Underwater Photos

Florida Prickly Cockle extends its foot to leap away (Trachycardium egmontianum)
Sensing an approaching predator this Florida Prickly Cockle extends a muscle from within its mantle to help it escape. This photograph captures the split-second reaction before the mollusc leaps away.

A Beaded Sea Star picks up the scent of a mollusc nearby (Astropecten articulatus)
Using sensitive cells on their skin or their tubed feet this Beaded Sea Star can smell any prey nearby.

Mollusc uses its foot to escape predation
This mollusc, a Florida Prickly Cockle, uses its foot to escape predation. If caught the sea star will inject its stomach inside the mollusc's shell and digest the mollusc in place.

Bivalves methods to avoid predation
Bivalves use a number of methods to avoid predation. Cockles, such as this Florida Prickly Cockle, uses its foot to leap away. Others are quick to bury themselves or swim away by extruding water through their shells.

Baby Leatherback sea turtle surfaces to breathe (Dermochelys coriacea)
Sea turtles, such as this baby Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), are air breathers and must come up to the surface to breathe. They are capable of holding their breath for hours depending on their activity level. When resting or sleeping they can hold their breath for as long as 4-7 hours.

The fastest reptile is the Leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea)
The Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) uses its powerful paddle-like fins to achieve the fastest speed of any reptile. It has been recorded at speeds of up to 22mph.

Leatherback sea turtles can dive as deep as 3,900 ft.
Leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) have been reported to dive as deep as 3,900 ft., much deeper than any other marine sea turtle.

Baby sea turtle photograph - Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)
This Leatherback baby sea turtle photograph was taken in open ocean. The Leatherback sea turtle gets its name because its carapace is covered by a thick leathery skin instead of the bony scutes found in all other marine sea turtles.

Juvenile Leatherback sea turtle swims on the ocean surface (Dermochelys coriacea)
This juvenile Leatherback sea turtle begins its long, perilous journey as it swims on the ocean surface off Palm Beach, Florida. Leatherback turtles have a cosmopolitan global range. With its distribution ranging from as far north as Alaska and the Arctic circle and as south as the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and New Zealand.

Swim with a baby Leatherback sea turtle
One of the many perks of my job is having the opportunity to release these beautiful and rare baby Leatherback sea turtles into the open ocean.

A Smooth Butterfly Ray (Gymnura micrura) hides in the sand
One way to find rays around sandy areas is to look for their "footprint." Rays, such as this Smoother Butterfly Ray (Gymnura micrura), will cover themself with sand as a means of protection leaving only the trailing edge shape, or footprint, of their bodies.

Underwater photograph of a rare Smooth Butterfly Ray (Gymnura micrura)
The Smooth Butterfly Ray prefers neritic (shallow seas) waters where it is usually found on soft bottoms. This particular ray does not carry the poisonous barbed tail found on its close cousin, the Atlantic Stingray.

A close up underwater photograph of a Smooth Butterfly Ray (Gymnura micrura)
This close up underwater photograph of a Smooth Butterfly Ray (Gymnura micrura) shows its top set eyes in front of its gills.

See a video of the Smooth Butterfly Ray(Gymnura micrura) here.

Coral reef time lapse video
This still image of a small coral reef in the Bahamas containing a Brain coral and Great Star coral is one of 170 images taken over a period of one hour during twilight hours. It is during this time that many of the stony corals extend their coral polyps in order to begin feeding. Combining these 170 images into a time lapse video you can see for yourself as the Great Star coral feeds, constantly opening and closing its coral polyps, as well as watching the Brain coral's polyps beginning to extend. Also note the number of hermit crabs moving throughout the video frame.

Click here to view this unique coral reef time lapse video.
Requires Apple's Quicktime Player to view

Arrow Blenny - Lucayablennius zingaro
This tiny predator, the Arrow Blenny, swims along the reef ledge with its bended tail waiting to strike at any small fish.