First dive at BHB after a few weeks.

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There have been a couple of weeks since I arrived from Hi and I was dealing with our photo exhibit at The Blue Wild Expo. I was definitely looking forward to get wet. I emailed Linda and Judy to find out viz latest report and late findings. Linda was looking to photograph the Costasiellas and the long horn batfish. Judy and I were in a “whatever” mode. Deb reported 9 Black American seahares the week before and we saw a couple by the swimming area...we still don’t know what is causing so many do die. Linda was lucky to spend 45 minutes with a baby manatee. What a wonderful encounter!!

I photographed an orange skeleton, there were a few duskys with eggs and I shot one with orange eggs. I saw a hermit crab trying to steal a someone else’s shell. I snapped a quick photo (I forgot I can do video) and went to check out a striated froggie. It was in a bad position so I moved on. The highlight of my dive was 3 flounders mating. 2 of them mated first and then a third one joined the couple the second time they mated. What a wonderful behavior to witness. Judy pointed out a supercolorful wrasse that I haven’t seen before. We think it was spawining and shooting up to the surface and maybe we didn’t recognize it because it was wearing mating colors very pretty. I also witnessed a lizardfish manching on something. It was hunting and it ate something before I got there. You can almost see antennas coming out of the mounth. It was ready for another strike when a couple of photographer came 5 ft to close to me and scared the lizardfish away, ruining my chance…It was a “Kovacs” kind of dive: behavior kind of shots. One of my strobes was firing every other shot and must of my images have ugly shadows in the right side so I had to trash them all. I got out a half hour after Judy got out.

Log 529. No computer. 80 AL 12 lbs and ankle weights.

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Photos

Dusky jawfish with eggs
I like the orange eggs very much! They are a few around waiting to hatch...

Hermit crab
trying to steal someone else's home. it was pretty wild I wish I had remember I can use the video mode. Dah

Lizard fish
..with something hanging of the mouth

striated frog fish
…pretty common sighting this time of the year

Comments

[auspicious]

What a sharp photo of the skeleton shrimp! Beautiful, as always. Very jealous about the baby manatee -- have yet to see one of those -- and a baby at that!