Alert Diver Category: Life Aquatic

Mola molas, or sunfish, are some of the heaviest bony fish in the world. They are interesting creatures who dine on jellyfish.

Larvae are often part of the complex life cycles of a variety of species — eels, squids, fish, jellyfish and more. Learn more about larvae and this reproductive strategy.

When you think of a billfish, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s a swordfish, a sailfish, or even the giant marlin from Ernest Hemingway’s classic The Old Man and the Sea. It can be confusing because 12 species are collectively known as billfish: one swordfish, four spearfish, two sailfish, and five marlins.

Mola molas, or sunfish, are some of the heaviest bony fish in the world. You can see these creatures firsthand in Bali.

Way below where the light touches, live interesting marine critters — some would even say creepy. Read more about what lurks beneath the darkness.

Her legs move quickly as she scrambles over the sand toward a large coral reef. It’s a bold and risky move, as the expanses of sand between coral patches are full of predators waiting to take advantage of a lone spiny lobster. 

Do you know which marine animal can camouflage the fastest and most effectively? (It can change in one fifth of a second!) Hint: It has eight long tentacles.

Spawning is greatly influenced by the moon’s phases and greatly changes the spawning fish’s behaviors. Learn more about spawning.

In November 2021 I was diving on the HMHS Letitia shipwreck in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s Maritime provinces. The British hospital ship, which lies near a gray seal colony, ran aground and sank in 1917 while returning from Liverpool, England, with wounded Canadian soldiers. 

Crocodiles are apex predators, and in the wrong place and time, humans are potential prey. There are exceptions, but most of these wonderful and primitive reptiles won’t squander encountering a potential meal. When swimming in any reptile habitat, know who and what you may encounter, or don’t swim at all. The resident American crocodiles at Jardines de la Reina routinely share their waters with snorkelers and divers, but Jen Hayes didn’t feel the same comfort working in Nile crocodile waters in Botswana.