Snorkeling in Maldives

[Eniram]

Here are some pictures of the fishes and corals that are abundant in the Maldives. The water is nice, cool and crystal clear, waves are very rapid and torrent. Had a hard time swimming back into the protective lagoon.

Coral colours are amazing! unbelievable colours but amongst the beauty some area around the corals are filled with hair algae and patches of diatoms. Sad sight to see but i believe mother nature has a way to counter this issues. Hope by next year when i go back the corals would have blossomed.

Enjoy

This is for you cedric! Moorish Idoh

[Eniram]

Huge flower pot coral

Melon butterfly fish

Deep purple humilis

Lemond butterfly fish (milletseed butterfly)

[yikai]

beautiful shots.

are you can see, SPS colonies are in constant patrol from the chevron butterfly, melon butterflies and milletseed butterflies. also many chromises take refuge in these colonies.

one of the best maldive experiences are watching large school of PBT and convict tangs scour the reefs in search of algae. and sometimes, you get to see pairs of PBT defending against these schools of convicts by warding off and fighting them.

[Eniram]

I've witnessed before a school of PBT sweeping through a reef in search of alage, the sight and feeling is amazing, not sure if my archive still has them will dig it out.

One thing I noticed the butterflies around the reef don't really eat coral polyps, they are sort of cleaning the debris and alage off the sps. I spotted a pair of Pakistani butterflies under a table acro, too bad the shot wasn't well taken but will post later.

Another thing to add is that they are always in pair.

Hope you guys like the deep purple humilies! Woot amazing colour. Will make any sps fan freak out.

[yikai]

I've witnessed before a school of PBT sweeping through a reef in search of alage, the sight and feeling is amazing, not sure if my archive still has them will dig it out.

One thing I noticed the butterflies around the reef don't really eat coral polyps, they are sort of cleaning the debris and alage off the sps. I spotted a pair of Pakistani butterflies under a table acro, too bad the shot wasn't well taken but will post later.

Another thing to add is that they are always in pair.

Hope you guys like the deep purple humilies! Woot amazing colour. Will make any sps fan freak out.

it depends on which butterflies.

the chevron and the melon butterflies will eat the polyps. but you can't see them. they have shovel like mouths capable of eating the polyps even when the SPS retract them. that's why they are so specialized in eating nothing but SPS. they are obligate feeders and have adapted ways in eating the polyps that other fishes cannot.

they don't eat debris and algae. they only eat SPS.

pakistan, millet seed and perhaps other species will eat algae and debris. but not the obligate corallivores.

yes they are always in pairs because these butterflies mate for life. they are monogamous pairs and will not split up unless one is captured or die, unlike more promiscuous species like raccoon, and other schooling species. another interesting thing to note is sometimes, the pair are of the same sex. but too laychey to explain why here.

[cedricang]

Wooo the pair of morrish !!! Thanks for the lovely thought Jeremy

Didnt know you escape to the reef heaven....and the pu

[cedricang]

Wooo the pair of morrish !!! Thanks for the lovely thought Jeremy

Didnt know you escape to the reef heaven....and the purple humillis is awesome

[Eniram]

Yea awesome colour right! I didn't do any photoshop, it was super outstanding, spotted it within 20m. It's a must take picture! This is a priceless shot.

Too bad taking live corals is illegal, death by walking on the plank to be fed to sharks. But they didn't say anything about taking live fishes.

[yellowtang]

my purple humillis is still brown after 3 years !

mike

[Eniram]

Bring to maldives and confirm it'll colour up. It misses it's home

[sonney]

I was able to pay the Maldives a visit and stay in their water villas which are really just nice. Unfortunately, I was not able to bring any gear because I was not with my dive buddies but just my DW for a short celebration. It was pitiful to see the vast and excellent ocean right within your reach but not able to go out even for a short dive. I will be some other time be back and continue what I left undone.

[straydum]

woah, can't believe i didn't chance on this thread before.

the corals and fishes there look so much at home there, kinda makes me feel bad for having them in tanks. its a quite sad to also think that some of these corals (not only in maldives) are harvested just for us and the 'ugly' ones that no one buys are just left there to most probably die when they should be where they were before, healthy and growing.

i must say, amazing photos! thanks for sharing bro