Black Cormorant

Pink and Blue Maomao

Maomao come in pink as well as blue. They pinks like being among the blues, but prefer to stick together as a clique, within the larger school.

Arch Viewers

Divers aboard the dive boat El Tigre photograph the spectacular Middle Arch.

Middle Arch

Middle Arch on the Poor Knights Islands, seen from the East.

Blue Mao Mao Ball

The Blue Mao Mao form enormous schools. The schools like to hang along walls. They must like it! This school formed a pretty concentrated ball of fish; for some reason, it reminded me of the 3 Dog Night lyrics to "Celebrate": Go to the Celebrity Ball!

Speeding Wrasse

Speeding wrasse at Meditation Wall. These fish seem to play the same role as sheephead in the California Channel Islands: they guard fixed territories, and harvest the urchins within them.

Purple Sponge

Variable Nudibranch

Variable Nudibranch at Rico Rico Cave in Poor Knights Islands.

Mating Nudibranchs

Tambja verconis (or Verco's nudibranch) mating.  These guys (or girls, or both?) were large and not uncommon. This pair is at Meditation Wall.

Twin Luminous Nudibranchs

Twin luminous nudibranchs (Dendrodoris denisoni) at Meditation Wall. This underwater wall gets its name from how its abundant invertebrate life hypnotizes divers as they hover in front of it.

Jasons Nudibranch

Jason's nudibranch (Jason mirabilis) on hydroids in Rico Rico Cave on the Poor Knight's Islands. These are said to be quite rare.