Macro After Rainy Week

18/11/2016 (604)

After a week of rain water was quite murky as expected. However, it got much better further off shore and I realised the swell was a much bigger problem for photography. I was not keen to swim much so even did not cross the channel to Goat Island. I spent most of my time under the platforms on the right side of the beach.

Jellyfish were gone, but there were still plenty of small jellies in the water. There were quite good numbers of them for photography, but they were not destroying visibility.

I tried to ignore snappers and focus on small fish instead. One spotty was exceptionally friendly, so was a kelpfish. There were beautifully coloured goatfish on the sandy bottom, unfortunately too shy for a reasonable picture.

I really enjoyed those tiny overhangs under the platforms. It’s almost unbelievable how colourful they are. People looking into water from above water can see only sea weeds and fish. They cannot see all those colourful patterns of encrusting life forms.

It was a very relaxing and pleasant dive, but something bad is happening. Goat Island is a well known marine reserve. No fishing is allowed. Yet I found a hook and a sinker underwater … again.

Spotty above the coarse sand in the shallows. It was the first fish I saw today … stayed with me for at least 15 min. Perhaps for longer, just there were plenty of them among kelp so I was not able to recognise it any longer.

Jelly floating in open water. It seems the time of jellyfish is over, but there are still plenty of these jellies around.

Common white-striped anemone growing from a tiny vertical wall. Its column is so juicy, one would think a refreshing drink can be squeezed out of it. Note the tiny fish in the blurred foreground … that bent shape with two eyes at the end.

Another example of tiny vertical piece of rock covered with colourful patterns of encrusting life forms. The orange shapes are compound tunicates, the pink background is a hard pink coralline algae.

Kelp fish among sea weeds in shallow water. It is a smily face of Ecklonia kelp forest … the shape of its mouth makes its face very cute.