Nature's Underwater Gardens

Hey everyone!! Hope this finds you well and enjoying the weekend...some still have a Friday night ahead and some have Saturday starring at them....I can't resist any longer...Katie and I have some favorite dive sites and some of the images I have posted are from those sites but I have not mentioned them....The Duelling Seahorses are from one of the favorites...Orange Canyon is another...but this place, Babylon, is a premier site on the North Wall that is magical....most people access the site via boat but we normally do it as a shore dive...a long kick on the surface, rough entry, but so worth the effort once we descend on the site...Pictured is the cut in the wall, with massive tube sponges and black coral, yeah, the stuff that black jewelry is made of.....with artificial light put on it, black coral actually looks like dead Christmas trees to me, but knowing that it is a living animal just is magnificent!!! Haven't done the site in a while...maybe it's time to head out there again...

aurabest,
john

Hi everyone! I have felt terrible all day....have a miserable cold or something and had to work in a freezing warehouse marking handicrafts all day long! DH is at a meeting, planning the next dive trip, so I thought I'd see what is going on in DG. I went back to look at what I have posted so far, because this last shot of John's is heavenly, and I didn't want to post any repeats....pretty soon I started singing "Under the Sea....under the sea" like Janet! And I feel better! Thank you guys!!! Oh and John, uh...my pleasure.....(they will definately be wonderin now!). I just love that picture!!!!!
Here is some bubble coral for your viewing pleasure.....

Lovely photos John! I only snorkle so I am very impressed with anyone who dives! Keep 'em comming!

Sorry you are feeling poorly Shari - hope you feel well soon, not good to be in airconditioning if you have a cold. We had to run an ac most of the year in Phoenix and I hated it - most people like to have it on artic temps. A hot rum toddy might make you feel better!

Jenny

Boy - that sounds good! I may just have one! I am going to finish up some paperwork, and then curl up and sniff while watching Grey's Anatomy. I had a ton of compost delivered this am, so that's what I'll be working with tomorrow....tonight I ain't doin nuttin!

Hey everyone!! Hope the weekend was good for all, and the Father's Day celebrations hasn't left any upset bellies this fine day....we have a public holiday today so no work for me!!! YEAH!!! Have tons of things to do here today, getting ready for Mom flying in tomorrow....big birthday party here next weekend for mom...

we removed a bunch more pandanas yesterday and the yard looks alot bigger today....they were loaded on a truck and replanted somewhere in East End....at least they are not going to the landfill like some of others I have plucked from the ground with the 4 wheel drive....anyway, that's what up here...just checking in....Katie swam the mile sea swim on Saturday, was a good work out and a great turn out this year...546 swimmers and alot of donations for various charities on island...Katie finished ahead of 110 others...not bad for a geezer she says...LOL...hard to compete against 17-18 year olds but she got 'er done!!!

A shot of Katie in a more relaxed state....

aurabest,
john

Do you realize that the coral looks like a hand? In the thumbnail it looks like it is gonna attack Katie. LOL.

Father's Day went well. Ate burnt ribs. LOL.

Hey everyone! Glad to hear that the weekends went well for everyone....uh Pep - burnt ribs? Katie girl....! You ROCK! Show them youngsters what they have to look forward to!! John - methinks your bride is part mermaid! Jenny - thanks for the good thoughts, I'm feeling fine now! Ready to rocknroll! So, what's everyone's pleasure for today?? I will post a pretty pair of racoon butterflyfish....I'm with John....if there is something that someone want's to see, or or the other of us can probably oblige....

That fish reminds me of all the dead racoons I saw on the road yesterday. Very pretty too.

Beautiful Butterfly Fish! We had a long nosed B'Fly Fish in our Aquarium years ago.

the dead racoons were pretty???

mad sick, head no good.

lol

Pepper - you crack me up! They are very pretty - but they remind you of roadkill???????

Hey there Lin!!!! How's by you??

LOL!!! I just reread what I wrote. I meant the fish were pretty and yes they look like racoons and it reminded me we had a lot of dead ones on the roads yesterday. LOL

who wants to see fish, well, uh, makin it???

Nice rebound! Was beginning to worry bout you!

I hate it when I resize for posting here and I lose part of the pic....there were originally two....very pretty together.

JOHN!!!!! THIS IS A FAMILY FORUM!!!!

