Imagine . . .
. . . going out into your backyard on a very dark night with a flashlight mounted to your camera and trying to photograph a lightning bug. That is vaguely like black water diving photography. Often times I don’t even know what I photographed until I look at it on the computer screen. And, it is highly addictive. The challenge and the opportunity to see critters stranger than any alien in a Spielberg movie keep me coming back for more.
This beauty is the larval stage of a Wrasse Basslet (Liopropoma eukrines). The fish is about ¾” long. The streamers stretch for several inches (extending well beyond the frame here). Friday night was the first time I have ever seen this one. If you would like to see what this fish looks like when it grows up, click here.
This week I was able to fit in two black water dives and a dive at Blue Heron Bridge. As you can guess, that made for a lot of underwater photos. Here are my favorites from the week. For those who like the details:
Black water #1: Drifted 7.8 miles over depths from 730 ft to 704 ft.
Black water #2: Drifted 4.8 miles over depth from 508 ft to 592 ft.
Remember, you can click on an image to view it full screen.
