Some of The Coolest Stuff You've Seen Shallow

Rick Inman · Sep 7, 2005

Did two dives today. The boat down there and the Lion's Mane Jelly and the Juvenile Red Snapper down at 124' were all nice. But at the end of the 2nd dive, in four feet of water, just as my buddy gave the final thumb and headed up, I spotted a nice Hooded Nudi undulating in the easy surf.

I tapped my buddy, he came back down and we enjoyed the critter for about 5 minutes, and he took some pictures.

I gave the thumb, he nodded and I surfaced. But he didn't follow, so I stuck my face back in the water and saw him waving me back down.

I descended, and my buddy pointed out the Small Skate resting on the bottom. We looked at it for a bit, then my buddy started genitally brushing off the sand on the Skate, exposing the target-like circles that looked like eyes on it's wings. It didn't seem to mind at all being touched, just flipped it's tale a couple of times.

My buddy took a few pictures, and then we did surface.

It added about ten minutes to the dive and was one of the most enjoyable parts of it - and in just four feet of water!

Others have mentioned it. What have you seen at the end of the dive, when you thought it was over, that you found to be a memorable siting?

Vie · Sep 7, 2005

Rick Inman:
What have you seen at the end of the dive, when you thought it was over, that you found to be a memorable siting?

17 August 2001Blue Fish Point near Sydney, Australia. Had just seen my very first common sea dragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (was very surprised at how big it was) and thought the dive couldnt get any better. Started my ascent with buddies and a group of squids zoomed by, just below the surfacethey were so strange and very, very beautiful (I was a very easy to impress newbie back then

) and I never managed to ID themI think they were Southern Reef Calamaris Sepioteuthis australis. When I look back at all the dives I did around Sydney, I often think of this one.

16 August 2002found a hairy frogfish Antennarius striatus? in 4 metres of water at the end of the dive at Hairball, Lembeh Straits, on the very last dive of a week of diving in N. Sulawesi, Indonesia. Of course I didnt have a camera...

1 August 2004three Bearded filefish Anacanthus barbatus near Ko Saak (Pattaya), Thailand. This was at a usually pretty uneventful site in very shallow water (approx. 67m) Anyway, I did not know what they were at the time and it was exciting to see three mystery fishhave not seen one anywhere else since.

slingshot · Sep 7, 2005

Rick Inman:
...then my buddy started genitally brushing off the sand on the Skate, exposing the target-like circles that looked like eyes on it's wings. It didn't seem to mind at all being touched...

Fish molester!

scubajoe · Sep 7, 2005

I spent a lot if not mast of my time in shallow water in Indonesia. Nudi's, Anemonies with clowns all sorts of stuff....the boat guys came after me on one dive because they could see my tank just under the surface.

Joe

stevetim · Sep 7, 2005

Ft. Lauderdale offshore reef line in 20ft. Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber. This literally looks like something you would see in a science fiction diving movie like...Deep Star Six, or Leviathon. It just does not look natural to me resting halfway out from under a coral ledge. It actually looks like it is waiting to grab you as you swim by.

Mike Veitch · Sep 7, 2005

Is this cool enough?

Shot in about 5 feet...

Kim · Sep 7, 2005

A baby ray - I don't know what kind, in about 5 ft of water. it was only about 7 or 8 inches long and got startled out of the sand when I swam over him.

Spoon · Sep 7, 2005

Rick Inman:
Did two dives today. The boat down there and the Lion's Mane Jelly and the Juvenile Red Snapper down at 124' were all nice. But at the end of the 2nd dive, in four feet of water, just as my buddy gave the final thumb and headed up, I spotted a nice Hooded Nudi undulating in the easy surf.

I tapped my buddy, he came back down and we enjoyed the critter for about 5 minutes, and he took some pictures.

I gave the thumb, he nodded and I surfaced. But he didn't follow, so I stuck my face back in the water and saw him waving me back down.

I descended, and my buddy pointed out the Small Skate resting on the bottom. We looked at it for a bit, then my buddy started genitally brushing off the sand on the Skate, exposing the target-like circles that looked like eyes on it's wings. It didn't seem to mind at all being touched, just flipped it's tale a couple of times.

My buddy took a few pictures, and then we did surface.

It added about ten minutes to the dive and was one of the most enjoyable parts of it - and in just four feet of water!

Others have mentioned it. What have you seen at the end of the dive, when you thought it was over, that you found to be a memorable siting?

what would you consider shallow rick? i was wondering because i see the best marine life in 30-80 feet of water. mostly the most amazing have been the nudis. they are of such vabrian colors and of infinite varieies. im quite fortunate to live in anilao often dubbed as the nudibranch capital of the world.

KBeck · Sep 7, 2005

Octopus. Relatively, if surprisingly, common to find in sandy holes between the reef and the shore. We love to sit and watch and wait to see if they'll venture out to investigate us.

jiveturkey · Sep 7, 2005

I've ony seen seahorses a couple time in my life. Once was in 2 years ago in South Korea in abut 2m of water. We had to look long and hard for them but it was worth it. They are so beautiful.

I went back to the same site this year but unfortunately a typhoon had killed the vis and the surf in such shallow water made the dive next to impossible. Maybe next year.

Some of The Coolest Stuff You've Seen Shallow

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Rick Inman

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Vie

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stevetim

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Mike Veitch

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Kim

Here for my friends.....

Spoon

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