Marty’s photo of the day #4935: I went through all my identification books and couldn’t find a sea cucumber that matched this one. Eventually, I concluded that it must be a blue variation of the “black tarzan sea cucumber.” But if that’s the case, why not just call it a “blue tarzan sea cucumber”? (Photographed […]
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Month: January 2026
The End of a Rainbow
Marty’s photo of the day #4934: This brown tang has found the end of the rainbow! Above the water, it was a beautiful sunny day. This rainbow was an underwater phenomenon only. (Photographed in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.)
No Colors Today
Marty’s photo of the day #4933: On the day after the ICE murder of Renee Nicole Good, posting a colorful nature photo doesn’t feel right. So instead, I am posting a willie wagtail, the least colorful bird I saw last year in New Guinea.
Coconut Crabs and a Wild Theory
Marty’s photo of the day #4932: This is a coconut crab. Listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN, they are the largest terrestrial arthropods on Earth, reaching a weight of nine pounds. One wild theory for why Amelia Earhart’s body was never found was because it was dragged away and eaten by coconut crabs. […]
These Beauties are Venomous
Marty’s photo of the day #4931: While visiting the Raja Ampat, Deb and I saw multiple species of rabbitfish. The ones in this photo are masked rabbitfish, and, like all rabbitfish, they possess venomous spines in their dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. The venom is painful to humans, but not deadly. Rabbitfish are shy herbivorous […]
Not What I Thought it Was
Marty’s photo of the day #4930: I found this on a wall snorkel. When I photographed it, I thought it was a nudibranch (sea slug). After all, it was less than two inches high. Later, I combed through my identification books and learned it was a robust sea cucumber. (Photographed in the Raja Ampat of […]
Sea Star Day, Pt 4
Marty’s photo of the day #4929-D: Today is sea star day. Here’s the fourth of four. All photographed last November in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
Sea Star Day, Pt 3
Marty’s photo of the day #4929-C: Today is sea star day. Here’s the third of four. All photographed last November in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
Sea Star Day, Pt 2
Marty’s photo of the day #4929-B: Today is sea star day. Here’s the second of four. All photographed last November in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
Sea Star Day, Pt 1
Marty’s photo of the day #4929-A: Today is sea star day. Here’s the first of four. All photographed last November in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
A Photo As Commentary
Marty’s photo of the day #4928: Today’s photo is my social commentary on the latest from President Psychopath. (Photographed in Indonesian New Guinea.)
The Challenge of Underwater Photography
I love the challenge of underwater photography—even when some challenges ultimately fail. I’ve been an above-water wildlife photographer for most of my life, but an underwater photographer for only nine years. Those nine years include about seventy times in the water and three different cameras. Each time, I feel like I’m getting better at my […]
Possibly My Favorite Place On Earth
Marty’s photo of the day #4927: You are looking at what might be my favorite place on Earth. Last November, while sailing on the Katharina in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea, we dropped anchor and took a dinghy to an island with a narrow sandy beach. On the side of the beach to […]
A Clownfish Seems Fitting to Begin the New Year
Marty’s photo of the day #4926: Let’s start this year off with one of my favorite photos from last year’s trip to the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea. This is one of many varieties of anemonefish (also called a clownfish).













