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  • A gigantic, unbroken sea fan with swarming Anthias at Ashmore Reef in Australian waters in the Coral Sea. The first time we dived this site, I fell in love with the area because there were so many large, unspoiled sea fans like this one, and the reef was teeming with millions of small fish. Captain Craig DeWit of MV Golden Dawn was nice enough to name the dive site Wu Wu Wall for me.
    sea-fan-anthias-basslets-wu-wu-wall-...tif
  • Red-tinted black coral tree (Antipathes sp.) surrounded by a school of orange fairy basslets (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) at the Black and Silver dive site in the Nuakata Island area of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    Antipathes-sp-black-coral-Pseudanthi...tif
  • Multicolored soft corals inflated to feed in the current passing over Sullivan's Patches, a beautiful coral reef located in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    multicolored-soft-coral-sullivans-pa...tif
  • Plush strawberry sherbet red Dendronephthya sp. soft coral with lots of fish swimming in the background. Photographed at Surprise Reef near Nuakata Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    Dendronephthya-sp-red-soft-coral-mil...tif
  • Colorful Dendronephthya sp. soft coral with fish swimming in the background. Photographed at Surprise Reef near Nuakata Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    colorful-Dendronephthya-soft-coral-n...tif
  • Large, unspoiled staghorn coral (Acropora sp.) viewed from the bottom-up, photographed at Craig's Ridge dive site in Moresby Strait, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Acropora-sp-coral-milne-bay-papua-ne...tif
  • Thousands of Chromis damselfish and Pseudanthias basslets swarming over a healthy Acropora hard coral formation in shallow water at Ashmore Reef in Australian waters.
    Acropora-hard-coral-with-thousands-o...tif
  • Healthy gorgonian sea fans at Deacon's Reef in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Bob Halstead has picked up broken sea fans over many years and planted these sea fans on this wall, producing a beautiful dive site, with overhanging trees visible above.
    red-gorgonian-sea-fan-deacons-reef-m...tif
  • Wall of gorgonian sea fans at Deacon's Reef in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Bob Halstead has picked up broken sea fans over many years and planted these sea fans on this wall, producing a beautiful dive site, with overhanging trees visible above.
    red-gorgonian-sea-fan-deacons-reef-m...tif
  • Unspoiled orange-yellow sea fan with golden damselfish and orange basslets in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    orange-yellow-sea-fan-anthias-damsel...tif
  • Fusilier damselfish (Lepidozygus tapeinosoma) swarming over large staghorn coral (Acropora sp.) formation at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea.
    fusilier-damselfish-Lepidozygus-tape...tif
  • Orange basslets with sea fans on top of the arch at The Doghouse dive site in Diving Dog Passage on the Barrier Reef of Papua New Guinea
    Sea-fan-with-Pseudanthias-squamipinn...tif
  • Large group of sea fans with lots of jewel fairy basslets, at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    sea-fans-with-jewel-fairy-basslets-P...tif
  • Large sea fan with magenta slender basslets, Eastern Fields, Papua New Guinea. This photograph is a film scan.
    sea-fan-eastern-fields-papua-new-gui...tif
  • Staghorn coral formation at Point P dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, with a large school of bigeye trevallies (Caranx sexfasciatus) swimming overhead
    caranx-sexfasciatus-bigeye-trevally-...tif
  • Pseudanthias squamipinnis orange basslets with sea fans on top of the arch at The Doghouse dive site in Diving Dog Passage on the Barrier Reef of Papua New Guinea
    Orange-basslets-Pseudanthias-squamip...tif
  • Red coral formation at 40 metres depth, with silhouette of lone grey reef shark patrolling in the background
    red-coral-grey-reef-shark-ashmore-re...tif
  • Millions of fusilier damselfish (Lepidozygus tapeinosoma) swarming over a pristine coral reef called Carl's Ultimate, located in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    pristine-coral-reef-millions-of-fish...tif
  • Orange basslets with sea fans on top of the arch at The Doghouse dive site in Diving Dog Passage on the Barrier Reef of Papua New Guinea
    Pseudanthias-squamipinnis-orange-bas...tif
  • Pretty pink Commerson's frogfish sitting on a sponge concealed by sea fans, at a dive site called Shaw Thing in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea. This dive was the first time that Captain Craig of Golden Dawn had come across one of these frogfish in the Eastern Fields even though he had been diving the area for about 20 years at the time of this encounter.
