I had never dived Nelson Bay before last weekend and as we geared up in the dark at Fly Point for the high tide dive I was acutely aware that I really should dive here in the daylight first. The moment we submerged though I caught sight of my first nudibranch for the dive, then […]
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Small and White, Clean and Bright
Nestled deep in the fold of a moss covered tree I discovered this tiny little gem of a mushroom. I was out photographing wide landscapes so the last thing on my mind was a tiny little thing the size of my fingernail. Small and white, clean and bright, I’m sure it looked happy to see […]
Read MoreThe Scallop’s Eyes
The iridescent blue eyes of the Doughboy Scallop, (Mimachlamys asperrima), are little optical marvels. They are in fact more like tiny Schmidt telescopes than conventional eyeballs. The back surface of the scallop’s eye is like a mirror which reflects the incoming light back towards the lens opening. The light sensitive cells of the retina are […]
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This Leafy Seadragon headshot was taken during a recent daytime dive at Rapid Bay. This is another example of extreme separation normally associated with a night shot but instead done through strong strobes and removal of the blue luminance. I expect he’ll be wearing dark sunglasses next time I return. Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Headshot’, 1/200s […]
Read MoreBlue-Ringed Denizen
The Blue-Ringed Octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa, has one of the deadliest toxins of all sea creatures! Its venomous bite can easily kill a human despite its diminutive size of less than 12cm. Fortunately human deaths are very rare as long as effective treatment is close at hand. Edithburgh has a large population of these fascinating critters […]
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