Right before our sailing trip through the main islands of the Seychelles
we decided to take a short diving break on Mahe Island.
[MJT] Sponge eater - Varicose phyllidia
[MJT] Sponge eater - Varicose phyllidia
[MJT] A paper scorpionfish?
[MJT] A paper scorpionfish?
[MJT] An impressive sea-fan (Eunicella verrusocosa)
[MJT] An impressive sea-fan (Eunicella verrusocosa)
[MJT] Scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae) laying on a soft coral which looks like the Mushroom leather coral
[MJT] Scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae) laying on a soft coral which looks like the Mushroom leather coral
[MJT] School of Scissortail Sergeants known from their pattern of stripes
[MJT] School of Scissortail Sergeants known from their pattern of stripes
[MJT] White-mouth moray (Gymnothorax meleagris)
[MJT] White-mouth moray (Gymnothorax meleagris)
[MJT] Our first Hawksbill sea turtle
[MJT] Our first Hawksbill sea turtle
[MJT] Painted rock lobster
[MJT] Painted rock lobster
[MJT] Longfin Batfish also known as Tall-fin or Roundface Batfish (Platax teira)
[MJT] Longfin Batfish also known as Tall-fin or Roundface Batfish (Platax teira)
[MJT] Graeffe's sea cucumber with its feeding tentacles (Pearsonothuria graeffei)
[MJT] Graeffe's sea cucumber with its feeding tentacles (Pearsonothuria graeffei)
[MJT] Boxfish from the Ostraciidae family
[MJT] Boxfish from the Ostraciidae family
[MJT] Pair of pufferfish, maybe Bennett's (Cantigaster bennetti) due to their dark spot on the back at base of the dorsal fin
[MJT] Pair of pufferfish, maybe Bennett's (Cantigaster bennetti) due to their dark spot on the back at base of the dorsal fin
[MJT] Giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus)
[MJT] Giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus)
[MJT] A reef octopus playing hide and seek (Octopus cyanea)
[MJT] A reef octopus playing hide and seek (Octopus cyanea)
[MJT] And a white-mouthed moray again
[MJT] And a white-mouthed moray again
[MJT] Apparently an octopus's suction cups are equipped with chemoreceptors so the octopus can taste what it is touching
[MJT] Apparently an octopus's suction cups are equipped with chemoreceptors so the octopus can taste what it is touching
[MJT] A fishing boat returned with the day's catch
[MJT] A fishing boat returned with the day's catch
[MJT] In the fishing port, just before one of the diving trips
[MJT] In the fishing port, just before one of the diving trips
[MJT] A large school of Bengal snappers (Lutjanus bengalensis)
[MJT] A large school of Bengal snappers (Lutjanus bengalensis)
[MJT] Yellow-margin moray also known as yellow-edged moray (Gymnothorax flavimarginatus)
[MJT] Yellow-margin moray also known as yellow-edged moray (Gymnothorax flavimarginatus)
[MJT] A 'short-legged' starfish
[MJT] A 'short-legged' starfish
[MJT] The visibility was completely limited because of the fish!
[MJT] The visibility was completely limited because of the fish!
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[MJT] It was fantastic to be among them, inside the school
[MJT] It was fantastic to be among them, inside the school
[MJT] But because of the limited visibility, we almost didn't see this medium sized nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) sleeping under one of the rocks
[MJT] But because of the limited visibility, we almost didn't see this medium sized nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) sleeping under one of the rocks
[MJT] Spotted unicornfish (Naso brevirostris)
[MJT] Spotted unicornfish (Naso brevirostris)
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[MJT] A dark green sea cucumber (Stichopus chloronotus) with visible orange tips
[MJT] A dark green sea cucumber (Stichopus chloronotus) with visible orange tips
[MJT] This one wants to be a parent now...
[MJT] This one wants to be a parent now...
[MJT] Aldemaran wreck (31-40m deep), a fishing boat sunk in 2008
[MJT] Aldemaran wreck (31-40m deep), a fishing boat sunk in 2008
[MJT] Visibility wasn't so bad, about 20m; we circled the wreck at about -34m
[MJT] Visibility wasn't so bad, about 20m; we circled the wreck at about -34m
[MJT] Phyllidia ocellata nudibranch
[MJT] Phyllidia ocellata nudibranch
[MJT] Blue-yellow damselfish (Pomacentrus caeruleus)
[MJT] Blue-yellow damselfish (Pomacentrus caeruleus)
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[MJT] We met several sharks during our dives - I didn't see this one coming; when it passed me, we both turned around; but it just checked me out and then went on it's way; it got a bit hairy for a second there!
