30 May 2021 | Sawmill Point Marina, Wilmington NC, USA
24 May 2021 | Wilmington Marine Center, USA
23 February 2021 | Cape Fear Yachts
20 December 2020 | Cape Fear Yachts
11 December 2020 | Cape Fear Yachts
09 September 2020 | Wilmington Port, USA
09 September 2020 | Wilmington Port, USA
05 February 2017 | Pte Miri Miri, Raiatea, French Polynesia
05 February 2017 | Raiatea Lagoon, French Polynesia
05 February 2017 | South end of Raiatea
01 February 2017 | Baie Vaiaeho, Raiatea, French Polynesia
01 February 2017 | Baie Vaiaeho, Raiatea, French Polynesia
31 January 2017 | West Side of Raiatea
31 January 2017 | West Side of Raiatea, French Polynesia
31 January 2017 | West side of Raiatea
30 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
30 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
28 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
27 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Lion Fish again
08 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
bill
OK a better photo. And you can see the shirmp that are to the right? That is what this guy likes to eat.
We have watch this hatch of shrimp... first there were 100s of them... eventually they were all eaten. The Lionfish ate a lot... and there were a school of tiny jacks (3" long) that would come through the marina in the evenings. As a pack of wolves, one of them would go in behind the shrimp and scare them into open water, where the other attacked... Something right out of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
Leaf Fish
08 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill
Actually it is a Juvenile Obiculated Bat fish.
Again, I know this is a terrible photo... We were so stunned that we didn't think to take a photo until too late.
Isobel called us up to the bow with an excited tone. When we got there, we thought that she was pulling our leg as there appeared to be a leaf drifting around the mooring line... If you YouTube Juvenile Obiculated Bat fish you will see that it mimics a leaf. totally crazy and wonderful camouflage. It is thin as a leaf and the movements make it look like a leaf drifting in the water....
Clearfin Lionfish
06 January 2017 | Apooiti Marina, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill
I know, this is not a great photo... taken with my iPhone... but what the heck.
I swear that people who make movies about SciFi outer space creatures take them all from the sea...
Lionfish are territorial... so this guy hangs out near the stern of our boat (I know, I will try to get a better photo!). He is not there all the time, but often.
The "feathers" on the lionfish are poisonous barbs. They are endemic to the Pacific ocean and have been carried in the bilges of ships to the Atlantic Ocean where they are an Invasive Species as they have no predators there.... I'm not sure who their predators are here....
Shark!!
30 October 2016 | Pass at the NE corner of Raiatea, French Polynesia.
Bill
Now this is our kind of dive. (Did I say that, without as much teaching to do, Lara and I have some time to do some other things...)
In the pass coming into Uturoa, when the curernt is in, the visability is 100'+ and there are lots of fish... of all sizes. I had forgotten the cord for the flash, so thus everything is blue... maybe a good effect. Can you tell this is a Black tipped Reef Shark... this is the common shark here, so common in fact, it doesn't even evoke a widening of Lara's eyes. Yes, really! We also saw lots of Tuna...
A weekend off
15 October 2016 | SW corner of Tahaa
Bill
We are now like most of the western world with weekends off now... we left the marina for a couple days at our favorite anchorage off the west side of Tahaa. Isobel has a second breakfast as we ghost along under the Code Zero poled out... across the flat water.
Yes, that is Bora Bora in the distance... seems clear today even though it is 9 miles away.
We have noticed that the colors are even more brilliant with the sun now almost straight overhead. Can you see the line of light blue water? Those are the sand shallows inside the reef.
The Norby
06 October 2016 | Uturoa, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill
This is not our preferred type of dive. With low visibility and not any fish… and close quarters. It was good to do as something different. We did see Nudibranchs and lots of clams. Being a guided tour, the speed was too fast for us too. We like to pause and look closely at things. This way we get to see things that are normally missed if you rush by. The Dive-master suggested that we were to appreciate the “atmosphere.”
More snorkling
20 August 2016 | Coral Gardens near Tahaa
Photo Credit Bill
What is this blue fish. He was very interested in us... and I must have taken 100 photos of him...
Anenomes and clown fish... Not like finding Nemo
10 August 2016 | Tahaa Coral Gardens
Bill, photo credit Bill
I thought I would throw it out to readers to let me know if they can find this dark blue clown fish with a bright blue spot.
The other day we saw an entire "coral head" that was covered with anemones...
Slugs have feelings too...
26 July 2016 | Coral Garden near the Taha'a Resort
Photo Credit Bill
I just couldn't pass up this guy. We could see him moving on his way... somewhere.... I think he must have spent some serious cash on his designer outfit... maybe to attract a cute little butterfly fish...
The "Coral Gardens"
26 July 2016 | Near The Taha'a Resort
Photo credit Bill
These may have been known for their coral years ago. The fish are the real attraction today. Increasing sea temperatures and invasives species seems to have hurt the diversity of coral species, and the fish were wonderful. Being a protected spot and part of the Taha'a tour circuit, the fish are definitely clued in that humans=food... so they crowd around impatiently waiting for a hand out...