New Jersey Scuba Diving

Cozumel Underwater 3

Cozumel - Giant Crab — Now we're on the first night dive. A "Giant Crab" Mithrax (?) related to northern Spider Crabs.

Cozumel - Giant Crab — Mr Crab again.

Cozumel - Yellow Stingray — Yellow Stingray Urolophus jamaicensis

Cozumel - Stoplight Parrotfish — A sleeping Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma viride

Cozumel - Slipper Lobster — Slipper Lobster Scyllarides nodifer or
Sculptured Slipper Lobster Parribacus antarcticus

No claws, no spines, no teeth, no camouflage.
No fangs, no barbs, no bristles, no poison.
No strength, no speed, no brains.
You really have to wonder how they survive.

Cozumel - Common Atlantic Octopus — Common Atlantic Octopus Octopus vulgaris

Cozumel - Common Atlantic Octopus — Obviously not pleased to see me.

Cozumel - Common Atlantic Octopus — I found this one on my own and didn't share it with anyone, which is probably why I was able to get some decent pictures.

Cozumel - Punta Sur — Punta Sur. Going into the hole.

Cozumel - Punta Sur — Coming out of the hole. I still don't understand why people dive in holes.

Cozumel - Mostly French Grunts — Mostly French Grunts Haemulon flavolineatum

Cozumel - crab — Another crab, oddly out in the open during the day.

Cozumel - French Angelfish — French Angelfish. I think these are the most majestic of the Angelfishes. Not as gaudy as the Queens, and a lot bigger.

Cozumel - Stoplight Parrotfish — Stoplight Parrotfish ( female ). Males are bluish, like Queen Parrotfish

Cozumel - Queen Triggerfish — Queen Triggerfish Balistes vetula. Headin' for the hills - I'm surprised I got this close. ( Photo is cropped - you can guess the range from the colors. )

Cozumel - Blue Tang — Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus and Squirrelfish Holocentrus adscensionis

Cozumel - Almost — Almost (Queen Angelfish)

Cozumel - Sharptail Eel — Nighttime again. Sharptail Eel Myrichthys acuminatus

Cozumel - Stoplight Parrotfish — Another sleeping Stoplight Parrotfish, the terminal male phase. The bright yellow dot at the upper end of the gill slit is a giveaway.

Cozumel - Yellow Stingray — This little Yellow Stingray was happily digging a hole after something in the sand, and didn't mind having his picture taken at all.

Spearfishing

spearfisher

Most folks catch fish with hook and line. A successful fisherman combines skill, knowledge, and experience with a good deal of luck to essentially trick a fish into catching itself. If the fish won't bite, you go home empty-handed. However, scuba divers have a much more dynamic method available to them - spearfishing. Spearfishing is more akin to hunting than to hook and line fishing: rather than relying on a convincingly presented bait or lure, the spearfisherman enters the environment of his quarry and pursues it on its own terms.

More: Spearfishing ...