About 4 months ago I put up a post featuring sea creatures of remarkable beauty, diversity and weirdness. I thought I had surely found the best jellyfish, sea slugs and other surprises of the sea. I felt the same when I put up the first bird post, sure that I had captured the best and most unique. Duskyswondersite now hosts seven bird posts, not counting a few that feature just one species. And I now assume birds have endless variety. I have a feeling the seas can rival the air with infinite wonders. Enjoy.
JELLYFISH
Flower Hat Jellyfish
- From the Maldives
The term jellyfish encompasses about 1,500 species, ranging in size from microscopic to more than seven feet wide and 100 feet long. These are purple-lipped cross jellyfish.
SEA SLUGS OR NUDIBRANCHES
Golden nudibranch looks like a caterpillar of the sea by Mona Dienhart @ monaand chris.com
By Ricardo Araujo on flickr
By vanveelen on flickr
The Fiery Sea Slug, Flabellina goddardi, discovered in 2008 by Marine Biologist Jeff Goddard. It lays a lacy egg mass that hatch into tiny babies. The egg mass is formed that way so that each baby receives enough oxygen.
An Elegant Sapsucking Slug, racing slug-fashion across a bed of encrusting sponge. From Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. By Ned Deloach at Wetpixel.
A sea bouquet, Sea Tunicates Blue and Strawberry by OceanwideImages
By mandarinfish on Flickr, Linda Cline
Purple ring topsnail. Barkely Sound, B.C. Canadá by randapex on Flickr
Coral, Ricordea yuma
Crinoid. In case you’re wondering, it’s an animal, not a plant.
Another plant-like sea animal. Wish I knew the name.
This is a worm! Amazing blue and red Christmastree worm, by nialldeiraniya on Flickr
Fire Urchin
Ascidian – Sea Squirts by indr on flickr, Leander Wiseman
CLAMS, WHO KNEW THEY COULD LOOK LIKE THIS?
By Jaques de Selliers at Scuba-photos.net
Is it too mean to call these a little comic relief?
Garden eels in Sulawesi, Indonesia. I can see how they got their name.
Cirrate octopod – or Dumbo
Barreleye the Barreleye fish has a completely transparent head. Looks like leaves in its brain.
It’s a thin line between funny and cute.
Baby thornback ray
Puffer fish by peentho266 on Flickr
Party Balloon Balloonfish on Calabas Reef, Bonaire.
Guineafowl Pufferfish (Arothron meleagris), Moa in Hawaiian
Helmet Urchins, or Shingle Urchins and in Hawaiian are called kaupali which translates to cliff hanging These urchins are found in the harsh intertidal zone of the volcanic shores of Hawaii.
Bat Fish
Sea Jewel by Holly Berry Shots
Clown Triggerfish by Brian Mayes on flickr
Male cardinal fish carrying his babies.
Chromodoris willani are known for their diamond encrusted gills and rhinophores.
pyrosome – luminous deep sea creatures photographed by Joshua Lambus via Telegraph in the UK
Rare Glowing Flower Hat Jellyfish
Janolus cristatus glowing Nudibranch, by Raimundo Fernandez on flickr
Tunicate by mandarinfish, via Flickr, linda cline
Wobbegong sharks, great name.
Xenophora, a marine snail commonly known as the carrier shell, attaches shells, rocks, and other debris from its environment. Amazing.
Thanks to Rhonda Johnson on pinterest
And Patricia S.
Thank you for your fantastic mails.
God bless you!
Your emails never cease to amaze me….I do a lot of underwater sea paintings and I will be using your photos as excellent reference material. Thank you for including me in your emails. Leonard.
Again, you nailed it. Thanks so very much.
Superb selection. There are beautiful beings out there. They have a canny resemblance to us in some ways and yet they are very unique.
Thank you.
The photography and subject matter you provide are exceptional. I would not otherwise ever see these exquisite examples of God’s handiwork. Thank you so much.
Exceptional photography. I look forward to every new installment.
Your pictures are awesome! I had no idea of the stunning beauty in the sea. God makes everything beautiful in His time.
Gorgeous and inspirational, as always. You set an unbelievable standard. Thanks.
I thank you in as many ways as you have delighted my senses with the beauty and wonder of this planet we call home.
These are just amazing and so good to be able to see them without travelling all over the world and going to great depths to see them.
Thank you very much for the lovely photo’s. I would never have known that these creatchers exist if it was not for your web. Many thanks
What a delightful treat. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures with us.
Thanks again for Wonders. I look forward every month for the beauty and knowledge.
Thank you for making my life better.
sea covers three fourth of the earth’s surface and our knowledge of the life under water is minimal. Wonderful colored creatures not seen ,each one as delicate as fine silk , exposed by amazing underwater photography. exploration of living under water is the need of the day as human race is exploding at a fenominal speed and will require space to live on. thanks.
Beautiful.
Wow…beauty is infinite.
So vivid,yet beauty comes in different ways.
The images you continue to share are truly marvelous. What a gift for the rest of us who have the good fortune to know of this remarkable site. I am often left breathless!
Спасибо Вам за великолепную работу! Всем большой привет из России!
Рад, сайт вам понравится.
Once again , Excellent ~! Thank You…..
I l;ove this very much I love sealife
Wow!
The colors!!
Magnificent…
Beautiful.as always.
Can’t wait for the next one.
The beauty of our world hidden to so many of us – what a blessing that we have someone like you to make it available to us. When I need a lift o f my spirit I bring up one of your “messages” and feel good again. Thank you for your dedication.
WOW this is magnificent and wonderful .
Laura Lai
İnanılmaz güzellikler.Yaradana şükürler olsun!
Magnifique c’est toujours magique….
THE MOST AWESOME ANS BEAUTIFUL CREATERS ,…GOD GAVE US
Thank you for sharing so much unbelievable beauty!
Mother nature at her best. How can we improve on that?
There must be a devine creator…who could create such color and design. thank you for the post. Happy days to you.
Wow, thank you, thank you. I have looked at each of your sets of photos, they are clear, perfect and so beautiful. I would never see these without people like you. Thank you again.
Photographe profesionel a la retraite je peut comprendre le travail que cela represante et j admire et remercie de faire partager cette vision
Just love your work. I was brought up in the Caribean ocean when i was young. I get lost in your photography, even loose hours of sleep looking through this work. You give me a lot of joy.