[MJT] We met several sharks during our dives - I didn't see this one coming; when it passed me, we both turned around; but it just checked me out and then went on it's way; it got a bit hairy for a second there!
[MJT] A porcelain crab inside a coral
[MJT] A porcelain crab inside a coral
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[MJT] Classic Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus)
[MJT] Classic Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus)
[MJT] A sleeping parrotfish, on a wreck - during a night dive on Twin Barges wreck
[MJT] A sleeping parrotfish, on a wreck - during a night dive on Twin Barges wreck
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[MJT] Colony of Red cup corals? Compare with those from the Red Sea (here, check out the night dive on the Nada Resort reef)
[MJT] Colony of Red cup corals? Compare with those from the Red Sea ( here, check out the night dive on the Nada Resort reef)
[MJT] Ungiculate sponge (Monachora ungiculata) with a small Black saddled toby (Valentinni's sharpnose puffer, Canthigaster valentini)
[MJT] Ungiculate sponge (Monachora ungiculata) with a small Black saddled toby (Valentinni's sharpnose puffer, Canthigaster valentini)
[MJT] A kind of sea anemone - maybe beaded anemone?
[MJT] A kind of sea anemone - maybe beaded anemone?
[MJT] Blowfish, maybe Black-spotted Porcupinefish?
[MJT] Blowfish, maybe Black-spotted Porcupinefish?
[MJT] Feather duster worm - one of the tube worms
[MJT] Feather duster worm - one of the tube worms
[MJT] Classic Common Lionfish (here, probably Pterois antennata)
[MJT] Classic Common Lionfish (here, probably Pterois antennata)
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[MJT] A coral shrimp, similar to the green-eye dancing shrimp
[MJT] A coral shrimp, similar to the green-eye dancing shrimp
[MJT] Sea lily known also as Feather star
(although feather stars should be free-swimming as opposed to lilies, which are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk)
[MJT] Sea lily known also as Feather star
(although feather stars should be free-swimming as opposed to lilies, which are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk)
[MJT] Spiny lobster known also as Rock lobster
[MJT] Spiny lobster known also as Rock lobster
[MJT] Imperial sea urchin (Phyllacanthus imperialis)
[MJT] Imperial sea urchin (Phyllacanthus imperialis)
[MJT] At night Marcia spotted this Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra); very shy, tried to retreat out of sight
[MJT] At night Marcia spotted this Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra); very shy, tried to retreat out of sight
[MJT] A piano fangblenny hiding in a coral
[MJT] A piano fangblenny hiding in a coral
[MJT] Gray morays (Gymnothorax griseus)
[MJT] Gray morays (Gymnothorax griseus)
[MJT] Rounded batfish (Platax orbicularis), also known as Circular batfish or Spadefish
Although fins' shape suggest Boer's batfish (Platax boersi), it's face is not flat enough...
[MJT] Rounded batfish (Platax orbicularis), also known as Circular batfish or Spadefish
Although fins' shape suggest Boer's batfish (Platax boersi), it's face is not flat enough...
[MJT] Chas spotted this impressive stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) - the largest one we ever saw; some 0.5m in length (and this considering underwater magnification)
[MJT] Chas spotted this impressive stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) - the largest one we ever saw; some 0.5m in length (and this considering underwater magnification)
[MJT] A more adventurous gray moray this time
[MJT] A more adventurous gray moray this time
[MJT] Aeoliscus strigatus, also known as razorfish, adopts a head-down tail-up position
[MJT] Aeoliscus strigatus, also known as razorfish, adopts a head-down tail-up position
[MJT] Variegated lizardfish (Synodus variegatus)
[MJT] Variegated lizardfish (Synodus variegatus)
[MJT] Just look at those colors - straight from Pandora!
[MJT] Just look at those colors - straight from Pandora!
[MJT] The same coral, just a moment later
[MJT] The same coral, just a moment later
[MJT] Rose Phyllidiella or Rudman's...
[MJT] Rose Phyllidiella or Rudman's...