    pretty-pink-frogfish-Antennarius-com...tif
  • Bright red sabre squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum) peeking out from underneath a large, healthy coral formation on Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    sabre-squirrelfish-sargocentron-spin...tif
  • Red and orange soft coral (Dendronephthya sp.) in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, framed by a curtain of thousands of bigeye trevallies (Caranx sexfasciatus)
    soft-coral-bigeye-trevally-Caranx-se...tif
  • A lush, colourful coral formation with soft and hard coral, sea fans and a school of bright-orange fairy basslets at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    coral-formation-jewel-fairy-basslet-...tif
  • Spectacular pink and orange soft corals in full bloom, surrounded by multicoloured fairy basslets
    pink-and-orange-soft-coral-picasso-p...tif
  • Beautiful, undamaged sea fans like this are characterstic of healthy tropical reefs. Photograph taken in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    sea-fan-and-evening-sun-eastern-fiel...tif
  • Healthy reef systems grow continuously, as illustrated here, with new coral growth atop old coral formations. Robust old-growth coral formations like this are common in areas without much human activity, such as the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea.
    robust-coral-growth-eastern-fields-p...tif
  • Soft coral with lots of magenta slender Anthias and a couple of golden damselfish, on a steep wall in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    soft-coral-wall-dive-eastern-fields-...tif
  • When the tides change and the currents run at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, fish of all description swarm the reef by the millions. I've seen more fusilier damselfish (Lepidozygus tapeinosoma) like the ones pictured here at this dive site than I have at any other location I've ever dived. It is truly one of the world's greatest spectacles.
    Luzonichthys-waitei-basslets-swarmin...tif
  • Two Paguritta coral hermit crabs looking out at the world from their burrows in a coral formation.
    Paguritta-coral-hermit-crabs-eastern...tif
  • Coral and sponge formation on the outer reef in Ambon, Indonesia
    soft-coral-sea-fan-sponge-ambon-indo...tif
  • A swarm comprising thousands of orange basslets (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) rising up from an enormous hard coral formation at the top of Lynda's Reef near Nuakata Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Pseudanthias-squamipinnis-swarm-lynd...tif
  • A beautiful Lori's Anthias (Pseudanthias lori). This fish is male, with characteristic red, orange, yellow, blue and purple coloration on its body. Photographed at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, a submerged coral reef atoll in the Coral Sea
    Pseudanthias-lori-basslet-anthias-ea...tif
  • A beautiful Lori's Anthias (Pseudanthias lori). This fish is male, with characteristic red, orange, yellow, blue and purple coloration on its body. Photographed at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, a submerged coral reef atoll in the Coral Sea
    colorful-Pseudanthias-lori-basslet-m...tif
  • A beautiful male Lori's Anthias (Pseudanthias lori), with characteristic red, orange, yellow, purple coloration on its body. Photographed at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, a submerged coral reef atoll in the Coral Sea
    Pseudanthias-lori-anthias-basslet-ea...tif
  • Orange-yellow crinoid feather star perched on a coral branch, filtering nutrients from the passing current. The position and color of this crinoid reminded me of a sunflower.
    crinoid-feather-star-with-backlighti...tif
  • Solitary longfin bannerfish swimming along a coral reef. This fish appeared to be patrolling a limited area, with a tendency to return to this one spot. After a while, the fish grew accustomed to my presence and approached closely.
    longfin-bannerfish-pennant-coralfish...tif
  • Whip coral shrimp (Pontonides ankeri) on a sea whip (Cirripathes sp.) in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. This species is often confused with Pontonides unciger, which lives on bushy black corals (Anthipathes sp.)
    pontonides-ankeri-shrimp-on-cirripat...tif
  • Very small blackfin coral goby (Paragobiodon lacunicolus) hiding among the branches of a small coral formation in the muck at Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    blackfin-coral-goby-Paragobiodon-lac...tif
  • Pontonides sp. commensal shrimp on a curled-up whip coral (Cirrhipathes sp.) formation
    Pontonides-commensal-shrimp-on-Cirrh...tif
  • Diver with an illuminated plush pink soft coral growing in the muck of Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
    pink-soft-coral-diver-lembeh-strait-...tif
  • Wire coral goby (Bryaninops yongei) photographed with a bit of motion-blur to show this fish opening its mouth
    whip-coral-goby-Bryaninops-yongei-mo...tif
  • Phyllodesmium jakobsenae nudibranch feeding on Xenia soft coral in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    Phyllodesmium-jakobsenae-nudibranch-...tif
  • Coral hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus) perched on a sponge, using its pectoral fins for balance. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
    coral-hawkfish-Cirrhitichthys-oxycep...tif
  • I photographed this Pachyseris speciosa coral formation in Disney Lake, a saltwater enclosure in the Rock Islands of Palau. The lake is only accessible via a submerged tunnel. The lake and surrounding area is sheltered from wind and waves, and almost no one enters the enclosed area, so some species of coral that are normally fragile are able to grow to large sizes. This coral formation was so thin at its edge that light can shine through. Lit from behind, the lines comprising the coral growth reminded me of flowing volcanic lava. See separate close-up photograph of coral edge detail.
