One More from Yonaguni
One more image from Yonaguni Underwater Monument. Whether you think it is completely natural, natural formation modified by men, or man-made, you have to agree that it is majestic.
Natural or Man-Made?
We just got back from our Philippines-Okinawa trip. Yonaguni Underwater Monument in Okinawa was such a stunning dive site. The pounding waves reveal the amazing and majestic landscape. Is this a remains of ancient man-made structure or natural formation? What do you think?
Posing for a Shot
This blue stripe snapper (Lutjanus kasmira) posed for me in front of beautiful green coral. It looked like he called up his tiny fish friends to join him.
Underwater Gang
When we dove the Roca Partida (the tiny rock in the middle of the ocean off the coast of Mexico) last year, we saw a group of whitetip sharks huddling together next to spiny lobsters on a ledge on the wall of the rock. I heard it was a common sight here, but the reason why they do this is not known.
Plant or Animal...
What kind of flower is this? There are so many surprises in the sea. This is actually an animal, not a plant, that is perched on a whip coral. Feather star, or crinoid, is a type of marine invertebrate animal belonging to phylum echinodermata, which includes sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. You can see that the current is strong - the coral polyps are all opened up, and the feather star has its feather-like tentacles extended out. They are ready to catch planktonic particles carried through the water by the current.
