Popular corals in the wild!

[Weasel1960]

Thanks for starting this thread and thanks to all the contributors. Will be fun to watch this one grow.

 

[eric.tech]

Amazing thread! Awesome to see all of this in the wild!

 

[hannernanner]

A few from my travels...deeper ones are from Fiji, shallow ones are from tide pools in Thailand!

 

[shred5]

I'd love to see some zoanthids in the wild! I've dove all over the Caribbean, south pacific and Asia, but I've never seem them in the wild.

Same.. There are a lot in the Caribbean too. I think there are allot in the grass beds in the keys but I have really never snorkeled in that close. I have spent allot of time in the keys and some snorkeling from shore too.

I remember when I started scuba diving and seeing stands of Acropora cervicornis as far as the eye can see in the keys. I also remember the year they all got hit hard. A dive outfitter took me to them. I got out of the water and said why did you take me here everything is dead. The dive operator shh'ed me and said most people only care about fish. That year I talked to Martin Moe and he told me the issue, he had a very hard time talking about it.

 

[BenThereFraggedThat]

Does anyone here dive? That's a dream of mine.

I'm extremely fortunate to say that I do dive quite a bit and I have been around the world doing so. I started keeping my reef tanks freshman year of college. Being able to keep animals in a tank in my room that I previously traveled 1,000's of miles to see is truly amazing. It's honestly the reason I got into reef keeping.

 

[Futuretotm]

Montis in Bimini, growing away from the surface

 

[Futuretotm]

Dry Tortuga, a nice little brain next to shore

 

[Futuretotm]

Bora Bora, not sure as to what Sp this was, right under the overwater bungalows, as far as the eye could see

 

[Futuretotm]

Again Bora Bora, not sure what this is

My DP, again from same area,

 

[Futuretotm]

Acros, as far as the eye can see

 

[Futuretotm]

Keys

 

[Futuretotm]

Bora Bora, count the number of "nemos"

 

[Futuretotm]

Not corals, but tangs n wrasses

Tiger Beach

 

[DeniseAndy]

Omg. Love all these.

Recommend a cool place to go shore diving in the Carribean? My hubby and I want to go down for a week or so and have lots of shore dives. We both get sick in boats, but do fine with the actual diving part. :)
If you recommend, show some pictures to keep thread on track!!!

 

[hds4216]

Omg. Love all these.

Recommend a cool place to go shore diving in the Carribean? My hubby and I want to go down for a week or so and have lots of shore dives. We both get sick in boats, but do fine with the actual diving part. :)
If you recommend, show some pictures to keep thread on track!!!

The Florida Keys are great because they're super accessible.

Bonaire, off the coast of South America, is known as the shore diving capital of the world, so perfect if you don't like boats!

 

[Ghost25]

Alright, all these are from the Red Sea, specifically the gulf of Aqaba mainly Dahab. Some are snorkeling, the more blue ones are as deep as 30m. You can really see that in deep water it really is extremely blue.

Anthias, Acros, and an unknown softie

Acros and Anthias, scattered Stylos

Massive Xenia

Brain coral and Wrasse

Yellow Scroll coral

Buried Maxima clams

Massive Acropora pharaonis

Big Lobo

15ft+ Pachyseris

Red Sea Clowns and Bubble Tip

I've got plenty more but I think that's enough for now.

 

[Hans-Werner]

Again Bora Bora, not sure what this is

It is a cushion star, Culcita.

Are there Montis on Bahamas? Or is it Porites in your first post, #46?

 

[Futuretotm]

It is a cushion star, Culcita.

Are there Montis on Bahamas? Or is it Porites in your first post, #46?

In my post - monti
But have seen porites everywhere as well in the Bahamas

 

[Boxfish]

Does the red sea have less bleaching then other popular places? Pics always show more color?

 

[Waydeo]

I loved diving in the Bahamas in the 90's around the coral bommies . Lots of royal grammas and corals.