2. Underwater

Small (macro)

Very small underwater creatures (mostly shown larger than life).
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St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - The christmastree that is commonly seen on a Caribbean reef is actually a filter-feeding tubeworm, and very shy. Though beautiful, it will quickly disappear into its tube if a scuba diver gets too close or stirrs up the water around it. © Rick Collier
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St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - The christmastree that is commonly seen on a Caribbean reef is actually a filter-feeding tubeworm, and very shy. Though beautiful, it will quickly disappear into its tube if a scuba diver gets too close or stirrs up the water around it. © Rick Collier

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  • Neck Crab on coral (macro closeup). This very small crab is actually quite common all over the Caribbean, but can be very hard to notice. A type of "decorator crab," it is a master at camouflage, decorating itself with plants or other small animals to blend in and then remaining motionless and undetected. Taken while scuba diving the "Chasbo's Corner" dive site at Turneffe Atoll, Belize. © Rick Collier
  • Goldface Toby (macro closeup). At only two or three inches long, this very small variety of puffer fish is very common and often seen in and around reefs all over the Caribbean. Since they are very shy, it can be hard to get close enough to see how delicate and beautifully colored they are. Taken while scuba diving the "Sponges" dive site of Roatan, Honduras. © Rick Collier
  • Soft coral branches wave in the current. In closeup (macro) you can see the polyps extended to filter the water. Taken while scuba diving the "Labyrinth" dive site of Roatan, Honduras. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - While scuba diving the Chien Tong shipwreck, I noticed a yellowline arrow crab emerging from a pump hole in the side of the wreck of the sunken ship. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - Two cleaner fish (gobies) wait at their fish cleaning station on top of a brain coral. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - A cleaner fish (gobie) has set up his fish cleaning station on top of a brain coral. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - This type of small puffer fish (Goldface toby) is usually very skittsh and won't let a scuba diver approach. Yet this one didn't move from this spot on the reef no matter how close I got. If you look closely, you can see eggs on the shell directly beneath her. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - A scuba diver can easily miss some of the most common and attractive life forms on a Caribbean reef. I almost missed this banded reef shrimp, sitting underneath a coral outcropping. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - This type of fish is also commonly seen by scuba divers on sandy bottoms in the Caribbean. The yellowhead jawfish appears to "dance" out of his hole in the sandy bottom. If he isn't comfortable, he will quickly retreat tail-first into his hole. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - The christmastree that is commonly seen on a Caribbean reef is actually a filter-feeding tubeworm, and very shy. Though beautiful, it will quickly disappear into its tube if a scuba diver gets too close or stirrs up the water around it. © Rick Collier
  • St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - A large diversity of filter feeders, all on one small rock. Christmastree worms are framed by sponges and soft coral polyps. © Rick Collier
  • Saba Underwater - On any scuba dive in the Caribbean, I always look inside sponges, just to see what is there. Here I found a small fish (goby) and a hermit crab hiding inside. © Rick Collier
  • Saba Underwater - Notice the bulge on the tummy of this lined seahorse. The locals speculate that this male may be carring young. Maybe a future scuba diver will learn for sure. © Rick Collier
  • Saba Underwater - Closeup of a Pederson cleaner shrimp in mid-display (waving his antennae, seeking customers) in a sandy hole in the reef. If a scuba diver is very careful, you can sometimes induce these small, shy Caribbean shrimp to climb onto your hand. © Rick Collier
  • Saba Underwater - Pederson cleaning shrimp advertise for customers in a sandy hole under the reef at "hot springs." If a scuba diver is very careful, you can sometimes induce these small, shy Caribbean shrimp to climb onto your hand. © Rick Collier
  • Saba Underwater - Attention from a scuba diver can easily frighten or tire a Caribbean seahorse. Eventually, the lined seahorse got tired of the divers, and bent down to "play dead" behind a rock. © Rick Collier
  • Saba Underwater - The alert scuba diver can sometimes see interesting very small subjects in the Caribbean reef. Here, a very small fish (shortstripe goby) hides inside a tube sponge. © Rick Collier
  • Saba Underwater - Caribbean reef sponges are havens for many life forms, which a scuba diver can easily observe. Here a cleaner fish (goby) awaits business while a hermit crab explores nearby. © Rick Collier
  • Diving Bonaire, Netherland Antilles -- Feather duster worms peek out of a coral head. ("The Invisibles" dive site) © Rick Collier<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Bonaire; "Netherlands Antilles"; Caribbean; tropic; tropical; vacation; destination; underwater; scuba; diving; "scuba diving"; worm; "feather duster"; "feather duster worm"; invisibles; "The Invisibles"; coral;
  • Diving Bonaire, Netherland Antilles -- An arrow crab watches from an overhang near a large greater anemone. ("The Invisibles" dive site) © Rick Collier<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Bonaire; "Netherlands Antilles"; Caribbean; tropic; tropical; vacation; destination; underwater; scuba; diving; dive; "scuba diving"; reef; coral; crab; arrow; "arrow crab"; anemone; sponge; invisibles; "the invisibles";
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