This week’s photo, a blue Christmas Tree Worm, Spirobranchus giganteus, was taken during a recent trip to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. These beautiful worms appear in a host of colours including reds, yellows, pinks and white. Normally the only visible part are the tentacles, which are used for feeding and respiration. When you get too close the tentacles are retracted and an ‘operculum’ closes the opening. These worms live in a calcerous tube that can be buried in coral or visible on rock.It looks like you will see a host of PNG photos over the next few weeks as I go though my collection so look forward to more tropical beasties. I will jump back into our 12 degree water and take a few more locals just to keep things balanced!
Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂
This week’s photo, a Porcelain Anemone Crab Neopetrolisthes ohshimai, was taken last week during a trip to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea ( are you green with envy yet! 😉 ). This beautiful crab is actually an imposter, not a true crab but a close relative to the lobster. Like the Clownfish, this crab has developed an immunity to anemone stings and is usually found within the stinging tentacles of a number of anemone species.
This week’s photo, a Mosaic Leatherjacket, was taken last time I was in Edithburgh (yes I spend a lot of time there!). This beautiful fish is so amusing believing for all the world that no one can see it!
This week’s photo, an Ornate Cowfish, was taken today at yet again my favourite shore dive, Edithburgh Jetty. Aracana ornata, inhabits shallow protected waters of the Eastern Indian Ocean including Australian waters from Western Australia to Western Victoria and Tasmania. When feeding, they often blow a jet of water out of their mouths into the sediment to uncover hidden prey.
This week’s photo, Sabella spallanzanii, commonly known as the European Fan Worm, was taken yesterday on the wreck of “The Norma” off of North Haven. This animal is an invader to Australian waters! First found here in 1965 in Albany Harbour in WA, it is now a wide spread pest throughout Australia’s southern coastal waters.
So, armed with frustration and the desire to FIX IT FOR GOOD, I set off to my local auto spares shop and began sizing up the alternatives. Thanks to patient but bewildered shop staff who helped me try successively bigger and bigger batteries I finally found one that nearly filled up all the empty space under the bonnet. Shaking their heads in disbelief I headed home with an Exide PDIN66, nearly double the previous battery in all aspects! Aside from a little bit of battery terminal re-engineering the new battery fit like the proverbial glove.
This week’s photo, a simple jetty pylon, was taken last month again at my favourite shore dive, Edithburgh Jetty. You can easily spend an entire dive here just on a single jetty pylon. Countless varieties of ascidians, algeas, hard corals, soft corals, crabs, shrimp, scallops, fish and even the odd black cowrie will reward your patience and observation skills. A perfect opportunity for macro photography!
This week’s photo of the week, a Horned Blenny, was taken this last Saturday at my favorite shore dive, Edithburgh Jetty. The water was a chilly 11 degrees but this little fellow made it all worthwhile. After an hour and a half in a wetsuit I was looking forward to a warm shower and a good thaw but this little guy had other ideas.