When you ask about nudibranches living in New Zealand, the usual answer mentions Dorises like black, lemon or gem, then clowns, perhaps Jasons and Tambjas. I was so surprised when I was diving in silty Mahurangi Harbour and found a flat reef with these nudibranches crawling on brown weeds. They were everywhere, a couple of […]
As somebody, I think it was Neville Coleman, said, when the water is dirty we feel like pigs in the mud. To observe and photograph tiny critters clear water is not necessary. On the contrary, good visibility can distract from focusing on that world of macro wonders. I took this picture in Browns Bay diving […]
I love relaxing winter solo dives. Yes, the water is a bit cold, but there is nobody on the shore, nobody but fish in the water. One can settle on a sandy patch between kelp covered reefs and look up. There are “sea birds” there on the “ocean sky”. In this case two Australasian snapper […]
We spent another beautiful day in Whangarei Heads, headed to Smugglers Bay. Carrying all the snorkeling and beach stuff was quite exhausting in the summer heat. But we were rewarded with good snorkeling and swimming and even a small pod of dolphins paid a visit in the afternoon!
Two generations of Australasian snapper Pagrus auratus in shallow water kelp forest. The young specimen with the usual body shape and the old one with the typical tall forehead. This view is not that common outside marine reserves any more.
Sometimes the most mundane places bring unexpected surprises. I’ve seen the wondering anemone only three times in my life. Always in Browns Bay in Auckland. It is a typical Auckland city beach with water clarity between zero and perhaps five meters, sandy bottom with some flat rocks covered with coastal brown algae. Real surprises can […]