Great pics John! Welcome back!!!! So good to see you! We always enjoy your lovely work! You are so very talented! You keep us inspired!!!!
UNDERWATER GARDENS, NO. 7
Thank You, it is good to be back as well...I missed you folks...had to take a break though...This has been a great time so far and it looked as the u/w thread was failing. We've come too far to let that happen...and we wont!
Juvenile Spotted Drum
the coloring reminds me of a skunk. lol
Cool looking fish, haven't seen anything like that here, and the sea horse looks like it's been knitted from yarn! Looked as if you were almost in the middle of the silversides fish ball...
Glad to hear your thumb is getting better, are you back to your daily dives now?
Good morning! The drum does sort of remind one of a skunk, Pepper. I happen to think skunks are beautiful just never thought of there being a counterpart under the sea. Glad you are feeling better, John. We have missed you a lot.
Christi
Not back to diving on a daily basis but will start this weekend....I should have mentioned, the spotted drum will get white spots as it matures.....the dorsal fin will end up much shorter as the fish grows into it...and it starts to stand up....tonight i will try to post a HighHat...similar to a drum but has horizontal lines through the eyes instead of diagonal ones like the drum has....i will try to post a picture of the spotted drum as a juvenile, teenager, and adult and you can plainly see it's growth and maturing take place...
aurabest,
john
Can not tell you enough times how much you have been missed. I love, love, the opportunity to learn about the sea. Looking forward to more *lessons*.
good evening all...
hopefully the shopping is done for all the big celebration dinners and gatherings tomorrow....i hope you all have fun and share fun times....just another day for us in paradise....not a holiday here at all...ours soon come...anyway, as promised, the highhats and spotted drums from juvies to adults...the drums anyway...i have never seen a full grown high hat to know what they look like....it seems this thread is down to only a handful of folks....oh well....at least a few are interested in more than just the pictures.....
will post starting with juvenile high hat...note the stripe is horizontal with the eye as compared to the drum which has diagonal stripes through the eye....
another view of a juvy high hat
the teenager version of a spotted drum...notice the dorsal fin standing up a bit more and spots starting to develope....
and lastly, a full grown Spotted Drum....
there ya go...as promised Christi!! enjoy.....hope this "splains" it for ya!!
That is neat seeing it thru the different stages like that. It helped that you pointed out what was different in each pic too.
incredible
Fantastic! Keep 'em coming!!!!!!!!!
Great photos John. Thanks for the Xplanashun! It was like watching that fish grow up. :-)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Janet
Thanks Janet!! I just got to work and getting started....I hope the same for a Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it!!
john
I can always find something to be thankful for. :-)
Thanks for reviving the underwater show. I've always enjoyed it. Hope it continues for a long time.
Janet
Good Morning. It is indeed a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We plan to expand it over the entire weekend. May everyone be safe in their travels. John, I'm thankful you have a job. hahahaha These days that is definitely a blessing.
Love each and every one of you. I second the motion, Janet. John IS the underwater show.
Christi
no i'm not! don't say that....everyone that contributes here is the show!! Now, have some more pie and watch the game would ya? Wish I was doing that.....Doing a brake job on a truck right now....beautiful day though....84 degrees, slight breeze, sunny skies....ahhhhhhhhh Thanksgiving!
37 here this morning. dropped from 79 yesterday at 4pm. high winds makes it feel even colder. Have a good time diving this weekend. Hug Katie for us.
It's a little warmer here, but chilly.....Everything's on schedule! We're having a late evening meal since some have to go elsewhere as well. But that gives me time to get prepared....got to go baste the turkey, etc.!
Y'all keep up the good work! Love all of the pics! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Catch ya later this evening!!!!!!!
Jeanne
Just got in myself....did some yard chores....Katie has just gotten home...another night in paradise....a cold beer and a glass of wine for the Miss..2 day sauce on the stove heating up....I am thankful for 2 day sauce spaghetti and all of my mates on Daves Garden....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Okay, enough of the holiday stuff, let's get back to the underwater forum already....y'all know me...once the thread strays off topic...I tend to give up on it....why not start another thread with the off topic subject and let it rip!!!
For tonight, a brown phase coney.....sorry it's small...may be the size of the future....
Mixing business with pleasure is what we do best, no mon? Our turkey dinner is tomorrow and it feels kind of weird.
Now this is a fish with real style. Brown and blue are always great together.
....and these designers think they are the ones that develop color combinations. They could never come close to the beauties under the sea. not going to thank you anymore because it is beginning to sound redundant. You know we all appreciate it and cannot believe our good fortune in having such a talented and generous friend. How do you know what all of these creatures are? Which comes first? The photo or the knowledge of the fish?
after 1300 dives and constant research on the days' photos in some great books, just remember what stuff is..if I shoot or see something that I don't know, I come right home and research it until I know for sure what it is.....The Reef Collection Set is a 3 book set that covers Florida/Caribbean Reef Fish, Creatures, and Corals....the author is renowned marine biologist and photographer Paul Humann, edited by Ned Deloach...a great resource guide and quality images...gives habitat, size, reaction to divers, etc....just a wealth of information to be absorbed....after wearing the page numbers off the set, I tend to recognise stuff....admitting that I need some work on my corals.....more like gardening than fish are....Now that I have you attention class....I have to get back in the water and shoot!!!
j
You are soooooo good.
