First let have some fun. The first photo is a hard coral with a colorful sponge next to it.
Use your artistic imagination, What does it look like?
An Elephant
Thats right I know you see an elephant.
The next hard coral is called a mushroom coral, Fungia Fungites, yes I know most of the Latin names, but don’t worry I’ll spare you.
Mushroom Coral
A Hydroid Coral is next
Hydroid Coral
As you can see I’ve started to put frames around the photos, I feel it is a better presentation and it brings out the best in the photographs.
I couldn’t find the name of the next coral, so just enjoy the mystery of it.
Mystery Coral
These hard corals are very, very slow growing to see a Plate Coral this size without any battle scares is rear,very rear.
- Plate Coral
Do you wonder why the next photo is called Finger Coral
- Finger Coral
When you go diving at night, yes you do go into the dark water, you carry a light. Of course waterproof, and you can see the corals coming out of there shells actually there individual animals called polyps and each coral mass are made up of thousands of them. In the next photo they are just transforming out to feed and then you can really see the colors.
- Coral Feeding
How about we have some more fun? The next photo is manipulated in Photoshop to bring out some very saturated colors. Just playing with single image HDR Toning.
- HDR
OK lets move on to a different catagory of coral the Soft Coral. These were at night and the soft variety also come out to feed.
- Soft Tree Coral
This is a Macro shot or close up so you can see each individual.
- Close up
And here is one in all it’s glory.
- Feeding
That was quite a trip, What do you think? Leave me a comment, especially since I am about to take you on a journey not to many people experience.
On the first full moon at the beginning of summer, thats December in Australia, the corals spawn. Yes they actually lay eggs, I’m so excited to see the photos again. The first in a series of 4 is the coral full of eggs, thats the purple tip.
- Coral Spawning
In this photo the coral layed most of the eggs.
Laying Eggs
This is a close up so you can see one polyp still has an egg while the others in that group are empty.
Only One Left
I guess this is the late bloomer.
and a close up of a happy coral mommy.
Coral Mommy
That’s it. I know it was a long post, but wasn’t it worth it? Now you have experience coral spawning in the South Pacific.
Hope you enjoyed the dive and I hope someday you can experience this miracle first hand.
