Aboard the Live-aboard Turks and Caicos Explorer II
Day 1
I kept seeing tiny forests of these tube worms. I managed to get this picture before they all snapped into their tubes.A lobster hanging out with some fairy giblets. OK, I may have gotten that name wrong.Southern stingrays can get really big. This one’s probably right about a meter across.Now gaze into the eye of the conch! Really, that’s his eye on the end of the stalk.More sponges than Bed Bath and Beyond… Wait, are they still around?Yep, another lobsterCool looking coral. I think, anyway.Of all the hamlets in the sea, the indigo is my favorite. Every time I see one, I can almost hear Neil Diamond singing.There were a lot of lobsters here.This guy cruised so close to me that he flinched when my strobe flashed. Take that, Mr Apex Predator.I bet that fuzzy yellow coral loves them bloodworms.Honeycomb Cowfish. The unique pattern attracts bees, which are this guy’s favorite food.Another lionfish. We only saw 2 or three of these on each dive.Here’s a picture of David behind a squirelfish. These big-eyed guys are on every coral head. I’m going to make a point of taking at least one picture of these every day.Black Jack – These guys are scarier than sharks OR barracudas in my book.
Day 2
Logan stalking an escaping sharkHannah using her flashlight to signal a reef shark to come closer.Sharky-looking, right?Some of the sharks got pretty close on the night dive.One of many, many sharks on a night dive.Vacent conch shellA trumpet fish stalking the bottomA Moray eel with a very pretty dorsal fin.A grouper getting a dental cleaning.Today’s squirellfish, with his fin all popped up.Evelyn and Hannah with the sleeping Mom and Baby SharkI got that song stuck in my head.There were a ton of lobsters around this time.I don’t know what this coral is called, but it looks coolThis octopus was out for a swim.Look at teh eye on that cowfishAnother Spotted Drum. Or maybe the same one.A French Angelfish. If you say it with the right accent, it sounds dirty. So don’t do that.I like the way this guy’s scales reflect my strobe.I know, moody, right?I just wanted a picture of the Spotted Drum. I didn’t realize the squirellfish was photo bombing.Snapper!Big ol’ lobsterCoral and Sponge, providing another inspiring example of coexistence and tolerance. We can learn a lot from immobile invertabrates.
Day 3
Four blue fish and no red fish. In your face, Geisel.Today’s squirellfish, with lowered dorsal fin.A conch shell full of hermit crabs. I didn’t know they did that.Another fan worm that let me get close before he slammed shut.This spotted moray was pretty shy.The lobsters were numerous, and they seemed generally pissed off.A resting turtleI got fairly close to this jawfish.Grunts like to hang out at the grouper’s place, because he gets all the new video games.The elusive Rock Beauty.Sure, there’s a striped grunt, but I just liked the little swim-through that he was exploring.David surveying a large field of toppled coral and sponges – most likely the work of extra-terrestrial visitors collecting specimens for their space-zoo.
Day 4
This guy looks like he’s already on the plate.Conch trail…Evelyn with a new friendOne of those tiny cleaner shrimpToday’s squirrelfishA big file fish with bright blue spots.I’m pretty sure this is the biggest puffer fish I’ve ever seen.The giant puffer fish learns the hard way that you don’t mess with the Dread Pirate DavidSomebody’s been chewing on the sponges again. My guess is a turtle.This tough guy was giving me the old Stare-Into-Your-Eyes-While_He-Wiggles-His_Antennas-In_Your-Face treatment. Real tough guy.
Day 5
Probably the most photogenic turtle I’ve ever seen. He was swimming around the THUNDERDOME! at night.A shy spotted moray. This is as far as he poked his neck out.Lionfish – We all hate ’em, but we still take pictures of them. Am I right?A flounder doign his best to disappear.Another Big Eyed squirrel fish.Nic emerging from under the Thunderdome. Wait, I mean THUNDERDOME!These worms usually snap into their tubes long before I get close enough to get a decent picture.A sea pearl, AKA Pirate’s eyeball.A mess of grunts under the THUNDERDOME!David flying in the Superman suit he borrowed from the crew for our superhero dive. I kept thinking of Superhero Burger – the best burger joint in Trondheim.Another slow worm.One of those glowing blue shrimp that clean the insides of fish’s mouths.It’s a coral nursery, but at night it takes on a creepy blair-witchy kind of vibe.One of those fish that sit on rocksAn anenome in a sponge on coral. Stationary animal trifecta!More THUNDERDOME! grunts hanging around.This spotted eel squeezed out from under the THUNDERDOME! and then swam around using my light to find fish. He struck at a few, but I never saw him get one.