Christi
The research would be really interesting!!!! Sounds like a great resource! Thanks for the info! And as usual a terrific shot!
Hey all...I can't help but notice that this thread is dwindling....I guess I can blame myself for being away for so long....It started out on a good note and continued for a while...now, it seems, even the thread starter has lost interest...I will close this from here....see you kids on another thread sometime....have a good weekend
Hey, hey, hey. Come back here. Come back here. some had Thanksgiving get-togethers yesterday, others today...as we did. Haven't been home very long. 150 mile round trip today. Pretty tired. took all the fixins. I know it is business as usual on cay-man but it is a long weekend holiday here. Lots of people traveling and not even thinking of the pc. I know of some of my neighbors are having their celebration tomorrow. Too hard to try and accomodate all the in-law and out-laws that it can't be done in one day.
Hi, everyone.
I have been extremely busy lately. I am studying very hard to pass my Florida real estate license. Between that, running the household, condo administration meetings, Thanksgiving, the car that needed scheduled maintenance, my father who wrecked his car, health issues for me and fighting a seemingly never-ending battle with the good people at Immigration , there hasn't been much time to do anything.
I would love to post underwater pictures but please don't look to me for underwater photos. I ran out of them just after I started this thread. I still enjoy looking at the pictures posted by others. The underwater world is fascinating to me but photowise, my well done run dry.
Sylvain.
Okay Okay! Sylvain, so sorry to hear all your trials that are stiffling your routine. Sounds like you have a rough time right now....I wish you the best and get on the mend soon....I can relate to immigration problems....hoop jumping....
I forgot it was Thanksgiving, sorry....I just miss everyone and when I see action on the other threads and not this one, I think the interest has gone and it's time to move on....have a good weekend all
Speaking of rough, here we have a rough file clam....also known as a flaming scallop
That last picture is superb! I kept one of those in my saltwater tank for a long time. It "swam" around once in a while by closing its shell rapidly, expelling water and creating enough force to briefly get it off the coral sand and into the water column.
Sylvain
I have seen that in the wild....they remind me of the pac man muncher things....they move incredibly fast too.....
good to see you posting here again!!
back to work for me.....til noon..then going for a dive!!!YEAY!!
You're just too good to be true. Thank's for the clam.
sylvain, sorryto hear you are having health problems. Will pray that it is minor and can be easily managed. Of course, one of those things that drives me crazy about immigration...oops can't say that. political. sorry.
I have assumed from your many posts you and the Mrs. are French/Canadian and your sign on name is French for Polar Bear. Correct? I loved the Polar Bear story. Perhaps you could repeat it here so those that didn't catch it on the other thread could more fully know you. That's what this is all about.
John, I am too spoiled. Cannot go without the under the sea experience ever again. You do NOT have my permission to leave. Excited about your dive! I know that will perk you up like nothing else.
chou
Kilikina
Yes Ma'am. I understand. What was I thinking...I will continue to post and wrangle the lurkers back in...somehow.....
Yeah, can't wait for tomorrow to dive so I am going this afternoon after work, sans camera....water was like glass on the West side coming in this morning and air temp is 85....water temp is still 82 so it will be most enjoyable....
caio
Sounds like Paradise to me. Here it is 37 and raining. Winter is in bloom. Worrying about my tropicals. Have a good time and think about all us in the grips of winter for the next few months.
LouC
We've had rain ALL day! If it keeps up, my whole garden will be underwater!!!!!!
Great pics John! Keep 'em coming!
Hey gang...sorry to hear that the cold rains are invading you...we had rain here too although it's not cold....the dive was great....like riding a bike, still can dive with the same weight as before surgery inspite of the fact that I'm a heffer right now....dive cut short due to inexperienced buddy...consumes more air....the first one out wins.....for the record, 2 hawksbill turtles, anemones, the Atlantis Submarine cruised by, 1 cruise ship in today???,,,unusual for a Saturday....came across the BEEG pond I think....the mermaid....lots of cool stuff in a less than an hour dive...gearing up for tomorrow....2 tank in the a.m. no camera yet...(too many on board tomorrow and a pile of newbies=not good for camera gear). Anyway, glad to be back in the water and it's like I never left...like riding a bike me guess....tell me if this is unimportant....not thread worthy really but at least it's a post here.....THINK TIBURON!
j
Oh crap! Long post and decided to look at the picture once more before I hit send. Lost it. Oh well. Of course it is important how the dive went. Maybe good thing it was cut short so you don't injure your hand. Let us know how it goes tomorrow. have a good time.
Christi
Maybe not so many cruise around Thanks-Giving. More of a family day than even Christmas. Cruise ship in the Antartic sunk today. No one lost.
I saw that.....the hole was only the size of a fist!!! can you imagine? took a while but once the water breaches the hull, it's normally a gonner.....thank GOD for the alert crew and rescue folks to save all souls on board....that water is way too cold for this island bwai!@///
No worries with the thumb....don't use them during a dive!!! yeah, I believe the cruise ship in today was from Europe cause I didn't understand anything anyone around was saying....
need some rest now....have a good nite friends...look for you tomorrow...
j