Check out some of my favorite animal pictures and the story behind them …
#Indonesia
This beachdog in Bali, Indonesia is going nuts with a coconut in the Indian Ocean . Let’s keep our oceans clean so we and further generations can enjoy it.
#Philippines
Whale sharks, also know as the gentle giants , are the biggest fish in the world and can grow up to 12 meters. Their diet is mainly based on plankton. Each individual has a unique pattern of stripes and dots on their skin, so to say the whale shark fingerprint. The offspring hatches inside of the mother unlike most other fish species. The female whale shark gives birth up to 300 live young altough many dont make it to maturity which is at around 25 years. Unfortunatley they are still hunted and their status is endangered according to the IUCN redlist. Even in the Philippines, where the whale sharks are protected, there are still cases of shark finning
#Thailand
Turtles are probably one of the most graceful inhabitants of the ocean. Their movements are just smooth and elegant. One of the seven sea turtle species is the endangered green sea turtle . Unfortunately the name does not refer to their shell colour – its referring to the fat that turns green when cooked to serve turtle soup. No need to cook them! Take a tank, submerge and watch this wonderful animals flying around in the amazing blue soup we all love the ocean.
#Australia
Humans are the only species that take more from nature than needed. No other species has this habit. In the 20th century whales were close to extinction caused by whaling. Since humpback whales and many other species were protected from hunting in the 80s their population recovered. Let’s protect this beautiful mammals so future generations can enjoy their playful actions near the shore.
#Philippines
The white eyed moray eel is a nocturnal ambush predator and feeds on fish. Moray eel are mostly found in small cracks and crevices between corals and rubble. Divers can see them quite often with their mouth often which is necessary for them to respire. The eels send water through their round gills at the rear of their head to breath. Because of that they look like they are aggressive creatures with the mouth open showing some teeth. In fact, morayeels are quite shy creatures.
#Philippines
Seems pretty clear who is the leader in this group – the beautiful porkfish is leading a couple of other porkfish and a bunch of sailors choice. The amazing reef around plays del carmen spoils you with big schools of different fish and other marine life. Lets keep our oceans clean to protect this fantastic habitat.
#Indonesia
The beautiful Fungia Repanda comes in different color variations, ranging from green, pink and purple to orange. It is part of the Fungiidae family and feeds on plankton, zooxanthellae/light, living at a depth between 1 and 30 meters.
Let’s keep our oceans clean so we can all enjoy the wonderful underwater world-
#Indonesia
The french grunt can be found all over the caribbean. Mostly found in big schools close to elkhorn corals . Their name is related actually to the grunting sound they produce with their flat theeth plates rubbing together. So next time you meet one of this guys in the ocean try to listen carefully. Keep diving and watch out for your buddy like these reef fish do.
#Philippines
The painted frog fish can expand it’s mouth twelve times compared to resting size which allows it to catch all sorts of prey. Unlike most fish it doesn’t have a swim bladder. Frog fish use their modified pectoral fins to walk or gallop across the seafloor. Since these guys are not the most gracile in the water, they attract their prey with a retractable lure. Let’s keep our oceans clean so these guys are not tempted to eat plastic.
#Thailand
The ocean surgeon fish is a very important vegetarian in the reef. The fish eat the algea that might grow over the corals . Without these important caretakers the algea would grow over the corals and eventually the corals would die. To aid the digestion of the algea, the surgeonfish take in a big amount of sand. On your next dive take some time and watch these guys feeding.