Pretty Boys

Male fish exhibit exquisite colors during mating seasons in hopes to attracts mates. Learn more about these colorful and important rituals.

A group of blue and colorful male mandarinfish hang out by corals

Evolution in a Flash

Flasher wrasses are a lesser-known group of fishes to divers because they can be overlooked. The males, for example, tiny, can mute their colors and keep low profiles. Read more about flasher wrasses.

Yellow, purple-striped flasher wrasse hangs out near corals

The Peculiar Life of Pearlfish

TO FIND THE FIRST DESCRIPTION OF A LARVAL PEARLFISH in the wild, I had to search back to the early 1980s annals of blackwater diving and Christopher Newbert’s account of […]

Clams & Friends

Read one couple’s story about diving with shrimp, clams and other little critters.

A fluted giant clam has a purple piece of coral in it

Second Dive of the Day

Divers are a passionate bunch and thoroughly enjoy making personal discoveries each time they go underwater. Read the story of one diver witness a rare octopus in its natural habitat.

Hairy octopus on sandy bottom

Spawning Seas Forever

To the delight of the divers staying at Tawali Resort on the shores of Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, Anna’s hunch turns out to be right on track.

Staghorn coral nurseries create fish habitats even as suspended branches

In the Company of Squid

Squid are fascinating sea critters. They’re colorful, playful and can be found throughout the world’s oceans. Learn more about the inky squid.

Dive Slow and Think Small

Small critters can be hard to spot and photograph — but when you slow down your speed, you can see just about anything. Here are some best tips on locating cryptic critters.

Pregnant male pipehorse

It Takes Only One Good Fish

OUR RECENT UNDERWATER ADVENTURE began with a fanciful quest to track down an inconspicuous little fish no larger than a nickel … the seldom-seen dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae).

Little Big-Game Hunters

Ctenophora is a small phylum of ancient origin, and many of its species are mistaken for jellyfish. Read more about ctenophores and some of their eating and hunting habits.

Roving sea star is covered in ctenophore