    pachyseris-speciosa-coral-disney-lak...tif
  • I photographed this Pachyseris speciosa coral formation in Disney Lake, a saltwater enclosure in the Rock Islands of Palau. The lake is only accessible via a submerged tunnel. The lake and surrounding area is sheltered from wind and waves, and almost no one enters the enclosed area, so some species of coral that are normally fragile are able to grow to large sizes. This coral formation was so thin at its edge that light can shine through. Lit from behind, the lines comprising the coral growth reminded me of flowing volcanic lava.
    pachyseris-speciosa-coral-disney-lak...tif
  • Healthy cabbage coral (Turbinaria reniformis) formation surrounded by basslets, damsels and other tropical reef fish. Photographed at about 15 meters depth on a dive site near Normanby Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea that we named Julian's Cabbage Patch because there was so much cabbage coral.
    cabbage-coral-turbinaria-reniformis-...tif
  • Cute yellow coral goby (Gobiodon okinawae) living among branches of Acropora coral at Fantasy Island, part of the Patch Reefs of Palau. This area was devastated by the el Nino of 1998 and a subsequent crown of thorns infestation. The area has since recovered and is a thriving, healthy reef system.
    yellow-coral-goby-gobiodon-okinawae-...tif
  • Cute yellow coral goby living among branches of Acropora coral at Fantasy Island, part of the Patch Reefs of Palau. This area was devastated by the el Nino of 1998 and a subsequent crown of thorns infestation. The area has since recovered and is a thriving, healthy reef system.
    yellow-coral-goby-gobiodon-okinawae-...tif
  • Shallow, protected nooks and crannies among the Rock Islands of Palau are characterized by murky water, but can provide a safe environment for corals to flourish and develop into intricate, unbroken formations like the one pictured here. This coral tree was one of many in very shallow water in front of Ngchuus Beach, Ngeruktabel Island.
    backlit-coral-formation-ngeruktabel-...tif
  • Diver Terry Ward shining a light on multicolored Lobophyllia brain coral formation at Darwin's Wall that Ron Leidich has dubbed the Four Corners. This unique location is flushed by strong currents exchanged between a large inner lake (Long Lake) and the open ocean, generating ample nutrient flow to support these slow-growing corals, which flourish in large numbers and grow to exceptional size in this area. There is minimal sunlight that penetrates the canopy of overhanging foliage, meaning than the corals rely more on the daily tidal exchange for nutrients than on their zooxanthallae. This wall and the corals that live on them are a perfect illustration of the intricate relationship between the ecosystems of the inner lakes of Palau's Rock Islands and the open ocean.
    diver-with-lobophyllia-coral-darwins...tif
  • Plush, healthy soft coral formation on the reef in Ambon, Indonesia
    healthy-soft-coral-formation-ambon-i...tif
  • Large, beautiful black coral (Anthipathes sp.) formation at Hukurila Cave in Ambon, Indonesia
    Anthipathes-black-coral-ambon-indone...tif
  • The marine lakes of Palau comprise a plethora of hidden environments and fragile ecosystems, often characterized by delicate formations such as this Merulina sp. hard coral, which was thin enough to be translucent. Photographed inside Disney Lake, located in Nikko Bay, Palau.
    translucent-merulina-sp-hard-coral-d...tif
  • The marine lakes of Palau comprise a plethora of hidden environments and fragile ecosystems, often characterized by delicate formations such as this Merulina sp. hard coral, which was thin enough to be translucent. Photographed inside Disney Lake, located in Nikko Bay, Palau.
    translucent-merulina-sp-hard-coral-d...tif
  • Soft coral on the outer reef of Ambon, Indonesia
    soft-coral-ambon-indonesia-200810-00...tif
  • The steep, conical shape of this Porites sp. hard coral formation is reminiscent of the rock islands that comprise the land mass of Palau.
