Backdated update 3: Bahamas Blast

The Bahamas was a blast, between the gruelling dive schedule and work dives there was just enough time to soak in some sun, enjoy a pristine white powdery beach, explore the wonders of the blue blue sea, encounter some bizarre new fauna, and even get a brilliant overview of ongoing research in sponges...

Didn't really get much time or energy to take or edit photos, but here are my submissions for the mini photo contest we had on board...


The Pinnacle - essentially a huge rock that rises 20m from the seafloor


Odd crab


Bubble rings


A ubiquitous corallivorous snail called the Flamingo's Tongue


Skittish Blenny


Hypselodoris nyalya? - Another ubiquitous mollusc, the only nudibranch I saw, and it was spotted everywhere.


Spongebob


Worm


Most of these anemones have some sort of interesting shrimp in the vicinity


Cleaner shrimp seem to be everywhere on the reef


Pretty colours


Conch


Barracuda


Believe it or not, the Humann guide IDs this fish as a Blenny


More blenny shots - spent a lot of time looking at these colourful guys for 2 reasons: they were by far the most colourful and apparent denizens, and we were also scouring around for gobies...


Cleaning station


Vain hawksbill


Monster fish


Finally, a goby! Isn't it cute? :)

Have to admit that I was pretty disorientated by the endless bottom of sand interspersed by rocks on which octocorals and sponges flourish. Never had to use my compass so much before...

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but in many places, the hard bottom was engulfed in a sea of macroalgae. It's hard for me to imagine what these reefs would have been like in the past, but ending off on a sober note, it sure wasn't the underwater paradise I'd heard all about before...more signs of human impact?