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More from my “Bugs of Indonesian New Guinea” day: I’ve seen orb weaver spiders in rainforests across the world. This one is near the top for its eye-catching markings. Photographed last month in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
When Deb and I traveled to all seven continents for my first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, I spent time with a professional photographer/scientist in the Amazon Rainforest. His default name for any bug he didn’t immediately recognize was to call it a “katydid.” With him in mind, I’m continuing my […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4904: Today’s theme is “The Bugs of Indonesian New Guinea.” We’ll start with this beautiful dragonfly and move on to the strange and the creepy later in the day. Photographed last month in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
No matter what kind of device you are viewing this crab on, you are seeing it at much larger than real life. Found in a hole of a large volcanic rock at the edge of the ocean, this crab is no larger than the tip of your index finger. Photographed last month in the Raja […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4903: The bright colors of checkerboard wrasses made them stand out—even among all the other colorful fish on the reef. Photographed last month in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
If you’ve read my book, Hits, Heathens, and Hippos: Stories from an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer, you know my history of not getting along with water. It goes back to a cigar-smoking childhood swimming teacher I had when I was about ten. His methods included holding the heads of his students under the water. To […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4902: Our accommodations at the tiny two-bungalow Raja Ampat Eco Lodge were quite wonderful. However, squeamish people might object to the open design that allowed rainforest visitors inside. During our five-day stay, Deb and I rescued nine land crabs that sneaked into the bathroom through a drainage pipe. Some, like […]
What would a tropical adventure be without a snake story and photo? One of the reasons Deb and I chose to spend our final five days in Indonesian New Guinea at the tiny Raja Ampat Eco Lodge was because the website promised good herping (searching for reptiles and amphibians). When we spoke with the owner, […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4901: This yellowmargin triggerfish is being cleaned by a variety of wrasses. I watched for several minutes, as the triggerfish turned upside-down and flared its gills to make sure the wrasses cleaned the desired spots. Note the sandperch off to the right side. Photographed in the Raja Ampat region of […]
Deb and I got to swim with bottlenose dolphins last month. Getting up early, we took the dinghy from The Katharina to an area where the dolphins were known to hang out. For most of the time, the dolphins were shy. They sank into the murky water and only surfaced when necessary to breathe (photo […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4900: I love odd-shaped fish that look too awkward to swim. This map pufferfish is among those awkward swimmers. Photographed in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea.
When Deb and I stayed at the tiny two-cabin Raja Ampat Eco Lodge on the island of Waisai (Indonesian New Guinea), one of the recommended hikes was a precipitous and slippery climb through the rainforest to a panorama. Much of the hike had ropes for us to grab, keeping us from bloodying our shins if […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4899: Striped surgeonfish are fast and skittish, making them somewhat difficult to photograph. Their bright colors make it worth the effort. Photographed in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea.
Marty’s photo of the day #4899: In addition to the amazing underwater life in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea, the above water life is pretty cool too. This is an orchid swallowtail butterfly on a peacock flower.
Marty’s photo of the day #4898: The giant clams of the Raja Ampat were absolutely stunning. This is one of my favorites. It’s hard to believe that this is a living thing.
The people of Indonesian New Guinea were among the most friendly I’ve met anywhere in the world. At the beginning of our trip, Deb and I walked the main road in Kaimana (a remote island town of about 17,000) as people on scooters whizzed by. As the only visible white people in town, we were […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4897: The first time I saw one of these in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea, I thought they were a type of angelfish. But they are much bigger, reaching 19 inches across, and quite shy. Later, I learned they are golden spadefish. Usually, I’d only see a single […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4896: You may recognize this as a clownfish, which is just one of many species of anemonefish. The Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea supports the greatest number of fish species in the world, resulting in Deb and I seeing more species of anemonefish than we knew existed. One of […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4895: While in Indonesian New Guinea, Deb and I saw more species of crab than we’d seen anywhere in the world—from the size of a pea to the size of a coconut. Eventually, I’ll post photos of them all. Today I’m featuring one of my favorites: a ghost crab.
Marty’s photo of the day #4894: I’ve loved photography for most of my life but didn’t get into underwater photography until Deb and I spent a week on the Sea of Cortez in 2016. I’ve upgraded my underwater camera three times. Currently I prefer the SeaLife Micro 3.0 for videos and the Olympus Tough TG-7 […]
