June 2005

Hawaii Humpback Whale Underwater Life Wildlife

Photos of Humpback Whale Bubble Displays

Humpback whales are famous for their use of bubbles to "net" prey, especially in Alaska where coordinated bubble netting among groups of humpback whales is often seen. However, humpbacks also commonly use bubble displays and air releases in their social interactions in warm waters. It is thought the these bubble…

Phil CollaJune 23, 2005

Galapagos Diaries Icons Underwater Life

Whale Shark Photo, Darwin Island, Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands, an Ecuadorian archipelago straddling the equator in the Eastern Pacific, is a remarkable underwater paradise. The central and southern islands hold a wealth of temperate as well as tropical marine creatures due to the mixing of currents there. However, it is the northern islands of Darwin and…

Phil CollaJune 22, 2005

Hawaii Stories

Revenge of the Mahi Mahi :: Part II

Continued from Part I You see, mahi, as open water fish are prone to do, seek cover underneath and beside any floating object that they can find. This mahi is no exception. He has seen manfish before, swimming gracefully below the surface and sporting deadly appendages that send out flashing…

Phil CollaJune 14, 2005

Hawaii Stories

Revenge of the Mahi Mahi :: Part I

REVENGE OF THE MAHI, or, The Hapless Research Videographer Perhaps their reputation is unjustified. I know of no documented case where a human has been attacked by one. Nevertheless, false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) are intimidating creatures. Have a false killer swim up to you and smile, displaying its many…

Phil CollaJune 13, 2005

California Natural World San Clemente Island Stories Underwater Life

The Kelp Forest :: Part V

When the goal is simply to swim in and admire a kelp forest, nothing beats the (relatively) warm clear waters of Southern California's San Clemente Island in late summer. On a good day the panorama at San Clemente is stunning: kelp in all directions reaching from seafloor to surface, summer…

Phil CollaJune 12, 2005

California Natural World Ocean Sunfish Stories Underwater Life Wildlife

The Kelp Forest :: Part IV

Further to the south, Santa Barbara and Catalina Island kelp forests offer somewhat less profuse animal life but warmer and clearer waters. While I don't dive these two islands often anymore, I do dive kelp originating from these islands throughout the summer: drift kelp. I was introduced to the notion…

Phil CollaJune 11, 2005

California Natural World San Clemente Island Stories Underwater Life

The Kelp Forest :: Part III

Central and Northern California kelp forests are bathed by cold, nutrient-laden currents. The waters here are generally not clear but are rich with animal life. Invertebrate displays on the rocks below the kelp forest are some of the most profuse and interesting in the world and it is common to…

Phil CollaJune 10, 2005

California Natural World San Clemente Island Stories Underwater Life

The Kelp Forest :: Part II

It is my spirited opinion, one that I enjoy defending over a beer after a long day on the water, that diving amidst giant kelp is the most magnificent diving in the world. I am fortunate enough to have had some amazing experiences underwater -- watching swarms of hammerheads soar…

Phil CollaJune 9, 2005

California Natural World San Clemente Island Stories Underwater Life

The Kelp Forest :: Part I

My first experience with seaweed was as a kid combing the shores of Newport Beach where I grew up. After storms my brother and I would find clumps of the brown stuff pushed up the beach. We would pick through them to pop the small bubbles attached to the leaves.…

Phil CollaJune 8, 2005

San Clemente Island Underwater Life

Seagrass in Motion

One morning while diving at San Clemente Island I was struck by the lackluster light. It was cloudy and dark and I had yet to find any exciting subjects to shoot. I was spacing out in the shallows watching the kelp fishes meander among the weeds when I started fiddling…

Phil CollaJune 2, 2005

Photos of Humpback Whale Bubble Displays

Whale Shark Photo, Darwin Island, Galapagos

Revenge of the Mahi Mahi :: Part II

Revenge of the Mahi Mahi :: Part I

The Kelp Forest :: Part V

The Kelp Forest :: Part IV

The Kelp Forest :: Part III

The Kelp Forest :: Part II

The Kelp Forest :: Part I

Seagrass in Motion

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