#tauchen

Aeolid Nudibranch - photo taken at Mindoro Island, Philippines

Jellyfish vibes - photo taken at Koh Haa Nua, South Andaman Sea

Marine ecosystems recycle everything and leave nothing to waste, including this Lion’s Mane Jellyfish that wandered too close to a sea anemone that grabbed ahold of it and wouldn’t let go. The sea urchins quickly got in on the action and it was soon over for this poor jelly, who never got to grow to full size.

Speaking of which, the Lion’s Mane Jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish in the world. The largest one ever recorded measured over 7 feet across at the bell and its tentacles stretched over 120 feet long, which is pretty incredible for a creature whose lifespan is only one year - photo taken at Salt Creek, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Salish Sea

Tangfish (that’s me!) photographing the shipwreck of the U.S.S. Kittiwake - photo taken by Sandy Sondrol at West Bay, Grand Cayman, Caribbean Sea

Corals are the ultimate hybrids; each individual consists of a symbiotic pairing between plant and animal. They can photosynthesize during the day (as the purple and gold one doing) and then filter feed on nutrients during the night. Corals that depend more heavily on the latter tend to live in areas with moderate to strong currents - photo taken in the South Andaman Sea

Cuttlefish are amazing creatures that can instantly vary their color and shape either for camouflage or to communicate with each other. They use jet propulsion to move backward in quick bursts through the water.

The ink that Cuttlefish use to distract and escape from predators has long been used by artists, writers and later, photographers. Its characteristic dark reddish-brown color is where the term “sepia” comes from; Sepia literally means Cuttlefish in ancient Greek, so just think of these amazing cephalopods next time you use a sepia filter on one of your pictures - photo taken in seagrass beds off of North Sulawesi, Celebes Sea

The Blue-Ringed Octopus is a tiny and extremely venomous cephalopod found in the tropical waters of the pacific. Each individual carries enough venom to kill over two dozen people within minutes. There is no anti-venom. However, they are not aggressive and will flash their brilliant blue rings when threatened, as a warning of their toxicity - photo taken at Wainilu, Rinca Island, Indonesia

enjoy my underwater photos? follow me on Instagram