Spinner Dolphin Close Encounter

A close swim by from a pod of spinner dolphins. I liked this picture because it seems all four dolphins are looking right at me. It is incredible to be in the water with such beautiful and intelligent animals.

Spanish Dancer Nudibranch Portrait

A spanish dancer nudibranch (Hexabranchus sanguineus), gracefully undulates through the nighttime water off one of Maui's coastal reefs. This nudibranch has two very different modes of locomotion: crawling and swimming. When it crawls, the wide edges of the mantle are rolled up close to the body. When the animal swims however, the red edges unfurl, and are whirled through the water in a spectacular undulating motion, propelling the animal forwards.

First Cathedrals Dive, Lanai, HI

Scuba diving inside the famous First Cathedral off the coast off Lana'i

Dwarf Moray Eel

     Moray eels are one of my favorite fish to photograph. There are many different species out here in Hawaii ranging from 6 foot Giant Morays to tiny 6 inch Dwarf Moray Eels like the one pictured here. Notoriously shy these little eels will peer out of their protected crevices until you get to close then disappear completely. Most of the bigger eels will retract only a little, leaving their head sticking out. I was lucky enough to get a picture of this little guy right before he zipped backwards into his crevice, not to be seen again.

Reef Lighting

One of the toughest things for an underwater photographer is lighting. Especially if you are taking a picture of a wide area, such as  a landscape shot like this one. The farther down you go the more light you lose. Not only do you lose general light, but colors are absorbed and disappear as you swim deeper as well. You start losing your reds and oranges, then your yellow, the green, and finally blue. This is why the deep ocean looks so blue, because it is the last color absorbed by the water.
This is why photographers flock to clear water settings like Hawaii and hope for sunny days. The sun rays can be seen filtering down through the water and hitting the reef here at the same time as a dark shadow is cast by the vertical rock cliff to the right of the photo area. Having a good model scuba diver can also add a lot to your reef scape image.

This photo was taken at Black Rock in Kaanapali, Maui.

Scuba Diver in Underwater Canyon

A scuba diver drifts through an underwater canyon at a North shore Maui dive site. The North shore holds some great secrets for the intrepid scuba diver adventurer. Amazing topography, different substrate, and rarely seen marine life are just some of the reasons to explore lesser known sites. This is why you will find the true underwater explorer waiting for the big winter swells to die down for those rare calm days like this one.

Commerson's Frogfish

 A rare glimpse at a Commerson's Frogfish (Antennarius commerson) at Wailea Point, Maui. These fish are masters of camouflage and ambush. The have the ability to change their color over a period of days. Frogfish have a tiny lure, or esca, which attracts small fish close enough to be gobbled up. Shipwrecks are a great place to spot frogfish, although they are probably at many sites and just overlooked.

Shark Vision

When holding your breath, diving into a cave, and staying long enough for your eyes to adjust, a sight like this can make you skip a beat. Fortunately I was hoping to see a shark when I dove into this cave. It is a white tip reef shark at one of the many caves at 5 Graves, aka. Turtle Town, in Makena, Maui.
Being in the water with a shark is a magical experience that is becoming rarer and rarer. If you are afraid of sharks then take the time to really find out the truth behind shark attacks. You are more likely to be hit by lightning...twice.

Day Octopus, Octopus cyanea

The day octopus, Octopus cyanea, is a common octopus found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, of eastern Africa and the Red Sea to the Hawaiian Islands. This octopus excavates lairs in coral reefs and rubble fields which can be located by identifying "middens" outside the lair entrance which are typically the empty shells of bivalves and crabs which it has preyed upon.

Due to their hunting during daylight hours the day octopus has extremely effective camouflage ability. It can change the color and texture of its skin almost instantly by sending nerve impulses from its complex brain to its muscles. One was seen to change color over 1000 times during a 7 hour perious by biologist Roger Hanlan. 

One of my favorite sea creature, the octopus defies the imagination with its fantastic color changing, ability to squeeze through tiny cracks seemingly only big enough for its arm, vanishing in a cloud of ink, and eery intelligence rivaling some birds and mammals.

This day octopus stared me down until I finally moved on about 20ft deep at 5 Graves, Makena, Maui.