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Slow Going
Jun 05 08
I often remind divers to go slow...and they usually assure me they do. But one diver's version of slow is another's race down the reef. It's easy to see all the colorful fish that swim up in the water column and cross our path. Or the stingrays that stir up a cloud of sand as they search for mollusks. But the really small stuff, the teeny tiny critters that are tucked into crevices and overhangs, often well camouflaged, require a slow pace and a trained eye to find...okay, and a little luck too!
Good knowledge of reef behavior comes in handy also. For example, if you find almost any variety of anemone (corkscrew, giant, sun, etc...) look closely. Almost without exception, there will be 2 or 3 types of shrimp-- Squat, Pederson, Spot Cleaner, and Red Snapper to name a few--and a couple of crabs such as the Arrow Crab and Banded Clinging Crab, all in residence on or around the anemone and many are no more than an inch or smaller in size. These tiny critters are hard to spot if you're swimming down the reef at Mach 1 and they can be just as much fun to see as turtles, sharks and rays. They are definately more challenging to find making them much more special when you do see them.
So, go slow...no, I mean really slow and enjoy the hidden treasures of the miniature reef.
This Juvenile Trunkfish is the size of a green pea and hides in the cracks and crevices of coral for protection.
This Spotted Cleaner Shrimp was eager to pose for the camera and even offered to clean the lens port!
