7 replies to this topic

[trygon]

This past June my wife, Diane, and I celebrated our thirtieth wedding anniversary by spending a week on Isla Mujeres, Island of Women.  The Isla is small, 4.5 miles north and south by .5 mile east and west, and shaped like the number 7it is 9 miles off the coast of Cancun on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.  The water is very clear ~100 foot visibility and shallow, none of my dives was deeper than 45 feet, most were at 30 feet.  the bottom, like the rest of the Yucatan is composed of limestone and is very flat, the only relief being the large coral heads and ridges that top out around 8 feet above the bottom.  Yes, it is part of North America.

 

There are a lot of fish there.  These are Porkfish, Snappers and Grunts.

 

Blue Chromis

 

Barracuda.  We encountered two groups of 'cudas ranging from 3'-6', this is one of the larger ones.  I'm sorry about this image, I was set up for macro and we found some larger animals on a drift dive; it was fast, like being in the Hiwassee at 45'.

How Loggerhead Turtles are made.  Same drift dive, wrong lens.

This Hawksbill Turtle was asleep under a ledge.

 

Smooth Trunkfish

 

Yellowtail Damselfish, juvi

 

Broadstripe Goby on Star Coral, I think.

 

Fireworm.  Look but don't touch, if you do you'll understand how it got its name.

 

I hope you enjoyed the images.

[Sean Phillips]

Cool pics!

[zooxanthellae]

Awesome pics!
Although I don't doubt your statement "How Loggerhead Turtles are made." Is true, the single pair of prefrontal scutes makes those green sea turtles! (The one on the bottom at least) What camera were you using?

[Isaac Szabo]

Awesome photos! It's a nice change of pace to see some saltwater stuff. I bet that was a fun vacation. Congrats on the anniversary!

[trygon]

Thanks guys.  Zoo, yes you are correct those are Green Turtles.  It's kind of a colloquial thing with me, I grew up calling Greens Loggerheads and I just naturally slip up.  I use an Olympus OMD EM-5 in a Nauticam housing with (2) Ikelite DS-51 strobes and either an Olympus 60mm macro lens, or an Olympus 12-50mm zoom lens with macro capability at 43mm.

[Chasmodes]

Cool pics Bryce, looks like a lot of fun!  I really love the smooth trunkfish picture!  Boxfish, trunkfish and cowfish are amazing creatures with tons of personality!

[Matt DeLaVega]

Wow. Awesome Bryce. Do you have a preference? Salt Vs. fresh? Is one easier to accomplish the quality of photos you want? Seems like salt might be easier. No current, but then there are waves. Also with scuba gear you probably have more time to devote to getting the photo? I suppose water clarity is at least a bit more predictable?

[trygon]

Thanks Matt.  No I really don't have a preference, but I consider freshwater easier in that the current is laminar and somewhat predictable and that I can hold on to and crawl around on the rocks.  In saltwater the currents are very strong at times, one should keep the tide schedule in mind, and if on a coral reef it is considered bad form to grab or even touch anything, except with a single finger push off, as almost everything is covered by something that is alive.  Bouyancy is very important, I try to stay as horizontal and as close to neutral as possible, just using my breathing to rise and fall.  Yes, the payoff can be clarity.  On certain reefs clarity can consistently reach 100' but in other marine environments, like Puget Sound where I was diving this past May the visibility was around 10' or less.

Juvenile Highhat