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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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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.
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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).
For what is likely my last post of 2025, here’s an underwater scenic shot of a beautiful reef in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea. That’s a bluespotted ribbontail ray near the center.
Marty’s photo of the day #4925: This is a blackspotted pufferfish. If reincarnation wasn’t another human myth, blackspotted pufferfish would become pugs in their next life. Either that, or pugs would become blackspotted pufferfish. I guess it would depend on the whether the fish or dogs lived good or bad lives. Photographed last month in […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4924: This perfectly placed Christmas tree worm cracked me up. Each coral-dwelling Christmas tree worm has two crowns (trees) that filter water and trap food. What do you see? Is the worm simulating an owl, a snowman, or Elton John? Photographed last month in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New […]
Whether I’m walking in a rainforest or floating over a coral reef, I love seeing unusual creatures that appear to be from another planet. This is a crested nembrotha, which is a type of nudibranch (sea slug). It’s easy to imagine a giant spacefaring version of this nudibranch attacking a red-shirted crewman in an old […]
Looking into the eye of a whale shark, the largest species of fish to ever exist on Earth. Well, sort of. Humans are so small compared to whale sharks that they didn’t even acknowledge our presence. Photographed last month in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea.
Looking down the back of a whale shark, the largest species of fish to ever exist on Earth. Photographed last month in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea.
Marty’s photo of the day #4922: When Deb and I booked ten days sailing on the Katharina, the two main attractions were the possibilities of snorkeling with whale sharks and observing birds-of-paradise. We accomplished the whale shark snorkel early in the trip. The birds-of-paradise took more work. Twice, we went on sweltering rainforest hikes to […]
Even though our ten days sailing the Raja Ampat on the Katharina was an unforgettable experience, one of the best things Deb and I did was extend our New Guinea visit by adding five days at the tiny two-cabin Raja Ampat Eco Lodge. There, the staff took great care of us, and we bonded with […]
During the past ten years, Deb and I have snorkeled in the Sea of Cortez, off the coast of Bonaire, off the coast of Belize, and in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea. Some were organized outings with other snorkelers, and others were on our own. One thing we’ve found is that we enjoy […]
The colors of these two boring giant clams are even brighter than the one I featured for my photo of the day. Photographed last month in the Raja Ampat region of Indonesian New Guinea.
Marty’s photo of the day #4921: More stunning colors from last month’s adventure in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea. This is a boring giant clam. You can see how it got its name. It bored right into the coral.
