We went diving around Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef.
There are many kinds of sponges - tube sponges, barrel sponges, vase sponges, encrusting sponges...
We dove the blue hole at Lighthouse Reef. At about 100 feet, or 30 meters, there are big stalactites from when this was above water. Now they are covered with marine growth.
The jawfish lives in a hole.
Trunkfish are among Charlotte's favorites. Here are a smooth trunkfish and a spotted trunkfish.
Scorpionfish sit on the bottom and try to look like coral or sponges. When an unsuspecting small fish wanders by they quickly open their mouth and gulp it.
If you don't see a fish in the photo on the left, look again. It is looking straight at you, and you can see the eyes, nostrils, and mouth.
Here is another bottom-dweller.
These are not related to flamingos, but are a shell. The spots are the mantle of the animal.
This is a very small hermit crab. It is walking on a sponge.
The turtle on the left is a Green turtle, and the one on the right is a Hawksbill. They live in the water all the time, coming on land only to lay eggs. They breathe air so they must swim to the surface occasionally.
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Last modified 6 June 2003