[MJT] This whole bunch of lobsters live under that one rock
[MJT] This whole bunch of lobsters live under that one rock
[MJT] Hermit crab (Diogenidae)
[MJT] Hermit crab (Diogenidae)
[MJT] Rose-shaped eggs of a snail
[MJT] Rose-shaped eggs of a snail
[MJT] A very small Ribbon eel (Rhimomutaena quaesita)
[MJT] A very small Ribbon eel (Rhimomutaena quaesita)
[MJT] A Rose Phyllidiella nudibranch
[MJT] A Rose Phyllidiella nudibranch
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[MJT] A hairy red hermit crab (Dardanus lagapodes)
[MJT] A hairy red hermit crab (Dardanus lagapodes)
[MJT] Reef Bannerfish (Heniochus acumniatus) - with a slightly longer snout than Schooling Bannerfish
[MJT] Reef Bannerfish (Heniochus acumniatus) - with a slightly longer snout than Schooling Bannerfish
[MJT] Thin coral (Acropora tenuis)
[MJT] Thin coral (Acropora tenuis)
[MJT] Aggregation of Convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus)
[MJT] Aggregation of Convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus)
[MJT] Color-change didn't work out this time...
[MJT] Color-change didn't work out this time...
[MJT] Eagle ray (Myliobatidae)
[MJT] Eagle ray (Myliobatidae)
[MJT] Crocodile Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus)
[MJT] Crocodile Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus)
[MJT] Sea turtle in a sea nature park
[MJT] Sea turtle in a sea nature park
[MJT] Weren't shy at all and had no problems with photo-shoots
[MJT] Weren't shy at all and had no problems with photo-shoots
[MJT] Sometimes they even got a bit too close...
[MJT] Sometimes they even got a bit too close...
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[MJT] A needlefish lurking just below the water's surface
[MJT] A needlefish lurking just below the water's surface
[MJT] We kept our distance from sharks (though this one was more afraid of us that we of it)
[MJT] We kept our distance from sharks (though this one was more afraid of us that we of it)
[MJT] A stingray hardly visible in the shallows; this part of the bay was fenced off from people
[MJT] A stingray hardly visible in the shallows; this part of the bay was fenced off from people
[MJT] Three Fantail stingrays (Pastinachus sephen); there were many more around
[MJT] Three Fantail stingrays (Pastinachus sephen); there were many more around
[MJT] A small school of Common reef squid (Sepiotheutis lessoniana)
[MJT] A small school of Common reef squid (Sepiotheutis lessoniana)
[MJT] A longfin spadefish circling around our boat - one could feed it by hand
[MJT] A longfin spadefish circling around our boat - one could feed it by hand
[MJT] And another shark
[MJT] And another shark
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[MJT] A turtle feeding on something in the reef; the reef, by the way, destroyed by the high water temperature
[MJT] A turtle feeding on something in the reef; the reef, by the way, destroyed by the high water temperature
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[MJT] A small school of Flutemouths (Fistulariidae)
[MJT] A small school of Flutemouths (Fistulariidae)
[MJT] A Guineafowl Pufferfish (Arothron meleagris) - apparently poisonous, if eaten
[MJT] A Guineafowl Pufferfish (Arothron meleagris) - apparently poisonous, if eaten
[MJT] A school of eagle rays
[MJT] A school of eagle rays
[MJT] Aren't they graceful? we saw them jumping, almost, out of the water...
[MJT] Aren't they graceful? we saw them jumping, almost, out of the water...
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[MJT] Sea urchins (Echinoidea)
[MJT] Sea urchins (Echinoidea)
[MJT] This looked like a leaf or some trash; however, sometimes it looked like it swam against the current...
[MJT] This looked like a leaf or some trash; however, sometimes it looked like it swam against the current...
[MJT] Turned out it was a juvenile common lionfish (Pterois volitans)
[MJT] Turned out it was a juvenile common lionfish (Pterois volitans)
[MJT] A reef in the national park; the best one we saw on the trip
[MJT] A reef in the national park; the best one we saw on the trip
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[MJT] This school of squid swam around our boat for quite a while
[MJT] This school of squid swam around our boat for quite a while
[MJT] Sometimes they look like drops of ink in the water
[MJT] Sometimes they look like drops of ink in the water
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