    porites-sp-hard-coral-formation-pala...tif
  • There are still virgin reefs like this that few people have seen, where unspoiled corals carpet the reef system and countless fish gather to feed in the currents. This photograph is from a dive site called Tokyo Express in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea.
    unspoiled-coral-reef-millions-of-fis...tif
  • Coral cardinalfish (Siphamia corallicola) with a mouthful of orange eggs
    Siphamia-corallicola-coral-cardinalf...tif
  • Ron Leidich removing crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) from coral reef in shallow water in Palau
    ron-leidich-removing-crown-of-thorns...tif
  • Aerial view of Palau's Rock Islands, abundant coral reefs and surrounding tropical blue ocean
    aerial-view-palau-rock-islands-coral...tif
  • Hardyhead silversides (Atherinomorus lacunosus) swarming around the coral-encrusted remains of a portion of the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Hardyhead-silversides-Atherinomorus-...tif
  • Cute little Ecsenius sp. blenny sitting on coral. Ambon, Indonesia
    Ecsenius-blenny-ambon-indonesia-2009...tif
  • Thousands of hardyhead silversides (Atherinomorus lacunosus) circling around the coral-encrusted remains of a jetty post at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    Hardyhead-silversides-Atherinomorus-...tif
  • The corals living in the shallow waters around Fantasy Island in the Patch Reefs of Palau were devastated by a massive crown of thorns attack following extensive bleaching damage caused by El Niño in 1998. This photograph was taken in 2011, just 13 years after the corals here were wiped out.
    healthy-coral-recovered-bleaching-cr...tif
  • A lone sponge perched on a ledge in the Eastern Fields, a submerged coral reef atoll in the Coral Sea of Papua New Guinea. Photographed to evoke the image of a solitary sentinel watching over the deep sea.
    illuminated-marine-sponge-coral-sea-...tif
  • Lionfish patrolling the edge of Suzie's Bommie, a popular dive site accessible from Lololata Island Resort near Port Moresby. This small but healthy reef is always teeming with life, including large schools of sweetlips, thousands of basslets and many other marine organisms. This image is licensed on an exclusive basis to BBC through 29 October 2021.
    lionfish-Pterois-volitans-loloata-su...tif
  • Palau's reefs have been attacked in the past by massive crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) infestations. Ron Leidich recalled that he removed about 6500 of these starfish from this one particular reef after the el Nino event in 1998. The reefs have recovered, but there are still occasional outbreaks of these coral-consuming invertebrates.
    crown-of-thorns-starfish-acanthaster...tif
  • Diver with large, healthy Tridacna gigas giant clam at a remote location in Papua New Guinea
    tridacna-gigas-giant-clam-and-diver-...tif
  • When small fish like basslets, damselfish and other reef residents appear in large numbers with the change of tide at Carl's Ultimate dive site in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea, predators such as bluefin trevally gather in packs to hunt them. This trevally used me for camouflage to approach the swarms of small fish, then charged straight in front of me in an attempt to grab a meal.
    bluefin-trevally-Caranx-melampygus-h...tif
  • Jewel fairy basslet in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. This photograph is a film scan.
    threadfin-anthias-pseudanthias-squam...tif
  • Lubricogobius dinah goby sitting on top of its beer bottle home, located at 30 meters depth at Observation Point at Normanby Island in Milne Bay province, Papua New Guinea.
    Lubricogobius-dinah-goby-observation...tif
  • Colorful male jewel fairy basslet (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) photographed in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    jewel-fairy-basslet-male-eastern-fie...tif
  • Enormous school of hardyhead silversides (Atherinomorus lacunosus) swarming under the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    school-of-hardyhead-silversides-Athe...tif
  • Aegires gardineri nudibranch photographed at Sawa Sawa Sawaga in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Aegires-gardineri-nudibranch-milne-b...tif
  • Pair of Dinah's gobies (Lubricogobius dinah) with their beer-bottle home, at Observation Point in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
    Dinahs-goby-pair-Lubricogobius-dinah...tif
  • Super macro close-up 3x life-size magnification photograph of a shrimp goby (Amblyeleotris sp.) staring into camera lens, taken at Waga Waga in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Amblyeleotris-sp-goby-super-macro-wa...tif
  • Super macro close-up 3x life-size magnification photograph of a rayed shrimp goby (Tomiyamichthys sp.), taken at Waga Waga in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    rayed-shrimp-goby-Tomiyamichthys-sp-...tif
  • Hardyhead silversides (Atherinomorus lacunosus) swarming under the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    Hardyhead-silversides-Atherinomorus-...tif
  • Countless robust silversides (Atherinomorus lacunosus) swarming under the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    school-of-robust-silversides-Atherin...tif
  • School of Yellowstripe Scad (Selaroides leptolepis) swimming under the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Selaroides-leptolepis-yellowstripe-s...tif
  • School of Yellowstripe Scad (Selaroides leptolepis) swimming under the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Selaroides-leptolepis-yellowstripe-s...tif
  • School of Yellowstripe Scad (Selaroides leptolepis) swimming under the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, one fish with its mouth wide open.
