Quick snorkel in Waisai, Indonesia before dive trip
15.05.2020
The colors photograph so much better snorkeling than diving; Waisai is in eastern Indonesia, SE of the Philippines and SW of Palau
Crown of thorns sea star; this species is a large starfish that preys upon hard, or stony, coral polyps; the crown of thorns sea star receives its name from venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface, resembling the biblical crown of thorns
Humphead wrasse; this largest species of wrasse is capable of reaching lengths of more than 6 ft. from tip to tail and weighing up to 400 lbs
Clark's anemonefish; these fish, popularized by the movie Finding Nemo, always photograph better than most other fish with my camera
Bleeker's parrotfish; water visibility was excellent with abundant, healthy coral and tons of fish; unlike the islands around Bali, there was also no current to contend with
Acropora coral; the small town of Waisai (pop 8000) is the starting point for many of the liveaboard dive boats that explore the Raja Ampat area of Indonesia
Pink anemonefish; getting to Waisai from Bali involved 2 flights (one was overnight) and then a 2 hour local ferry that would have been miserable if I weren't so exhausted that I slept through most of it
Feather star; graceful, flowing arms like fern branches float in the water column, grabbing bits of plankton passing by; because feather stars do not have an official stomach, consumables cycle through their body in waves while still providing nutrition
Feather stars come in a wide variety of colors; feather stars are known for being self sufficient - their bodies have evolved over time to decompose and recuperate when necessary
Posted by VagabondCowboy 21:16
