May 2021 / Week 2

POTW-2021-05-2

While diving Oil Slick Leap, David came across what he thought were 2 post larval juvenile Smooth Trunkfish. As I started shooting, I found there were actually a total of four juvenile Trunkfish which is a rare find indeed (at least for us). These fish are so small (about the size of a small pea) and they can swim pretty quickly – so they are a challenge to shoot, but I was able to capture a few good images. This isn’t one of my best images technically or artistically, but it is pretty rare encounter for me which is why it was chosen as this week’s Photo of the Week.

Equipment and settings: Nikon D850 / 60mm / INON z330 strobes / f14/ 1/160th / ISO 125.  
Location: Oil Slick Leap, Bonaire

Other winners…

June 2021 | Week 3

June 2021 | Week 3

This week we are featuring a Creole Wrasse being cleaned by a couple of juvenile Spanish Hogfish and a juvenile Bluehead Wrasse. This is a common occurrence however I haven't been able to capture a good image of this behavior until now. Equipment and settings: Nikon...

June 2021 | Week 2

June 2021 | Week 2

You have to get up early to dive Atlantis in Bonaire in order to minimize the encounters with the kite surfers, but it is worth it!! On our first visit we spotted several turtles and rays. The reefs are pristine and teeming with fish in both the deep and the shallows....

June 2021 / Week 1

June 2021 / Week 1

David and I went out early to dive Atlantis in Bonaire before the kite surfers hit the water and it paid off. It was a beautiful day - the sun was out, the water was clear and there was no current to speak of. David spotted this Crinoid atop a green sponge at a...

May 2021 | Week 4

May 2021 | Week 4

Angelfish are always a favorite to photograph, especially when they are friendly. This pair of French Angelfish didn't seem to mind that I was following them around for quite awhile snapping photos. Equipment and settings: Nikon D850 / Tokina 10-17mm / INON z330...

May 2021 / Week 3

May 2021 / Week 3

Since diving the ABC islands this past year, we have noticed an interesting behavior between Trumpetfish and Parrotfish. The Trumpetfish follows the Parrotfish while it is scavenging for food. I'm not sure how mutual this relationship is because it often appears the...

May 2021 / Week 1

May 2021 / Week 1

After 6 weeks in lockdown in Curacao, David and I relocated 2 weeks early to Bonaire in order to get back in the water. With only a few dives this week, I had a limited opportunity to capture images for POTW consideration, but fortunately I was lucky enough to have...

…On Lockdown in Curacao

…On Lockdown in Curacao

It's been over a year now since we sold our home, gave away most of our belongings and started living a "gypsy lifestyle". Events have not gone as originally planned, but we are actually grateful they have not. We have visited beautiful islands we most likely would...

March 2021 / Week 2

March 2021 / Week 2

This week's POTW is a macro view of a cup coral captured under the pier at Tugboat Beach. We typically don't see cup coral at any other sites in Curacao, but they can be found in abundance under the pier. The pier is a wonderland of marine life - the sponges and...

March 2021 / Week 1

March 2021 / Week 1

Spotted Drumfish are hard to resist for an underwater photographer. They are typically shy fish, found under coral heads swimming endlessly in circles and "figure eights", making their movements very predictable. In addition, the Spotted Drumfish go through very...

February 2021 / Week 3

February 2021 / Week 3

This week's winner was shot at Playa Piskado, which is my favorite dive site on Curacao. David and I always seem to run across something new here or we see old favorites. Our last dive started by seeing a group of squid, followed by turtles swimming towards and around...

February 2021 / Week 2

February 2021 / Week 2

This week's Photo of the Week is a school of Glassy Sweepers. I selected this photo because of the technical and timing challenges photographing these fish. They are extremely reflective, so trying to get the strobe lighting correct along with the shutter / aperture /...

February 2021 / Week 1

February 2021 / Week 1

This was another tough week for judging the POTW. Again it came down to two photos and again yours truly served as the tie breaker. The subject for the two photos under consideration were the same. It was a couple of Yellow Head Wrasse engaging in either aggressive or...