Dry day

As our diving season is over, it's time to dry off and head back home.  We head off to Flamingo Airport in the morning, about the time the local parrots start flying around.

A flamingo

A parrot (yellow-shouldered, I think)

A parakeet (brown-throated, I think)

It's always a joy to bird watch and fish watch at the same time.

Aloha!

Last dive of the season

Our eight weeks of diving have come to an end.  Today I'm posting a couple of fish that we have encountered both on dives and while snorkeling, and probably the same individuals, because both are listed as occasional or rare sightings in the southern Caribbean.

The first fish is the porkfish.  It belongs to the grunt family.  This fish was about 8 inches long.  The diagonal black bands on its head are characteristic markings, and make it easy to identify from quite a distance.  The photos were taken at depths of 20 to 30 feet.

Heading left

Heading right

The second fish is the web burrfish.  It is a member of the porcupinefish family.  It's spines are always erect.  This fish was about 7 inches long, and the photos were taken at a depth of about 35 feet.

Facing left

Heading to lower right

Facing right

Thanks to all the reef fish and creatures for the many photo opportunities that they have afforded me.

Be well!

Whitespotted filefish

From the name, one might expect that all whitespotted filefish have white spots.  But of course, one would be wrong.  This species has an orange phase, where the white spots are not visible.  We frequently encounter these charming fish on our dives.  They aren't shy, and sometimes approach us.  On the reef, they often swim in pairs.  Within a pair, each fish has a different color phase.

This species reach about 18 inches, but the individuals in these photos were 12 to 14 inches long.  These photos were taken at depths of 30 to 45 feet.

Orange phase, but with white spots still partly visible

Whitespotted phase

Orange phase, with a curved file on its forehead

Whitespotted phase

The orangespotted filefish is a smaller relative of the whitespotted filefish.  This one was about 7 inches long, and the photos were taken at a depth of about 25 feet.

Orangespotted filefish, with its file erect

With the file folded down

Red fish with big eyes

Our Reef Fish Identification guide is organized by descriptors rather than family, as most people recognize color and shape long before they learn taxonomic groups.  This way, more people can figure out what they have seen.  One such group is Reddish/Big Eyes.  Interestingly, the fish in this group share more than color and eye size, they all actively feed at night.  Most of these fish spend the day in reef recesses.  Their big eyes help them find prey at very low light levels.

These photos were taken at depths of 30 to 45 feet.  The fish were about 6 to 8 inches long.

Glasseye snapper, note the size of the lens on the eye

Another view of glasseye snapper (which is not actually a snapper, but a bigeye)

Longspine squirrelfish

Blackbar soldierfish (a squirrelfish)

An exception to the size and depth of the fish above is the flamefish, a small cardinalfish.  It was hanging out in a small patch coral at a depth of about 12 feet.  The flamefish was only about 3 inches long. But it feeds at night like all the bigger fish, above.

Fish of the day (but please don't eat it)

Rarely, we encounter ocean triggerfish on our dives.  They are graceful swimmers, that propel themselves principally using their large dorsal and ventral fins.  They are rather shy, and keep their distance from divers.  It is always a pleasure to see them.  This morning, one approached us, then continued on.

These photos were taken at a depth of about 30 feet.  The triggerfish was about 16 inches long.

Approaching

Closest encounter

Moving on