Fashion Statements or Important Appendages?: Why Some Bottom Dwellers Wear ‘Beards’
Beards. Mustaches. Whiskers. In human males facial hair is used to enhance one’s appearance, intimidate, add stature, set one apart from the crowd and…
Marine Life
Bottomed Out and Going Nowhere: The Curious Lives of Bottom Dwellers
In many respects the ocean is a world in motion. Fishes swarm, circle and move in perfectly synchronized schools. Nomadic populations of bluefin tuna…
The Good Stuff is Deep: Dispelling Common Scuba Myths
I remember from years past a particularly eager young diver who was seemingly obsessed with the desire to dive deeper. After all, he had…
By Air and By Sea: The Amphibious Lives of Seabirds
Ancient mariners always kept a close eye out for seabirds as harbingers of terra firma. Fishermen, too, have used them for years to help…
‘Tentacalizing’ – A Look at Anemones
Amemone. Amenome. Aargh. Anemone. That’s it. “An M O Knee.” It’s a relatively simple yet tongue-twisty word, which describes more than 1,000 species of…
Sheer Joy: In the Company of Whales
The water there is as blue as anywhere on earth. The underwater visibility is routinely 150 feet (45 m) or more. In fact, the…
‘It Was Right Here a Moment Ago’: Creatures That Play Hide-and-Seek on the Reef
There is hardly a diver alive who hasn’t frantically signaled his buddy after sighting some interesting creature only to turn back to point at…
Life in the Latticework: Peering Into Underwater Caves and Crevices
For many divers, the idea creates the most irresistible of urges. For others the mere thought makes their skin crawl. This concept that is…
Take a Left at Aruba: How Do Animals Navigate the Underwater World?
You’re a baby loggerhead sea turtle. A few days ago, you were tied up in knots in a dark, warm, although somewhat cramped, shell…
Shifting Baselines: Putting the World’s Oceans in Perspective
At day’s end, groups of divers gathered on the back deck to watch the sunset and share the adventures of the day. On one…