Creatures of the Lembeh Strait *notcot in nature , 07:40 On visual inspiration, there is something about the overwhelming sense of calm serenity with nothing but the sound of your own bubbles and the occasional boats overhead… as you just swim about watching the most incredible and mind blowing creatures going about their daily lives all around you… so, on “vacation pictures” ~ here are some of the many (there are hundreds of photos, here’s just a selection of fun ones!) creatures i’ve been encountering diving the Lembeh Strait of Indonesia this week (hiding out at Kungkungan Bay Resort)… and besides the diving creatures, you also get a peek at the large crab i ran into, and the impressive Tuna statue in the center of Bitung (tuna capital of indonesia?)… see it all on the next page! For the whole Kungkungan Bay Resort Lembeh Strait dive-cation series - [The dramatic moon] [Wonderpus vs Mimic Octopus] [Frogfish, Nudibranchs, and more creatures!] Tags: animals - nature - ocean - travel
A Seahorse Inspects a Diver’s Watch Jun 27, 2012 In this remarkable capture, a seahorse checks out a diver’s watch (and own reflection) underwater. Given the clarity of the clouds in the reflection, this was likely taken quite close to the surface. A reverse image search on Tineye and Google did not identify a valid source for this photograph, if you know more please let us know (update: Many thanks to Hoss Cartwright for the help)! - Seahorse is the title given to forty-seven species of marine fish in the genus Hippocampus - They are mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, and prefer to live in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds, estuaries, coral reefs, or mangroves - Seahorses range in size from 0.6 to 14 inches (1.5 – 35.56 cm). [Source: Wikipedia]
U.S. Marine Protected Area Photos Photograph by Paul Chesley The United States' nearly 1,800 marine protected areas contain some of the country's most spectacular reefs, underwater archaeological sites, and most valuable commercial fisheries and tourist diving sites. Ranging in size from less than one square mile (2.6 square kilometers) to over 139,797 square miles (362,073 square kilometers), the sites are located from the Arctic to the South Pacific, from Maine to the Caribbean, and as far west as the Philippine Sea. The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, established in 2009, and covering 95,216 square miles (246,608 square kilometers) of submerged lands, is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. Within and adjacent to the Mariana Archipelago, the monument includes three areas of undersea mud volcanoes, more than 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of the Mariana Trench, and the waters and submerged lands around some of the northern Mariana Islands.
Tourists bask in blue glow of firefly squid 13 Apr 2006 Toyama Bay is the habitat of the world-famous glowing firefly squid, which surface in large numbers every spring in a phenomenon that has been designated a special natural monument. Peak firefly squid season means big catches for fishermen and brisk business for sightseeing boats that provide close-up views of the magical action. Early in the morning, after 3 AM, sightseeing boats depart the Namerikawa fishing port (Namerikawa is also home to the world's only museum dedicated to the firefly squid) in Toyama prefecture, making a short journey to fixed nets located about 1 to 2 km offshore. Toyama Bay's firefly squid fishing season opened on March 1 and is expected to continue until the end of June. [Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun]
Todd Aki Underwater Marvels Flickr Hive Mind is a search engine as well as an experiment in the power of Folksonomies. All thumbnail images come directly from Flickr, none are stored on Flickr Hive Mind. These photos are bound by the copyright and license of their owners, the thumbnail links take to you to the photos (as well as their copyright and license details) within Flickr. Flickr Hive Mind is a data mining tool for the Flickr photography database, allowing search by: tags(keywords); Flickr photography groups; Flickr users, their contacts, and favorites; free text; the Flickr Explore algorithm for interestingness.
10-Year Sea Census Photograph courtesy A. Fifis, IFREMER Its fuzzy, winter-white coat might look at home in the Himalaya, but the yeti crab was discovered skittering around hydrothermal vents about a mile and a half (2.4 kilometers) under the South Pacific off Easter Island (map) in March 2005. The 6-inch (15-centimeter), blind crustacean—officially Kiwa hirsuta— is among the more than 6,000 new species discovered during the Census of Marine Life , a ten-year effort to document all sea life that concluded Monday. (See "Six-hundred-year-Old Worms Among Surprises of Ten-year Sea Survey." ) The project's 500-plus expeditions have also amassed a visual legacy as unique as the organisms uncovered—from which National Geographic News has selected these images as the 13 best of the census. ( Read more about the yeti crab. )
Strange New Fish Found Deep off New Zealand How deep is the ocean, how high am I? How deep is the ocean, how high am I. via : Ghost Room External Stimuli : Hengki Koentjoro, Flickr Stream, Chet Baker Themes : Photography Nodes : cool jazz, gelatinous, Hengki Koentjoro, jellyfish, ocean, underwater Microscopic Sea Creatures By Daily Mail Reporter Updated: 16:31 GMT, 30 September 2010 Bobbing away in the dark depths of the ocean, these tiny creatures display a unique beauty that few get to truly appreciate. And the latest publication by a scientist who studies these microscopic animals is set to become an unlikely bestseller - all thanks to the beauty of plankton. His coffee table book about the amazing life forms that live unseen in the oceans has dozens of remarkable photographs taken through a microscope. Amazing life forms: Dr Richard Kirby's passion for plankton has led to a set of marvellous pictures which feature in his book Ocean Drifters, a secret world beneath the waves like these tiny Jellyfish Hidden beauty: Stunning images of a Horseshoe worm (left) and a Moon Jellyfish The book also points out that without the miniature creatures we would have no fish, oil, gas or clouds, and the sea would lose its distinctive smell. Tiny creatures: Images of Sea Angels (left) and Acantharea
lion fish amung silver Meet the world’s only immortal animal Email If you’re thinking McLeod, you couldn’t be further from the truth. What you have to do is think small; not microscopic, just big enough to see with your naked eye. Turritopsis nutricula is a hydrozoan, and it’s considered by scientists to be the only animal that cheated death. Solitary organisms are (according to current belief) doomed to die, after they completed their life cycle. But Hydrozoa don’t live by normal rules. Still, our Turritopsis nutricula (can I call it Joe?) They’re able to return to polyp stage due to a cell change in the external screen (Exumbrella), which allows them to bypass death.
New Week Nudibranch! - Blue Dragon image credit: redbubble.com image credit: nectonsub.com.br image credit: the doubtful guest image credit: | Dan | image credit: redbubble.comHabitat: around the world in temperate and tropical waters I’ve decided to start a tradition that every Monday I will post a new species of nudibranch. This particular one I’ve chosen to feature is commonly known as a Blue Dragon nudibranch. So what do you think? edit: reader Gabriele has pointed out another common name for this nudibranch – the Sea Swallow! Be sure to check out the Home page for more crazy creatures!