, Micronesia
Striped Bandit
Pomacanthus Imperator Angel – Indonesia
Juvenile Spotted Drum
A drumfish named for its repetitive drumming sounds – Honduras
The Queen’s Entourage
Queen Angel (Pomacanthus Imperator Angel) – Key Largo
Golden Lips
Giant Tridachna Clams can grow to several feet long – Palau, Micronesia
Twins from another Mother
Unusual to see a clown away from his anemone and other clowns – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
Queen Triggerfish, state fish of Hawai’i
Nudibranch Splendor
Nudibranchs are soft-bodied molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage – Indonesia
Gentle Guardian
This wonderful Nassau Grouper followed me around like a puppy – Little Cayman
Window-Peeker
Miniatus Grouper peeking through a hole in the reef – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Waking from a Nap
Hawksbill turtle with a remora on his shell – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Calvin's Crack
Spectacular deep crack in the reef - Roatan, Honduras
Cave Diving
As I exit, another diver enters the cave - Palau Micronesia
Exploration
Palau has extraordinary cave and blue hole dives! Micronesia
Surveying the Wall
A diver explores a Giant Barrel Sponge clinging to the wall - Roatan, Honduras
Come Here My Pretty
A Moray eel peers from his den, spying a small fish - Palau, Micronesia
Moorish Idols
A graceful and beautiful pair of Moorish Idols - Palau, Micronesia
His Majesty
Crabs find the best places to hide - this one, deep inside a crack in the reef - Honduras
Crab Family
I spotted this red crab family (with egg pack) down inside a coral vase – Palau Micronesia
Eagle Ray Cruisin’
It’s always a thrill to watch an Eagle Ray cruising by – Palau, Micronesia
Flying Eagle
Eagle Ray in full flight, dwarfing all the fish around him – Palau Micronesia
Black Tip Beauty
A Blacktip shark cruises his domain – Singapore
Zig Zag Clam on WWII Wreck
Very unique Giant Tridachna clam – on Japanese shipwreck from WWII – Palau
Alligator-fish
Stark size contrast between an Alligator-fish and a small fairy basslet – Indonesia
Blue Tang with Hitchhiker
A Fairy Basslet hitches a ride to clean the Blue Tang’s gills – Roatan, Honduras
Inside a School of Barracuda
Inside an impressive school of circling Barracuda – thousands! Palau, Micronesia
Curious Yellowtail
Yellowtail Snapper is drawn to my yellow dive mask, allowing for a portrait – Honduras
Lobster Dinner
A rare glimpse of a Grouper who snatched a large lobster and is swimming off with it in his mouth – Honduras
Miniatus Grouper
This Miniatus Grouper is a small, colorful, and predatory fish. His camouflage serves him well in this environment – Indonesia
Six-Banded Butterfly
This Butterfly has a little Fairy Basslet cleaner fish down at this side – Palau, Micronesia
Turtle Joins our Dive

A trusting Hawksbill Turtle swims between my dive buddy (Pat) and me – Honduras

In Flight

Same turtle – I just got beneath him to show him in full flight –  Honduras 

Tiger
This spotted Tiger Grouper was quite friendly and followed me around the reef – Little Cayman
Seeing Spots
Spotted moray eels can grow up to about 6 feet long. They feed mostly on small fish and invertebrates – Honduras
Intense Cayman
Caymans/Caimans have wider and shorter heads than crocs, and longer teeth than alligators – Honduras
Invasive Alien
It took just a few lion fish to breed a dynasty. Unheard of 30 years ago in the States, they are now known to live from Rhode Island to Belize – Honduras
Streamlined
The quizzical pipefish is in the same family as a seahorse. Like the seahorse, males carry the fertilized eggs until they hatch.
Unwanted Visitor
A Stoplight Parrotfish is the unlucky target of a remora fish. Remora have a sucking disc on their head to attach to their host. Key Largo
Familiar Faces
Having dived many times in wonderful Key Largo, I grew accustomed to seeing these beautiful French Grunts – Key Largo
Twin Sails
A pair of colorful Fire Gobies mirror each other in Honduras
Reef Traffic
It feels like rush hour on the reef as I’m surrounded by Sgt Majors, snappers, and tangs – Honduras
Cuttlefish Reflection
Tight to the waterline, this cuttlefish appears to be bumping into his own reflection –
Blue-Spotted Ribbontail
An unusual Blue-spotted Ribbontail stingray finds a soft landing spot in a sand flat – Wakatobi, Indonesia
French Angel
French Angels are covered in black scales except at the nape to abdomen, which are rimmed with golden yellow – Honduras
Quizzical Spade
This unique fish looks like a cross between a batfish and spadefish – Wakatobi, Indonesia
Adorable Moray
Close-up portrait of a green Moray Eel – Palau, Micronesia
Welcome Visitor
Morays are usually concealed in reef crevices – Honduras
Reef Beauty
Miniatus Grouper and a beautiful reef scene – Indonesia
Reef Life
Small fish dart above a reef, adorned with a sea fan- Cayman
Leafy Scorpionfish
One of the world’s most venomous marine species – Singapore
Banded Puffer
I often encounter fish curious about me – This dive, it was this sweet puffer – Honduras
On the Move
A large octopus displays an impressive array of suction cups
Eye of the Octopus
Enlarged, close-up view of the large Octopus in preceding photo – Very smart animal!
‘Rays’
Every now and then, the stars align and all conditions are perfect for a shot. Here is one of those moments, when a ray ‘flies’ overhead, temporarily blocking the sun. Rays of light seem to emanate from the stingray, and we’re now able to see the lower density of his wings. So here we have ‘Rays’ – sting and sun!