Since I am stuck at home this weekend nursing my dog back to health after an operation I have the time to post some pictures from a night dive that Dara and I did at Small Wall last week. Some other creatures that we saw that are not pictured are 2 Apricot Sidegill Slugs, Octopus, several lobsters, seahorse, Orange Brittle Star.

1.Basket Star
2.Tunicate...I had never noticed this particular type of tunicate until a couple of weeks ago. Couch Potato of the Sea...just a blob with 2 mouths (siphons)...what a life! According to the Humaan book this one is probably one of "two species without common names. Microcosmus exasperatus and Pyura vittata, can be distinguished from the Giant Tunicate by the branched tentacles inside their incurrent siphon."
3.Lettuce Sea Slug
4.Princess Parrotfish
5.A not particularily good photo of a Channel Clinging Crab but this one was nearly as big as one of Bas's minis!
6.One of the resident Blue Tangs

awesome colors, especially on the lettuce sea slug! Just beautiful... There are some amazing critters at Small Wall...

Faith

Wow! Wow! And wow! Very beautiful pics Ellen.

ellen, thank you! they are great. the Tunicate is something i am going to have to look up. and as tangs are my personal favorite, it is beautiful...love the striped pj's

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

Ellen,
As always, incredible pictures! Thanks for sharing!

wonderful photos ellen. its always a delight when you post them. thanks

You are the best, Ellen! Thanks for taking a few moments to post them for us to enjoy. Hope your dog will be fine, soon, too! Animals we love are just like children when they are sick or helpless...you just want to make them "all better" quickly. Lots of love and hugs help, too! Carole

Great picts! How wonderful that you are such a natural

really amazing all those colours !!! Beautiful !!!

Fantastic.

I add my oohs and ahhs. Beautiful, Ellen! I've been unable to visit BT for many days, and I'm treated to your wonderful photos right off. Hope the dog's OK and hope Dara's OK. Give them a friendly hug for me. :-) Hi to Jake and Linda too. And Erwin. Hmm, greetings to all I know who are online...

Faith and everyone, it is the amazing colors and creatures on the reef at night that keeps drawing me back, time and time again. One tank of air never seems to be enough on a night dive and many times I have gone back to the house to grab another tank and go in again!

Here are two of the three seahorses that Benny and I saw on our night dive in front of Habitat.





Niki, don't work too hard.

ellen, absolutely beautiful!

The detail on those seahorses -- incredible! And I agree that night dives are just the most amazing thing...

Faith

Ellen,
Great shots of the elusive seahorse!! They are always my favorite critter to get a macro shot of. I'm sorry to say I did not see a single seahorse on our last visit. Thanks for sharing with us.
Debbie

That is really nice. What is your equipment?

Ellen, great pictures!

Hi Darryl and Martin. Darryl, I use 2 Sony digital cameras. The DSC P1 and the DSC P9, internal flash and a UK D4 dive light.

What a wonderful set of picture to remind me to get to Bonaire again soon!
(Can't complain, we were in Newfoundland for all summer...)
Thanks Ellen!

Peggy, I sure hope that you will make it here next Feb. We missed you this year!

Oh and one other cool sighting......a few weeks ago I entered the water for a night dive and there in 5ft of water was a small (5in) flying gurnard! I hadn't seen one in years!

Ellen, Your pictures are really something.

Cool fish.

Reminds me: A few weeks ago Bob and I saw a tiny fresh-water fish in the pebbles at the edge of a mountain stream (west side of the Cascades). It really looked like a scorpion fish! Smaller "wings" than the above gurnard. For a moment I thought I was on the reef!

Ellen, The gurnard was obviously waiting for you to come into the water and take it's picture!! :–)