    Selaroides-leptolepis-yellowstripe-s...tif
  • Pretty little yellow Ambon damselfish facing the camera with its mouth wide open. Photographed at Gotoi Bay in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    Pomacentrus-amboinensis-ambon-damsel...tif
  • Dinah's goby (Lubricogobius dinah) sitting on top of a beer bottle. Observation Point at Normany Island in Milne Bay province, Papua New Guinea.
    Lubricogobius-dinah-goby-observation...tif
  • Lubricogobius dinah goby peeking out from its beer bottle home, located at 30 meters depth at Observation Point in Milne Bay province, Papua New Guinea.
    Lubricogobius-dinah-goby-observation...tif
  • Gymnodoris aurita devouring a Marionia sp. nudibranch. The entire process took about 50 minutes.
    Gymnodoris-aurita-eating-Marionia-nu...tif
  • It took me about three hours to get face to face with this tiny yellowfin shrimp goby, which was in about seven metres of water. A female dugong and her baby watched me while I was waiting for this fish, something I didn't realise until after I finished and backed off slowly from the goby. Given that my lens was set for 5x lifetime magnification, there was no hope of taking pictures of the dugongs, so I settled for enjoying their company.
    yellowfin-shrimp-goby-tomiyamichthys...tif
  • Fangblennies have cute smiles on their faces, but they make their living by ambushing other marine animals, swimming out from hidden holes and crevices, taking a bite from a victim, and then darting back to safety.
    bluestriped-fangblenny-milne-bay-pap...tif
  • Head-on view of a male jewel fairy basslet (Pseudanthias squamipinnis), photographed in the Eastern Fields of Papua New Guinea
    jewel-fairy-basslet-pseudanthias-squ...tif
  • Super macro close-up 3x life-size magnification photograph of a yellow shrimp goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) staring into camera lens, taken at Waga Waga in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Cryptocentrus-cinctus-yellow-shrimp-...tif
  • School of blackfin barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) at Black and Silver dive site near Nuakata Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    blackfin-barracuda-Sphyraena-qenie-m...tif
  • School of Yellowstripe Scad (Selaroides leptolepis) swimming under the jetty at Samarai Island in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Selaroides-leptolepis-yellowstripe-s...tif
  • Aegires gardineri nudibranch photographed at Sawa Sawa Sawaga in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Aegires-gardineri-nudibranch-milne-b...tif
  • Jorunna funebris nudibranch with a somewhat unusual abundance of dark splotches. Photographed at Sawa Sawa Sawaga in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    unusual-Jorunna-funebris-nudibranch-...tif
  • Yellow elephant ear sponge (Ianthella basta) with unique lighting to make it resemble a sculpture or work of modern art. Photographed at Hornbill Channel in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
    Ianthella-basta-elephant-ear-sponge-...tif
  • Pair of Dinah's gobies (Lubricogobius dinah) with their beer-bottle home, found at a depth of 30 metres at Observation Point in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea
    Lubricogobius-dinah-goby-with-beer-b...tif
  • Lubricogobius dinah goby sitting on top of its beer bottle home, located at 30 meters depth at Observation Point at Normanby Island in Milne Bay province, Papua New Guinea.
    Lubricogobius-dinah-goby-observation...tif
  • One of a pair of Dinah's goby (Lubricogobius dinah) in the mouth of a beer bottle, at Observation Point in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
    Lubricogobius-dinah-goby-in-beer-bot...tif
  • An extreme close-up, shot at 5x life-size magnification, of the feather-like gills of a Chromodoris coi nudibranch
    chromodoris-coi-nudibranch-milne-bay...tif
  • Lizardfish holding its mouth open and gills flared to be cleaned by a cleaner wrasse
    lizardfish-mouth-open-gills-flared-b...tif
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