LOL!!!! John, behave!!! :~p

oh, sorry....but the images are sized small...actually it is an amazing courtship...the window of opportunity to view Hamlets spawning is about 20 minutes...it happens at dusk and at no other time. i have a number of different Hamlet species in their spawning ritual...really quite fascinating....I could bore you with more details like gender and all that but maybe this is not the place....

j

LOL. Actually it sounds interesting but right now I am so tired and numb that my eyes would galze over before I even get half-way thru.

John, you just have too much knowledge in yo' head! Not boring at all, to me anyway. You know I was just pulling your chain, don't cha? Now, don't pull Mr. Sensitive again, or I'll sick my friend Katie on ya! Show Us!

You better listen to her otherwise she might come after you.

Okay.....don't want that to happen....the first pair are my favorite Hamlets as they are the most attractive to me, the Indigo Hamlets...

another view of the Indigo Hamlet pair

Incredible pictures, John! And your timing had to be so exact! Truly amazing my friend!

Thanks Shari!! Yeah, one of the cooler things I have witnessed underwater....okay, this next pair of Hamlets are called "Barred Hamlets" the last one for tonight...tomorrow i will post the "shy" hamlets.....good to catch up kids, have a good night....

I haven't quite got the hang of this "chat room" type of conversation....I have to go get some work done, but I feel like I'm being rude....just walking away from my computer is like walking away from all of you without saying bye....I know that's what's done, but I just feel weird. So, I'm gonna say bye for now....again, marvelous pictures John.

Later everyone!

Voyeurism under the sea ....... ?

Awesome photos! All of them! WOW John. Those last mating fish were exquisite in color and looked so sensuous. Beautiful timing you have there. Thank you so much for sharing your photos.

Janet

ditto Janet. :~)

Good morning! I am glad to see that some of you are enjoying these Hamlet shots. As mentioned, the window for shots is about 20 minutes and the time that they are wrapped around each other is about 1.5 seconds. I don't have all the Hamlet species in their spawn ritual but am working on it....for now, here is the next pair, known as "SHY" hamlets....

have a good day all..look for you kids later....

j

Please tell me National Geograpic or someone is paying you for these amazing shots. Gotta go to work today. See you later.

Christi

I wish I could tell you that....I have been published 11 times but can't quit my day job yet....Competition is tough and I'm not sure how to do it....stay tuned though, you never know...for now I will just keep on shootin'

off to work myself

j

But when you get rich and famous....don't forget we knew you when....
Just breathtaking John what else can I say.

Yep, Shari said it best. lol.

Gosh! They're all so vivid!!!

Janet

I feel funny posting anything after seeing these incredible pictures of John's....but we can't all be photographic genius's. So I guess I'll go ahead and post another of my little pictures. These are Reticulated Dascyllus enjoying life amongst the bubble coral:

Not ever gonna happen..how could I forget all of you. you folks have made my life so pleasant to live....I look forward to seeing each and everyone of you on a daily basis!!!! I am a professional mechanic for a living and can only aspire to get more of my stuff published and out in front of folks....thanks for taking the time for looking at my work...i can promise something new every day, i wont run out of images anytime soon...here is tonight's addition, getting off the voyeurism motif.....hangin' out with mom.....el pollo soon ready.....watchin for y'all

j

Shari, those guys look related to Sargeant Majors or possibly Pirahhnas.....they look about the size of a black crappie....pepper knows what those are...great on the grille with some friends around!!!

you keep on postin kid!!! as said, this is not a contest,,,,just sharing our backyards with each other!!!

j

Both of those are beautiful Shari and John. Shari, don't cut yourself short sweetie. Your photos are stunning. You guys bring the sea to the air and I thank you both. :-) You all really do have an underwater garden! HAHAHAHA

Something I just noticed (slapping my forehead for being so non-observant) Shari's water is green and John's is blue. In the recesses of my mind, I saw Islands and thought you all were close to each other (like neighbors). It's Cowboy that's Shari's neighbor. Right? Speaking of Cowboy, where is that rascal from Texas?

Janet

Shari is located in the South Pacific, off the NorthEast corner of New Zealand...is that right Miss Shari??? I am in the Cayman Islands...situated due south of Cuba, West of Jamaica, and smack dab in the middle of the Western Caribbean....the cruise ship and hurricane path.....google both locations....as far as the different colors in the images..alot has to do with lighting...i shoot with 2 strobes, 16 AA batteries for both.....there is a need to artificially light things underwater as water absorbs so much light in even shallow water.....the color red disappears to the naked eye in 15 feet of water.....

j

Love all the pictures. Too bad we can't take pictures in our lakes around here. lol. Too murky.

Yeah, where did Cowboy disappear to?