RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - Dive Statia's dive boat "Seahorse" comes into sight at the surface as we end of a scuba dive.  You can make out the boat's captain and owner, Rudy, in a red shirt near the bow.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - This fish, the banded hamlet, is common on Caribbean reefs and is probably familiar to any scuba diver, but is very shy.  This joins me in fighting the storm surge at 70 feet deep on our last day.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - The stern of Dive Statia's dive boat, "Seahorse," comes into sight at the surface as we end our scuba dive.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - This spotted moray eel was not at all shy.  Though morays will often withdraw from a scuba diver, as I settled on the bottom, this one came out of his hole in the reef to look me over.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - A scuba diver can be badly hurt by these dangerous fish.  It took me a moment to realize I was looking at a spotted scorpionfish sitting in a sponge, perched atop the reef.  It was quite a surprise.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - A scuba diver on a Caribbean reef must be careful what you bump and where you put your hands.  This type of fish is hard to spot and will not move when approached -- depending on camouflage to hide -- but it's sharp spines are quite dangerous and can cause infection.   As I examined an octopus' hiding place, I almost didn't look up.  This spotted scorpionfish (sitting patiently in a sponge directly above the octopus) could have been a rude surprise.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - This fish (a bluestriped lizardfish) literally swam right into me and then settled on the sand bottom directly in front of my lens -- even though as a scuba diver, my noise and bubbles are usually intimidating to fish.  When I moved away to another patch of reef, he also moved to stay in my photograph.  He wouldn't leave the lens alone until I took his picture.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - No matter how many times a scuba diver may see small schools of fish darting in and out of the reef, these small gobies always bring interest to tube sponges or anemonies.  © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - The small fish (goldface toby) closest to the shell and reef below would not move from that spot, despite the close proximity of a scuba diver and another fish.  I'm not sure if this is a mating pair of fish, or if the one above would like to eat eggs being defended by the one closer to the reef.  © Rick Collier
St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - Dive Statia's dive boat "Seahorse" comes into sight at the surface as we end of a scuba dive. You can make out the boat's captain and owner, Rudy, in a red shirt near the bow. © Rick Collier
RickCollier > St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - Dive Statia's dive boat "Seahorse" comes into sight at the surface as we end of a scuba dive.  You can make out the boat's captain and owner, Rudy, in a red shirt near the bow.  © Rick Collier
St. Eustatius (Statia) Underwater - Dive Statia's dive boat "Seahorse" comes into sight at the surface as we end of a scuba dive. You can make out the boat's captain and owner, Rudy, in a red shirt near the bow. © Rick Collier
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