Blog Log: 21 January 2007

Our first dive of the year! Sorry this took awhile, but I sometimes have to battle with technology - my previous card reader died on me and I had to run out and get a new one! It's a great relief to finally get these pix from the dive out to you. I'm sure those who joined us that weekend have been eagerly anticipating these pictures to be loaded! So as a little bonus, I'm giving you a little more than pictures...

The day began on a rather average note. The currents were on a roll so the crinoids were out to take advantage of that... some really large crinoids too might I add!

A five-lined cardinalfish scuttles along quickly trying to avoid my flash but I managed to get it! A rather large cardinalfish too might I add! They're usually small, about 5cm, but this one was twice as large possibly! (And that's AFTER the 25% refraction considered!)

I busied myself photographing the elegant tentacles of Goniopora coral...

The silent lives of Phyllidia sea slugs that can be often found on our reef (this was particularly small in contrast, we usually have them much larger on our reefs!)...


The intricate feeding appendages of the tube worms on the reef... I was so transfixed by their grace that I actually shot it on video!



Then one of the divers tugged at my fin. I was annoyed at first. "What could it possibly be that disrupts my filming a bunch of worms?!" I turn down to look and rolled my eyes discreetly, "I had my fin tugged for a flatworm?" So I thought, "What the heck!" I'll get a picture of it anyway. It would've been the first flatworm of the day. Peering through the silt and murky waters, I tried to focus my eyes on the creature as I raised my camera and got ready to fire. When I hit the record button, this is what I caught...



That was a juvenile Long-finned Batfish. Hantu ALWAYS is packed with surprises... She never disappoints! Here's another closer look at the rare and seemingly delicate creature.